Fleecing the system by obtaining additional compensation or tuition reimbursement as a result of attending unaccredited institutions will no longer be an option for school district administrators if a bill in the state Legislature is eventually signed into law.O
n Oct. 2 in Trenton, the state Senate Education Committee heard testimony on legislation put forth by Senate President Richard J. Codey, Sen. Shirley K. Turner and Sen. Jennifer Beck. The legislation was released from the committee with a 4-0 vote. It now heads to the Senate for consideration.
Under the terms of S-2127 all degrees awarded to an employee must be verified as coming from an accredited institution. The bill also stipulates that in order to qualify for tuition assistance, advanced coursework must be related to the employee’s job responsibilities and that a grade of B or higher must be earned. A return-service obligation will be in place so that employees will continue to work in a school district for a certain period of time after receiving tuition assistance.
Leaving the district prior to the specified time would require the individual to pay back the tuition. Bill S-2127 will also limit the amount of tuition reimbursement.
Michael A. Vrancik, the director of governmental relations for the New Jersey School Boards Association (NJSBA) provided testimony before the Senate Education Committee on Oct. 2.
“Frankly, NJSBA is alarmed that even a small number of educators would use degrees from non-accredited institutions to earn additional salary and received tuition reimbursement. The public outrage over such practices is warranted, as is a legislative response, such as S-2127,” Vrancik told the committee according to a copy of his testimony.
Local public outrage has been focused on the Freehold Regional High School District where two current administrators and one retired administrator received doctoral degrees from Breyer State University, a discredited online institution.
FRHSD Superintendent of Schools James Wasser, Assistant Superintendent Donna Evangelista and Frank J. Tanzini, a retired assistant superintendent, were each awarded a $2,500 pay increase after receiving an advanced degrees. The district paid $8,700 in tuition costs to Breyer State University for all three employees.
Breyer State University has been booted from operating in various states across the country after being named an apparent diploma mill.
Following an investigation by the state Department of Education a report was released which stated that due to contractual language, the administrators broke no laws in obtaining degrees from Breyer State, which was accredited, but not by an entity that was recognized as a bona fide accrediting agency.
In a separate investigation New Jersey Commission on Higher Education Executive Director Jane Oates determined that the individuals cease their use of the doctoral title because Breyer State is not considered a duly authorized institution, lacking accreditation from an agency recognized by the Department of Education.
“These instances of abuse, as disturbing as they may be, are not the norm. They do not reflect the behavior of the majority of school employees. Moreover, many school districts have in place appropriate controls — either through collective bargaining agreements, individual employment contracts, or policy,” Vrancik noted.
Legislative leaders from the 12th District, which covers the area of the Freehold Regional High School District, have said the law needs to be changed to close the loophole that allows degrees from institutions such as Breyer State University to be counted as legitimate credentials.
Beck testified, “When my staff and I researched this issue and the legality of all of it, we quickly came to a shocking realization; while it is against the law in New Jersey to use the title ‘Doctor’ or any letters after your name which indicate you have received an advanced degree if you have received that title from an unaccredited institution, the law is silent on the issue of tuition reimbursement or the granting of additional compensation based on such a degree. So basically, you can’t call yourself ‘Doctor,’ but you can be paid like one.”
In September, Wasser addressed the public at an FRHSD Board of Education meeting and said he would stop using the “Doctor” title and would forgo the $2,500 raise going forward.
Following the uproar that resulted from the discovery of the degrees, Codey spoke out and asked New Jersey Attorney General Anne Milgram and New Jersey Department of Education Commissioner Lucille Davy to investigate practices surrounding tuition reimbursement for and raises made to school administrators who received degrees from unaccredited online schools.
The original draft of S-2127 reflected strategies that NJSBA recommends to local school boards, but the association made changes to further strengthen the bill by providing additional protection of public funds, along with flexibility that would enable school boards to align tuition reimbursement with district educational goals.
In the state Assembly sits bill A-3228 which goes hand-in-hand with the Senate version. Assemblywoman Mary Pat Angelini, Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon and Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande have signed on as primary sponsors of A- 3228. The bill’s description states that tuition assistance or additional compensation may only be provided if a degree is conferred by an accredited institution.
Angelini had previously said, “We want our academic leadership to exemplify the pursuit of excellence, not set an example of how to cut corners.”
Last month Casagrande called the legislation a good first step and added that legislators would look to work with legislative leaders to broaden the law to all public employees.
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