Police chief admits degree is bogus

"Almeda University" master's degree cost him $500:

http://www.wcsh6.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=36675

 

Didn't we see something like this not so long ago back in Seattle? Anybody think this guy may have to learn the true meaning of the words "at the pleasure of the sheriff"?

 

Teachers and law enforcement personnel seem to be among the most frequent people caught with bogus degrees. I'm sure there's a good sociological research paper there, somewhere.

I'm wondering, and the article didn't make it clear, if Carr came forward himself once he realized the degree was fake, or if he was "outed" by someone else.

 

I'm wondering what the common thread there could be.

 

Note that the guy was running for sherriff just like our friend back in Seattle from that much earlier thread. Hmm.

 

Can't trust either...

 

As far as teachers go, I can understand (but obviously not condone) the purchase of fake degrees. The requirements of no child left behind and some very strict states put a lot of pressure on public school teachers to earn a Master's degree, and many of them don't have the time or money, or do not want to take out loans, so they stoop to the lowest of the low in order to keep their jobs.

As far as the criminal justice field, I don't know, it seems mostly like ignorance on how the US higher education system works. Maybe the police chief really thought he had "earned" his degree through life experience? Maybe not, and he was just lying, we'll never know.

 

Well, both are poor, abused, and underpaid public servants. Wonder if there's some cause and effect relationship between being a poor, abused, and underpaid public servant and getting a fake degree.

 

On the other hand, it being the case that both teachers and cops are public servants, maybe it's just that they're both under public scrutiny and so they get caught more often than the rest of us.

 

I would tend to agree with that. Teachers, police, and fire are the "Big Three", cost-wise, for any municipality, so their salaries are constantly scrutinized.

There isn't as much of a demand for advanced education for firefighters as there is for police and (especially) teachers, so I think that theory makes a lot of sense.

 

Teachers and Police officers are poor and abused , please last I checked they make a pretty good salary .... and most of them are union jobs so they get there 3-5% raise ever year .... plus good benifits




http://swz.salary.com/salarywizard/layoutscripts/swzl_compresult.asp?jobcode=ED03000011&jobaltername=Teacher+High+School&jobtitle=Teacher+High+School&narrowdesc=Education&narrowcode=ED01&zipcode=&metrocode=198&statecode=MA&state=Massachusetts&pagenumber=1&sea

http://swz.salary.com/salarywizard/layoutscripts/swzl_compresult.asp?origin=secheader&statecode=&state=&metro=&city=&geo=U.S.+National+Averages&jobcode=LG12000003&jobtitle=Police+Patrol+Officer&search=&narrowdesc=Fire%2C+Law

 

Three-Year-Average Median Household Income

http://www.census.gov/hhes/income/income02/statemhi.html

 

3-5% every year? You want to speak to my mayor about that??

I'll never make the claim I'm underpaid, but I'm certainly not overpaid.

 

Has it ever occurred to anyone there are many people from many professions that have bogus degrees? A police department is made up of ....gasp....people just like you! The only reason you here about a bogus degree from a guy from a PD is because nobody who reads newspapers could care less about an accountant or a mailman or an office manager who has a fake degree. That doesn't sell papers.

 

Upon further reading, I see Ted and Bruce already covered my thread.

 

Actually, I think there are a lot of people who would care whether their accountant has a bogus degree. It's just that, by the time you start making enough money to need an accountant, you're usually smart enough to know how to research your accountant's (or other professional's) qualifications.

 

Especially if you got back $50,000 from the Feds last year.

I've often said that one of the main benefits of Bears' Guide, to me, is that I now always check the credentials of the professionals I use in everyday life.

My accountant....B.S.B.A. in Accounting and M.S. in Accounting - Suffolk University.

 

Bruce,

I live in the suburbs of Worcester Ma, I know for a fact our teachers get a 3% raise its built into there contracted..

I work in the private sector.. I didn't get a raise this year and last year I got 1.5%..


oh by way the Teachers in boston do pretty good themselves .. avg salary is $55,000

http://boston.k12.ma.us/bps/news/news_10_06_00.asp

Just an FYI I don't have a problem with what teachers and police officers get payed But it does bother me when I here them cry about being poor and under paid .

 

Comparing police to teachers is like comparing apples to moonrocks. Teachers can always say "It's for the children", while we have no such luxury. Plus, I know of no teacher that works nights, weekends, holidays, in all types of weather, nor do I know any who have to strap-on a Kevlar vest and a gun to go to work.

As I said, you'll be hard-pressed to find a police officer in Massachusetts that will "cry" about being underpaid. Just don't say we're overpaid.

 

1. And law enforcement personnel can always say "It's to serve and protect the public, children and adults alike."

2. They do; it's just that time at home grading papers is generally unnoticed by the public.

3. In some districts, perhaps they should have guns and bullet-proof vests. But the guns are forbidden, no matter how rough the school, and the bullet-proof vests, if they knew where to find one, would have to be purchased at the teachers' own expense.