October 1, 2008

Superintendent Bart Anderson's Doctorate Degree(s) Between 2001-2005? Was he "duped"?


Shocking New Development !!
Education Credential Watch has obtained documents with Bart Anderson's hand-written signature, where he is designated as "Dr. Bart Anderson" -- years before he earned a doctorate degree in 2006.

How many years prior to earning a doctorate degree did Bart Anderson sign this document?






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Update
-- October 2, 2008 @ 12:18 p.m.

Hypothetically speaking, how could an individual (self-aware that they had never earned a doctorate degree) credibly believe and credibly justify that they were entitled to use the title "Doctor" for even one second if they paid only a nominal application fee towards admission to an institution that they believed would eventually grant them a legitimate doctorate degree? Wouldn't the same apply whether that institution was "St. Regis University" or Harvard University?
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"I was duped"

Bart G. Anderson, Superintendent of the Educational Service Center of Franklin County.

July 30, 2008 -- The Columbus Dispatch
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No one can dispute that Bart Anderson received a legitimate, accredited doctorate degree form the University of Pennsylvania in 2006. The Columbus Dispatch reported this fact on July, 30, 2008.

However, based on what doctorate degree, if any, did the above Port Clinton City Schools letterhead show "Dr. Bart G. Anderson" as its Superintendent in 2003?
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On July 29, 2008, Franklin County Educational Service Center superintendent, Bart G. Anderson -- andersonb@fcesc.org -- was named as a buyer of a bogus doctorate degree in a Spokane Spokesman-Review article:

http://spokesmanreview.com/breaking/story.asp?ID=15898

Since then, Mr. Anderson has told the press that in 2002 he paid a $200 partial-payment to "St. Regis University" to apply for admission to its doctorate degree program. The Columbus Dispatch reported that he said "he was surprised when a bogus doctorate arrived instead of admission to an academic program."

The story continued:

"I knew immediately that this can't be," said Anderson, who was superintendent of Port Clinton schools at the time.

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/07/29/anderson.html

Apparently, he managed to portray himself as a hapless victim who was "duped", in this article by the amazingly unquestioning reporters from the Dispatch.

In a July 30, 2008, interview with 610 WTVN radio, Anderson, who again claimed he was "duped", stated:

"I applied to that institution," he said. "Soon after making my application fee, receiving the packet of materials, paying my first installment -- I was starting to realize something was suspicious. I realized soon enough that this institution was one that falsified their credentials."

http://www.610wtvn.com/cc-common/news/sections/newsarticle.html?feed=268656&article=4028986

Shockingly, after stating that he made only a partial payment of $200 with his 2002 application for admission and that he was "surprised" and "suspicious" when he was sent a "bogus doctorate degree" instead of admission materials, Superintendent Bart Anderson admitted to WTVN in an audio interview that he used the title of "Doctor" for a brief period of time -- after he was asked by WTVN's Nicole Franks to account for some pre-2006 mentions in the press where he was referred to as "Dr. Bart Anderson".

"There was a brief period of time where I thought this was a legitimate institution and legitimately providing diplomas, and after I learned they were not, I stopped using it entirely. And the credentials never appeared or have been used on any job applications or in any way to get a raise or anything of value. My employers have all verified that."

Anything of value? Of course, a Ph.D. and the title doctor have some value! Might simply the prestige of referring to oneself as "Doctor" have some type of intangible value? Otherwise, hypothetically speaking, why would an individual use the title, say, for example, before that individual legitimately earned that title distinction?

To date, in two press interviews, it does not appear that Bart Anderson has claimed to have done one minute of additional coursework toward this 2002 "doctorate" degree he admits briefly using -- even though he has stated that he made only a $200 installment payment with his admission application to the St. Regis University program AND that he was "surprised" and "suspicious" when a "bogus doctorate arrived instead of admission to an academic program." Even if he briefly thought St.Regis University was legitimate, it appears that he has acknowledged that he never paid-in-full the balance for whatever it was that he thought he was purchasing from St. Regis University.

Was Bart Anderson "duped"?

Apparently, this unfortunate "duped" victim, Bart Anderson, paid only a $200 installment of the total fee -- apparently, did zero additional coursework -- received a doctorate degree document -- and, admittedly, began referring to himself professionally as "Dr. Bart Anderson" for a "brief time". Yet, he had the nerve to claim to the Dispatch he was ripped-off and sought a refund of his $200 payment:

"Anderson said he got no response and lodged a complaint with a business-watchdog group in Washington. He could not remember the name of the group yesterday but said he had offered to testify to shut down the diploma mill."

What was his complaint to the "unknown" business-watchdog group in Washington? That he was only able to briefly use the "bogus doctorate" that "arrived instead of admission to an academic program" ?

Many people, including some of 185,000 children whose educations he, apparently, has some level of influence over, may find it difficult to believe that he was "duped", given that he has stated that he paid only a $200 application fee and, apparently, felt it proper to commence referring to himself as "Dr. Bart Anderson", if only for a brief time. Perhaps, Bart Anderson actually "duped" the dupers?

Amazingly, the "brief period of time" Bart Anderson describes may, or may not, have been involved in creating a three year record with a virtual avalanche of documentation referring to "Dr. Bart Anderson"!

The next near, 2003: Where did the "Dr. Bart Anderson" references originate?

Reiterating what Bart Anderson told WTVN's Nicole Franks about being "duped", apparently in 2002:


"There was a brief period of time where I thought this was a legitimate institution and legitimately providing diplomas, and after I learned they were not, I stopped using it entirely. And the credentials never appeared or have been used on any job applications or in any way to get a raise or anything of value. My employers have all verified that."

To begin, here are two examples of Port Clinton City Schools letterhead documents wherein "Dr. Bart G. Anderson" is shown as Superintendent. 1.) 2003 memo "From: Dr. Bart Anderson" and 2.) an unrelated 2004 memo.






Did Bart Anderson know about, or initiate creation of this letterhead when he took over as superintendent in March 2002? Was he aware of it in 2003? In 2004? If so, was the usage of "Dr. Bart G. Anderson" foundationally based upon a "St. Regis University" doctorate he admits he briefly used, apparently in 2002?

A sampling of web-accessible documents:

1. October 1, 2003, Toledo Business Journal -- "Dr. Bart Anderson", "Anderson attended Miami University, graduated summa cum laude in mathematics education and earned a masters degree in educational leadership. He then earned a doctorate in cognitive development".

http://www.allbusiness.com/human-resources/employee-development-leadership/1035346-1.html

Who provided this biographical information to the Toledo Business Journal ?

2. October 4, 2004, Toledo Business Journal -- "Dr. Bart Anderson", nominated Chris Redfern for the same award that "Dr. Bart Anderson" won in item #1 above.

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa5333/is_200410/ai_n21357068

Who made this nomination in the name of "Dr. Bart Anderson"?

3. April 6, 2004, Ohio House of Representatives Journal, "The speaker hereby appoints Dr. Bart Anderson to the Board of Trustees of the Ohio Tobacco Use Prevention and Control Council"

http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/JournalText125/HJ-04-06-04.pdf

How did the then Ohio speaker come to refer to "Dr. Bart Anderson" ?

4. Summer 2003, "Dr. Bart Anderson", Port Clinton City Schools, "Superintendent's Letter":











Who wrote this letter, signed, "In service to children, Dr. Bart Anderson, Superintendent of Schools"?

Strangely, sometime after September 7,2008, this letter was scrubbed from the Port Clinton City Schools' website where it had been for over five years. The letter survived for only a few weeks after it was first linked from this website. Fortunately, we archived it as a graphic file

5. 2005 -- Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government Conference -- "Dr. Bart Anderson":








http://www.hks.harvard.edu/pepg/conferences/adequacy.htm (click on "Registrant Contact Information" at bottom of page or open this PDF file.

Who registered someone as "Dr. Bart Anderson" for this Harvard University conference?

Interestingly, this occurrence is the year AFTER he became superintendent of the Franklin County Educational Service Center and the year BEFORE his 2006 legitimate doctorate from Penn. This appears to be the first instance uncovered where someone used ""Dr. Bart Anderson" pre-2006 -- during his current job as superintendent of the Educational Service Center of Franklin County.

6. Various other web-accessible pre-2006 references to "Dr. Bart Anderson":

http://www.ode.state.oh.us/reportcardfiles/2001-2002/BUILD/030502.PDF
http://www.ode.state.oh.us/reportcardfiles/2001-2002/BUILD/005108.PDF
http://www.port-clinton.k12.oh.us/DISTRICT/Board%20of%20Education/2003/May%2027.htm
(recently scrubbed from website after over five years)
http://www.port-clinton.k12.oh.us/DISTRICT/Board%20of%20Education/2004/Feb%2027.htm
(recently scrubbed from website after over four years)

-- even though it was reported in the November 2004, School Administrator, that:

"Bart Anderson is completing a doctorate in school administration from the University of Pennsylvania."

http://www.aasa.org/publications/saarticledetail.cfm?ItemNumber=1115

Is it even remotely conceivable that all of the above 2003, 2004 & 2005 documents showing "Dr. Bart Anderson" were originated without any contemporaneous input from Bart Anderson? How could using the title "Doctor" for only a "brief period of time" in, apparently, 2002, lead to the existence of these 2003, 2004 & 2005 documents?

Bart "Dr. Cornhusker" Anderson ?

Perhaps, it is interesting to note that in 2001 (the year before he claims he was "duped" in 2002), when Bart Anderson was named as the new superintendent of Port Clinton City Schools, The Toledo Blade reported on August 1, 2001:

"The incoming superintendent has bachelor's and master's degrees from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and a doctorate in education from the University of Nebraska."

Holy smokes! Another doctorate degree mentioned -- from the University of Nebraska?

Who provided this education credential information to the Blade?

A search of the University of Nebraska (Lincoln & Omaha campuses) database of theses and dissertations, going back over 50 years, revealed zero mentions of Bart Anderson, period.

http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/
http://library.unomaha.edu/researchtools/thesis/

If The Toledo Blade reported accurately AND if he already had a doctorate degree in 2001 from the University of Nebraska, isn't it highly unlikely that Bart Anderson would have ever been "duped" in 2002 when trying to apply for admission to "another" doctorate degree program at St. Regis University?

He told the Dispatch:

"Anderson said he never put his St. Regis diploma on any job applications, including for the Educational Service Center in 2004, or his resume."

He told WTVN (audio interview):

"the [St. Regis] credentials never appeared or have been used on any job applications or in any way to get a raise or anything of value."

Did Bart Anderson use a "University of Nebraska doctorate in education" for applications, raises, or anything of value?

If so, the next logical question might be -- If the Blade reported factually, did this "University of Nebraska doctorate in education" influence the Port Clinton City Schools Board of Education to select Bart Anderson as its superintendent, in 2001? Did the Port Clinton City Schools Board of Education even conduct a search before its 2001 naming of Bart Anderson as its superintendent?

Where does this leave the FCESC and its elected Board members?

Is this the best leader that the Franklin County Educational Service Center is able to provide its constituency -- including over 185,000 children?

According to the Dispatch article:

"Anderson said he told members of the Educational Service Center board about the situation last year, when investigators questioned him about the diploma mill."

What did Bart Anderson tell his Board? Were they aware of the existence of the extensive pre-2006 "Dr. Bart Anderson" documentary records? Did Bart Anderson admit to them, as he did to WTVN's Nicole Franks, that he used the title of "Doctor" for a brief period of time -- after paying $200 to apply to a St. Regis University doctorate program in 2002.

FCESC Board President Joyce Galbraith told the Dispatch:

"I've been on this board 20 years and we were very impressed with his qualifications -- none of which had anything to do with (St. Regis) university"

She then went on to state:

"We have the highest respect for him and know that there was no way he would have done this knowingly."

Education Credential Watch has no doubt that Joyce Galbraith is a terrific, dedicated Board President for the FCESC and a person of the highest integrity. However, is it even remotely possible that Bart Anderson has made fools out of Joyce Galbraith -- and the FCESC Board?

To use Board President Joyce Galbraith's adjective -- Did Bart Anderson ever "knowingly" misrepresent his academic credentials by referring to himself as "Dr. Bart Anderson" before 2006?

Did Joyce Galbraith and all Bart Anderson's employers actually verify this statement:

"There was a brief period of time where I thought this was a legitimate institution and legitimately providing diplomas, and after I learned they were not, I stopped using it entirely. And the credentials never appeared or have been used on any job applications or in any way to get a raise or anything of value. My employers have all verified that"

Really? Did Bart Anderson's employers (and The Columbus Dispatch reporters) actually use Google for even five minutes to locate most of the above web-linked documents to verify his claims? Was the Dispatch naive (or institutionally lazy?) in its sympathetic portrayal of Bart Anderson -- and the implicit trust accorded him as a self-portrayed "duped" victim?

Hypothetically speaking, how could an individual (self-aware that they had never earned a doctorate degree) credibly believe and credibly justify that they were entitled to use the title "Doctor" for even one second if they paid only a nominal application fee towards admission to an institution that they believed would eventually grant them a legitimate doctorate degree? Wouldn't the same apply whether that institution was "St. Regis University" or Harvard University?

After thoroughly scrutinizing this analysis and researching these documents, will the FCESC Board, and/or any FCESC-constituent Ohio-licensed superintendent, administrator, or teacher feel ethically obligated to file an official misconduct complaint against Bart Anderson with the Ohio Department of Education?

Currently, it appears that he is deeply involved in the search for a new superintendent for the Olentangy Local Schools in Delaware County.

Perhaps, Dr. Bart Anderson should resign.


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This analysis examines documented references during the 2001 to 2005 time period of Bart Anderson referred to as "Dr. Bart Anderson", "Dr Bart G. Anderson", "Bart G. Anderson, Ph.D.", and/or "Bart Anderson" reported as a holder of a doctorate degree in cognitive development and/or a doctorate in education.

Other than quoting Bart Anderson's own statements to the press, and press articles, the authors make or imply no express claim(s) that Bart Anderson was personally responsible for any inclusion of any of the names, titles, or degrees listed in the paragraph above, in any referenced or quoted documents shown, written about, or linked to herein. The reader may make their own conclusion as to whether Bart Anderson actually personally participated in using any of the names, titles, or degrees listed in the paragraph above, in any referenced or quoted documents shown, written about, or linked to, herein.
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The Franklin County Educational Service Center serves over 185,000 school children. Superintendent Bart Anderson, apparently, has some degree of influence over these children's educations in the following schools:

Franklin County School Districts

Bexley City Schools
Canal Winchester Local Schools
Columbus Public Schools
Dublin City Schools
Eastland-Fairfield Career & Technical Schools
Gahanna-Jefferson Public Schools
Grandview Heights City Schools
Groveport Madison Local Schools
Hamilton Local Schools
Hilliard City Schools
New Albany/Plain Local Schools
Reynoldsburg City Schools
South-Western City Schools
Upper Arlington City Schools
Westerville City Schools
Whitehall City Schools
Worthington City Schools

Countywide School District Maps

Non-Public Schools
Association of Christian Schools International
Columbus Diocese
Ohio Association of Independent Schools
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1 comment:

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