Administrators' degrees subject of investigations
FRHSD superintendent speaks about issue during July 28 meeting
BY REBECCA MORTON Staff Writer
T he matter of doctorate degrees obtained by administrators from a questionably accredited school is "not a significant legal issue," according to the Freehold Regional High School District Board of Education's attorney, Lawrence S. Schwartz.

Jim Wasser

Anticipating comments on that subject after an article recently appeared in a local daily newspaper, which questioned the validity of doctorate degrees obtained by FRHSD Superintendent of Schools James Wasser, Assistant Superintendent Donna Evangelista and now retired Assistant Superintendent Frank J. Tanzini, the Board of Education had its attorney prepare a statement on the matter.

Schwartz addressed the issue during the board's July 28 meeting in Englishtown.

Wasser, Evangelista and Tanzini each received a doctorate degree from Breyer State University, which until recently was operated from Alabama.

All three administrators were awarded a $2,500 pay increase for receiving their doctorate and the district paid $8,700 in tuition costs to the university.

One issue at hand with the degrees is a question of accreditation. Breyer State states on its Internet Web site that it is "not accredited by an accreditation agency approved by the U.S. Department of Education."

The Breyer State Web site states that the school is accredited by the Association for Innovation in Distance Education, a private organization.

Some people have questioned the legitimacy of that accrediting organization.

Schwartz said that at the time Wasser obtained his degree, Breyer State was fully licensed in the state of Alabama and had accreditation from two different organizations, neither of which were recognized by the federal agency.

Licensing is done on a state-by-state basis, the attorney said, and each state sets its own parameters for granting an operating license.

"Breyer State is by no means a degree mill as the term is sometimes used," Schwartz told the board members and those in the audience.

In a July 14 press release from the Alabama Community College System Department of Postsecondary Education, Breyer State was declared an apparent diploma mill and its operating license was not renewed.

One of the many violations the school had included conferring honorary doctorates on individuals based on life and work experience, a one-time application fee, and a monetary contribution to the institution, according to the press release.

Breyer State also offered an unheardof self-design degree program, which allows the creation of a curriculum based on mentoring. Since losing its license to operate in Alabama, the university has moved to Idaho.

Schwartz went on to note that there is no requirement for a superintendent to obtain a doctorate degree, nor does Wasser's contract require that he possess such a degree.

The superintendent's contract does encourage academic growth for the good of the employee and the district, Schwartz said. Wasser's contract also does not specify that a degree obtained must come from a federally accredited school.

The district's attorney said there is no statute or code in New Jersey requiring a degree from any particularly accredited school for K-12 employees. Schwartz did say there is a requirement for those who work in higher education to have degrees from specifically identified accredited schools.

That particular statute states, "A person shall not append to his name any letters in the same form designated by the Commission on Higher Education as entitled to the protection accorded to an academic degree unless the person has received from a duly authorized institution of higher education the degree or certificate for which the letters are registered. For the purposes of this section, a duly authorized institution of higher education means an in-state institution licensed by the Commission on Higher Education or an out-of-state institution licensed by the appropriated state agency and regionally accredited or seeking accreditation by the appropriate accrediting body recognized by the Council on Postsecondary Education or the U.S. Department of Education."

Based upon a citizen complaint, the Office of Fiscal Accountability and Compliance of the New Jersey Department of Education is investigating the matter of funds used to pay for the doctorates, Schwartz said.

He said district personnel cannot comment on an ongoing investigation, but he said the district and Wasser are fully cooperating with that investigation.

Schwartz then noted that district officials were recently made aware of an investigation by the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office also based upon a citizen complaint and involving the same matter.

Rich Vespucci, spokesman for the state Department of Education, confirmed that the matter is being investigated by the department to determine if any state laws were broken. He said no comment could be made in regard to an ongoing investigation.

During the July 28 meeting, Wasser said he wanted to take the opportunity to address the issue once and for all.

"There has been much talk lately about the doctoral degree that I obtained from Breyer State University and whether it is a real degree from a real university, or something that was acquired by me with little or no effort so that I can have a nice title and earn a few extra dollars from the district," Wasser began.

Noting that he is not required to obtain a doctorate, Wasser said many superintendents throughout New Jersey do not hold a doctorate in part because of the significant amount of work that is required on top of their duties as a superintendent.

"I felt that obtaining my doctorate dovetailed nicely with my personal and professional goals of being the best and most well-educated superintendent that I could be. My vision as superintendent is to make a difference in the lives of young people, one student at a time," he said. Wasser said he investigated other doctorate programs but was impressed by Breyer State.

Pointing out that at the time of his studies Breyer State was fully licensed and accredited by two bodies, Wasser said, "While it was not accredited by an agency recognized by the Department of Education, the Department of Education itself does not accredit universities. I did not know this at the time, nor did it seem significant to me.

"My goal was never to feed my ego or to obtain accolades that I do not deserve, nor was my goal to inflate my salary with the $2,500 increase I received for obtaining this degree. All I have ever cared about is continuing the job I began 10 years ago, which is making a difference in the lives of young people. I believed then and I believe now that my doctorate has helped me to further this goal," he concluded.

Board President Patricia Horvath of Manalapan also addressed the issue. She described the advantages to the district since Wasser received his doctoral degree, including the RAISE Academy, "a unique alternative education program for at-risk students."

Wasser's doctoral dissertation focused on at-risk students and the ways in which they could be assisted.

"The current standing of Breyer State University in no way detracts from the amount of time, effort and hard work that Dr. Wasser put into obtaining his degree from a school which was fully licensed at the time he was enrolled in its program," Horvath said.

"The board is proud of Dr. Wasser's achievements and looks forward to working with him for many years to come. I would ask everyone to put the issue of Dr. Wasser's degree behind us once and for all so that we can move forward with educating our children in the best way we know how," Horvath told those assembled.

Some residents of the school district were not pleased with this view of the matter.

Marlboro resident Jim Sage said he was present due to the revelations of embarrassing, unethical and possibly unlawful conduct committed by some of the district's employees.

"It seems academic and economic fraud was committed upon the taxpayers of this district," Sage said.

He noted that he reviewed billing documents and said it appears the FRHSD was billed directly by Breyer State for tuition payment.

"My experience with tuition reimbursement is that the employee pays the school and after proof of successful completion of the course, the employee gets reimbursed by the employer," Sage said.

He told the board members that if any of the allegations of wrongdoing are substantiated, they must set an example and demand resignations.

Steve Johnson, of Manalapan, said he was very concerned about what is happening in the district, reflecting on past incidents involving students as well as the current situation.

"What's going on is basic cheating. Basic cheating is when somebody gets an advantage over somebody else by doing something that's wrong," Johnson said.

Noting that he was not certain if the degree in question was valid by the district's standards, Johnson said he called Breyer State posing as an interested student and was assured the school would help him through the degree program.

"I said, 'Well, that's what all my teachers tell me, they'll help me through it,' and they said, 'Mr. Johnson, just send us the check,' " Johnson said.

"I don't know if that's true or not," Johnson continued. "I don't know if it was just somebody on a bad day at that school. But I do know the state of Alabama doesn't like the school anymore and I think it's well worth the investigation."

Howell High School Principal Zina Duerbig spoke on behalf of the district's six principals.

"It is unfortunate that hard-working superintendents seem to be the target these days. Ours has been nothing but wonderful," she said.

Duerbig was joined by many employees of the FRHSD who attended the July 28 meeting. Many employees and individuals who work with agencies associated with the district praised Wasser's performance as superintendent. He has been the top administrator in the FRHSD for more than a decade.

Nancy Grbelja, who works with the New Jersey Education Association, which represents teachers, said she started her career in the FRHSD and said outsiders do not know what it takes to run a district.

"The Freehold Regional Board of Education and its administration is a model for all schools throughout the state of New Jersey," Grbelja said.

She called the investigations into the doctoral degrees a political witch-hunt. That comment prompted applause and jeers in the divided meeting room from the assembled members of the education community and parents.

Debbie Gates-Kane, of Howell, cautioned board members not to be premature in their decisions and to be cautious in order to receive all the facts.

"Keep in mind that we live in a very technological society, where many people get their degrees online. And any one of us could be a victim of circumstances," Gates-Kane said, reminding everyone of the ways the district has benefited from Wasser's leadership.

After the public comment portion of the meeting was closed, board members were once again cautioned by Schwartz not to comment on the matter.

Board member Katie Goon of Marlboro did, however, offer a comment about the issue of the district paying the tuition bill directly to Breyer State University. She called that occurrence a fluke and said it must not be allowed to happen again.

The board's attorney took another opportunity to address the audience again after the close of public session. Schwartz reminded those present that the tuition for each individual was $2,900.

"We're not talking about $45,000 or $50,000," Schwartz said, evoking anger among some members of the audience who expressed the opinion that the cost, whatever it may have been, is a concern.

After once again stating that Wasser's contract does not require the superintendent to have a doctoral degree, Schwartz said the state is not clear under its statutes of what is required. Until the state clarifies its meaning, the attorney said he would recommend no action on the part of the board.

Wasser thanked the people who spoke in support of him. He expressed disgust at the behavior of some members of the audience who called out and interrupted individuals as they spoke. In thanking those who came out to support him in times of their own personal hardship, he said this incident was nothing in comparison to what some other people are going through.

Should the issue surrounding the degree lead to litigation, Wasser said, "If it comes to that I will take that on and do what's necessary and do what's right."

"But in the meantime, for those people that the rumor was you were coming here to see my resignation, I am not resigning from this position. I will finish my contract which runs to June 2011," Wasser said, adding, "Maybe this board or whoever is sitting on the board might even entertain a new contract for me. And then some of you are stuck with me another five years."

After the meeting Marlboro resident Josh Pollak reflected on what he had seen and heard. While he commended Wasser for working to further his education, Pollak said he was still concerned about the incident.

Pointing to Wasser's own statement that the doctorate was for the children of the district and not his own personal gain, Pollak wondered if the superintendent would be willing to forgo the pay increase and give the money back to the district's students.

Pollak also questioned how the public comment portion of the meeting seemed to be dominated by district employees who spoke about Wasser's job performance. The superintendent's job performance has not been questioned, Pollak noted, and should not have been the topic of discussion by district employees.

Pollak said the investigations should be allowed to run their course.