InsideEd (Baltimore Sun): Maryland says goodbye to John Deasy
John Deasy is denying there’s any connection, but many people in the education community will continue to wonder whether the Prince George’s County superintendent would be moving on if there hadn’t been a dust-up in the past several weeks over how he got his doctoral degree.
Deasy, who is widely viewed by education leaders in the state as having started significant reforms in the county since he arrived, announced this week he will be leaving in February. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which has been a growing presence in funding education reform in the country, has hired Deasy to be deputy director of its education division.
Last month, the Courier-Journal in Louisville reported that Deasy had been awarded a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Lousville in 2004 although he had only completed nine credits, or about a semester, there. He had completed more than 70 credits at other universities, according to published reports.
Typically, a doctoral candidate would have to be at Louisville for one year and complete twice as many credits while in residence there to get a degree.
Deasy’s academic advisor at the university was the dean of education, Robert Felner, who is now under a federal investigation, the paper reported, for his possible misuse of federal funds.
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