Farewell degreeinfo but not goodbye..:-)

Who knows. To me it does not make much sense. I have a friend who has a masters in molecular microbiology, but she would have a struggle trying to teach in secondary schools in my state (NC) due to not having the education component. However, she could teach various courses at the community colleges.

For what it is worth, to gain a teaching license for NC (I helped her try to see if she could get a lateral entry position here in NC) one must have a regionally accredited degree in order to teach.

I find it ironic considering how poorly teachers are paid here in NC.

http://www.ncpublicschools.org/licensure/faq/

 

All:

Thank you for the comeback here. I had actually stopped checking degreeinfo because I was surprised at how negative some folks had gotten about their ability to discuss all the great DL options. When I saw the picture of the cat pissing on a tree in reference to a well thought out post, I figured things had turned in a direction that I need not concern myself with. I am thrilled that greater minds prevailed and some perspective showed back up.

I also want to reinforce what several people have mentioned above, which is that a piece of paper will provide little in the way of success in isolation. There is no easy road, and your own individual work ethic and dedication to a goal will take you farther than any academic achievement, be it earned, borrowed, or stolen.

To the other debate, I have always smiled to myself at how it is so simply summarized and presented. Here is a true story involving a good friend of mine, who is my equal in many ways, but who has been stuck in the same job for about 13 years.

When I first decided to get DL graduate degrees, I discussed the topic with him, as well as reading this board and many other sources. I told him I had decided on Aspen and encouraged him to start at the same time I did, as the pre-pay deal seemed really good to me and we could work through the program together. At the time, he and I were peers at Marriott.

He said that he did not like national accreditation, and would forgo the deal to find a ‘better’ school. 18 months later after I completed the MBA, I told him I was going to get a second graduate degree, and did he want to start with me on it. No, he said, same issues, and there were other programs out there he was looking at that seemed very prestigious and would help him advance because of how good a credential it would be.

12 months later after completing the second graduate degree, and having been promoted twice over him, I started the NCU DBA program. He was looking at UCF because he could go there at night and they had some on-line courses. He started and dropped a couple classes. I was then promoted to CTO for our division of Marriott, and eventually finished my DBA online.

I just spoke to him after taking the Aspen job, and encouraged him to sign up with us. No, he said, he wanted a good school and was really serious about finding one. He has so far survived the layoffs although we both suspect it is a matter of time before they find a younger cheaper version of him now.

However, he is really serious about finding that great credential one day.

Good for him, he is a good friend, and I wish him the best.

 

David Lady: "...I started the NCU DBA program..."

John: I've been wondering for a while, David, so I guess I'll just ask. On March 18, 2008, you posted a message asking for some assistance on a "concept paper" you were preparing to turn in, relating to the first three courses of your NCU doctoral program. The post (and all your subsequent ones) was signed, "Dr. D. E. Lady" Is that a reference to some earlier degree? Or does one turn in an NCU concept paper after the degree is awarded?

(Thanks.)

 

Well said. I had a similar situation with some friends when I was pursuing the EBS MBA. Comments like, "Nobody's heard of Heriot-Watt", "It's not AACSB", and my favorite, "You won't get into a U.S. PhD program."

I think people assume employers are going to lay down the red carpet for you just because you have a peice of paper with a fancy name on it. Reputation certainly can help, but it is going to be your knowledge and hard work that will help you in the long run.

 

John, I'll answer even though I'm not David.

Signatures on this board (and others that use vBulletin) are updated retroactively on previous posts. Thus, my current signature shows on all my posts back to my first post in 2005. If you were to add a signature to your profile now John, it would also show on your previous posts.

So it's impossible to know what David's signature said at the time he posted in 2008.

 

Exactly.

Abner

 

I work for a public school district in NC and you are right, the teachers are underpaid and yes a teacher must have an RA degree. I have worked for some community colleges in NC and I can tell you that it depends where you are, when it comes to the RA vs NA debate. Several that I worked for, flat out said no to NA degrees. In some continuing education departments a person could work for them if they had an NA masters and an RA bachelors but they would not pay that person at the masters rate because their masters was not NA. If it was a curriculum course, almost all would prefer RA degrees.

There is really nothing stopping a teacher from having an NA masters either but they probably would not get the bump in pay since their masters was not RA.

 

Hi scaredrain (fellow NC folk). Yeah my friend has a Master's from an RA so for her it would not be an issue.

I was just commenting because of how this thread had progressed.

I think what I was trying to state was that requirements for teachers in the first place seem backwards to me even out of the scope of RA vs NA. So add in RA vs NA and it is not surprising that the requirements are yet again wonky. Personally, I think if there are so many requirements of this and that-- then pay should commensurate with education and qualifications. It is pathetic that my friend who had taught in some non-Wake, Orange, Durham or Mecklenberg county, taught for 4 years and never hit 30k per year! Disgusting actually.

As for my own personal opinion, I personally would only consider an RA degree and for the most part I would try to get as a "well regarded" degree as possible. However, at the same time, I think that not all schools are created equally and some RA schools may not have the same caliber program as say a NA school would have (I actually never knew the difference in accreditation until I came here). I also think, as evidence by Dr. Lady, that the school name will never take the place of sheer determination and ambition.

 

At the time, I believe it said something like “All around great guy”, which, of course, still holds true.

Moreover, to reference that request for help on the concept paper, I had some private correspondences with the esteemed Dr. Douglas, who basically told me to calm down as everyone is surprised heading into the process the different requirements on writing, and to let my Chair and the process work for me, which, in the end, it did.

Dr. Bear: I have noticed several times where you are inquiring into anything I have said in the past to make sure it is consistent with what I am saying today. If you would like to talk to me, please email and we can arrange a time to talk. My goal is of course consistency, however I doubt I have ever fully achieved it ..

This invitation to talk in person holds true for anyone, btw.

 

Dope slap.

My apologies.

Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to respond to this terrific Nigerian offer...

 

I think the real lesson of this thread is....if you aspire to teach at the University level, then get an RA degree. However, if you aspire to become a university president, then the combination of 2 NA degree's, an RA DBA, a partially completed MIT Sloan certificate, a consulting business, motivation, and a lot of thinking outside the box, might distinguish yourself from all the sheep that think there is a singular way to achieve "utility". I wonder how much utility "University President" and a good six figure salary will add to the resume compared to the RA "CC adjunct"? Utility indeed! Congrats on your new job!

 

well said....

 

This is a great summary of the situation.

 

John,

Phew, I had almost added you to the list of previously great posters who had taken to bottom-feeding with the masses. You redeemed yourself with this post!

I think we both know Dr. Lady is the real deal. He has just managed to do a lot very quickly, more power to him. After toiling at an DL MBA for 3-1/2 years with still another 6 months to go I am full of admiration.

Peace,

Dave C.

 

fixed..

http://www.aspen.edu/tuition.htm

..and with spiffy drop down coolness..

 

I stand corrected. A DETC degree can be used to obtain teacher certification (k-12) in the State of Florida. Here is the message I got back from the Florida Department of Education: