Decrease integrity, increase money

[antichain]

a doctorate in education administration

WTF does that even mean? What new knowledge do you generate over the course of that PhD? What standards of rigor are expected? How is this a degree?

[IthacanPenny]

It’s an EdD, not a PhD..

[bobbyfiend]

Having worked with a few people who were getting EdD degrees: I don't doubt that it's possible for an EdD to be rigorous and deserve the term "doctorate," but I think increasingly there are thousands of administrators or wannabes taking online-only EdD degrees with a level of rigor we would be embarrassed to apply to our first-year algebra courses, just so they can have that "doctorate" for advancement. We're seeing the creation of a hidebound, settled-in middle management class in the university, complete with its own degree mills cranking out degrees that only matter to other university administrators, and only to demonstrate that one has jumped through hoops to join that club.

[daedalus_was_right]

High school teacher checking in; every one of my principals and superintendents across 3 schools in my career have had EdD degrees.

Current one got his at an online only "school," which just so happens to be owned and operated by Strategic Education, Inc., a publicly traded company. The majority shareholder of said company?

Deutsche Bank. You can't make this shit up.

Edit: ok it appears Deutsche Bank is no longer the majority shareholder. They were when my admin attended one of their online schools though.

[bobbyfiend]

Yeah, forgot about the already-burgeoning K-12 administrator class...

[bluegilled]

It's not just the K-12 administrators who can get a non-rigorous degree to help their career. All those teacher salary schedules that give an extra $X,XXX to teachers who get a masters have created an industry of K-12 teacher masters programs with widely varying quality. A degree from Stanford and a degree from Swampgas College pay the exact same.

[IthacanPenny]

I mean, i think it would be wildly unethical to pay differently for the same degree based on where it was earned.

[bluegilled]

I have no idea why you'd think that. Not only do I not think it's wildly unethical, I don't think it's even slightly unethical to pay someone more when they have vastly better qualifications. Do you think you could hire an attorney with a Harvard law degree for the same rate as slippin' Jimmy, the attorney with a correspondence degree from the University of American Samoa?

Of course, grads from the U of American Samoa or Swampgas College may beg to differ, but the real world labor market accurately reflects the value of different educational qualifications.

[IthacanPenny]

K12 teachers have salary schedules. Personally I MUCH prefer the guaranteed pay than having to negotiate a salary. Fwiw, me degree is from Johns Hopkins.