This story couldn’t get any more controversial than it already has, right?
Haha. Dream on.
John Deasy, who received an allegedly fraudulent Ph.D. from the University of Louisville under the tenure of former Dean Robert Felner, just stepped down from his job. Deasy was head of the Prince George’s County school system in Maryland.
The insane part? OMG. Well, read it for yourself:
John Deasy, who has headed Prince George’s County school for three years, is expected to become the deputy director of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Post is reporting.
Bill Gates must not have read any of the news reports, like, oh, the rest of that article in the C-J:
Meanwhile, a committee appointed by U of L President James Ramsey continues to investigate allegations regarding the awarding of the doctorate.
Deasy was awarded a doctorate in philosophy in 2004 after being enrolled at U of L for nine credit hours. He was then superintendent of California’s Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District,
Deasy is linked to former U of L education dean Robert Felner, who is under federal investigation for allegedly misappropriating federal funds. In 2002, Deasy persuaded his school board to approve a three-year, $125,000-per-year contract with Felner’s National Center on Public Education and Social Policy to conduct surveys in the California school district.
Both Deasy and Felner have said that the contract had no connection with Deasy’s doctorate.
Our heads are literally spinning.
19 responses so far ↓
1 SC // Sep 30, 2008 at 11:52 am
Holy Cow. This just keeps getting more and more strange.
Although I do recall a prevous comment that mentioned Deasy’s career goal was to us his current position to network into the Washington elite crowd and pave some other career paths for himself. And it is interesting that Felner often touted his familiarity with Foundations and their operations. So one of his flock has certainly gained some of his “expertise” in Foundations.
I guess next thing we will here is that Felner is going to become the Deputy Director of the Buffet Foundation. That would be the only way he could stay ahead of his protégé.
2 Novena // Sep 30, 2008 at 11:59 am
“Searching for Lost Causes?”
I guess Bill Gates is as lax about checking out job candidates as is UofL. It is astounding how questionable administrators go from one post to the next with their histories lost to the headhunters. Wonder which search firm (another racket) Gates hired. One of the world’s wealthiest people didn’t do his homework.
P.S. Bill, you should not have dropped out of Harvard–you might have learned something about basic inquiry.
3 blowin' in the wind // Sep 30, 2008 at 12:15 pm
What on earth is wrong with the Gates Foundation? I am speechless!
4 Jinx // Sep 30, 2008 at 1:20 pm
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
PO Box 23350
Seattle, WA 98102
Phone: (206) 709-3100 (Reception)
(206) 709-3140 (Grant Inquiries)
Email: info@gatesfoundation.org
Just in case people want to send emails.
5 StunnedAgain // Sep 30, 2008 at 2:48 pm
Note confirming the appointment within the Gates Foundation…
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/john-e-deasy-selected-deputy/story.aspx?guid={38742D28-1B6C-4F69-AF20-992850A475C2}&dist=hppr
6 Jinx // Sep 30, 2008 at 3:00 pm
That link is no longer any good.
7 jake // Sep 30, 2008 at 3:01 pm
The link is fine. You’ve just gotta copy & paste the entire thing.
Or, for your convenience, CLICK HERE.
(hope that helps!)
8 Always Amazed // Sep 30, 2008 at 3:46 pm
Here is a weird fact: Vicki L. Phillips, director of the foundation’s education division who Deasy will work for and who presumably hired him, is a former KY educator. Who knew we were the center of the universe upon which everything revolves!
Here is what is listed for her work in KY:
Kentucky Department of Education, 1986 to 1993. In several senior positions, Phillips designed new strategies to help students with emotional behavior disabilities, led an initiative to improve state support for at-risk students, and served on the executive team that designed and led implementation of the far-reaching Kentucky Education Reform Act of 1990.
9 jake // Sep 30, 2008 at 3:55 pm
Ugh. One of those KERA hacks.
10 Tirnstile // Sep 30, 2008 at 8:40 pm
Well, Felner “thought” he had a new job before the truth came out. Hopefully the same justice will prevail with Deasy. I’m sure Deasy is spending a lot of time looking over his shoulder.
And how many of you think the first thought Felner had, upon hearing the news, was, “Okay, maybe now I’m back in business!”?
11 Novena // Oct 1, 2008 at 5:25 am
“A Prison College Course, Anyone?”
Tirn, you’re on to something. I wouldn’t be surprised if Bobby isn’t contemplating a “prison college.” Here are some courses he might design for the inmates: “Bullying Pays Off,” “How to Fool Educated People & Make Big Bucks,” “Management by Fear & Intimidation: How It Works,” “Stop Worrying about Loss of Conscience: A Short Course in Getting Ahead,” “How to Act Like You’re a Grantsman,” “Walking the Thin Line Between Normalcy & Insanity and Being Successful at It,” “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,” etc. He could call it “The Bobster School for Convicted Scoundrels.”
12 ed // Oct 1, 2008 at 7:26 am
I’d hate to think Bobby will have the time or luxury of teaching courses in the big house. Instead, I prefer to think of him as a student in Survival 101.
And failing.
13 Tirnstile // Oct 1, 2008 at 8:53 am
I notice that the article does not mention Deasy’s academic background/qualifications. Wouldn’t that information be of interest to the casual reader?
I’m surprised this post isn’t generating as much traffic….and I hope that you kind folks will make use of the Foundation’s contact info. Not that we should reduce the Blob/Shirl/Combover microscope, but this story is kind of a big deal.
14 jake // Oct 1, 2008 at 8:57 am
This post is generating tons of traffic.
It’s just not as juicy as Jim, Shirley or Felner… so people aren’t commenting.
15 blowin' in the wind // Oct 1, 2008 at 7:10 pm
What stuns me is that anyone can attribute so-called improvements in student learning directly to a superintendent who has been there only a bit over two years! I haven’t looked at the Maryland testing system, but I expect it has the same weaknesses as most: “apples and oranges” comparisons rather than longitudinal data. We have gone so test mad in this country that we no longer seem to understand what real education is.
16 BAGWIZ // Oct 2, 2008 at 12:49 am
Deasy lands squarely on his feet again, as always. The best (or worst) part is that he continues his string of lying, cheating and taking advantage of people, while many of those same people sing his praises. Deasy is quoted as having said he has been considering this move to the Gates’ Foundation for the last several months. Do the math. He’s only been at PG for a little over two years. Several months ago he was a little over a year into his contract … and he was already talking to Gates about a job? Wow, there’s some commitment to the parents, students and staff of his school district. Even so, a quick Google search reveals articles that hail him as a maverick; an inspirational leader who made a difference for so many.
Bullshit, pure and simple.
Like all good hustlers, he’s getting out of town with all his ill-gotten gains, before his house of cards falls and everyone realizes they’ve been duped – again.
17 Novena // Oct 2, 2008 at 4:53 am
“Bobby & Deasy: Two Peas . . .”
Bagwiz,
Your prose on Deasy sounds eerily similar to the life story of his prized mentor, Bobby. Hustle, gain, leave before the hurricane arrives. Stay a few years, make big hay, go on to the next place for more., no matter what you’ve done. (Actually, this is fairly typical of modern-day university administrators.) Commitment to self, not to institutions and their people. Not prudent, in the end.
P.S. Bobby’s last hoped-for hustle ended with some 300 boxes the FBI sniffed through in Kenosha.
18 BW // Oct 2, 2008 at 11:45 am
Blowin’ In the Wind…….Good point about giving Deasy credit for only two years’ work at Prince George’s. Credit should really go to his predecessor and his staff.
Indiana law requires that newly hired k-12 superintendents are given a minimum of a 3-yr contract. It’s just enough time for school boards to learn their superintendent doesn’t know squat, and write a nice, very complimentary letter of recommendation for their superintendent to take a job elsewhere with another unsuspecting school corporation. Passing the trash from community to community leaves innocent folks cleaning up the damage done to our kids and to our communities. Indiana is still paying the price of Felner’s advice about middle schools based upon his Illinois, Michigan and other so- called “national research” on middle schools. Indianapolis has the lowest graduation rate in the nation for black males and white males. We can’t open enough charter schools fast enough to undo the damage Felner helped cause with the feel good, self-esteem programs he considered delivery of social justice. He robbed our kids of an education and laughed all the way to the bank. May he rot in jail!
19 Tirnstile // Oct 2, 2008 at 5:57 pm
The foundation email above works, in case anyone is interested in sending them a bit of reasoning.
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