State asks school chiefs to verify degrees

New Jersey school superintendents have been asked to provide the state with information on their graduate degrees and coursework, as the Legislature seeks to crack down on educators using bogus de grees to advance their careers.

The state Senate's education committee yesterday easily passed a bill that would bar teachers and administrators from gaining salary raises or promotions by getting a master's degree or doctorate from an unaccredited college, or so- called diploma mill.

The bill, sponsored by Senate President Richard Codey, comes after news that three top administrators at Freehold Regional High School District won raises and tuition reimbursement for doctorates they gained from Breyer University, an apparent diploma mill then lo cated in Alabama.

A similar measure is under consideration in the Assembly.

But even before the bills, all sit ting superintendents have found themselves under scrutiny as state Education Commissioner Lucille Davy told legislators yesterday her department will review every school administrator's credentials.

In a Sept. 16 letter, Davy told superintendents to list any ad vanced degrees or courses they have completed and any money they received for them, including tuition reimbursement. Information from each district is due to her department today.

"We thought this would give us an idea of how widespread it is, if it is widespread, and we have started with superintendents," Davy told the Senate committee.

The testimony came as the committee voted 4-0 in favor of a bill that would place a slew of limits on administrators and teachers taking graduate-level classes. Not only would they be required to be from accredited schools, but there also would limits on the reimburse ments.

Legislators said they were amazed the state had no such re quirements in place. State law and regulations require teacher or administrator certification be tied to work at accredited schools, but there are no rules for subsequent degrees or coursework.

"It is almost unbelievable we even have to take this action today," said state Sen. Jennifer Beck (R-Monmouth), whose district includes Freehold Regional.

The New Jersey Education Association, the state's dominant teachers union, voiced the lone dissent. Officials said they agreed with the intention of the bill but said some of the specific limits should be subject to local collective bargaining.

Others testified the problems exist in other fields and industries.

Jane Oates, director of the state's higher education commis sion, said 40 individuals -- including a half-dozen in higher education -- are under investigation by her office.

She said hundreds from New Jersey have such phony degrees, but the concern comes in when they are used for personal gain.

"It is not illegal to be stupid and pay for these degrees, but it is illegal to use them," Oates said.