Did 22 yr old charter school owner lie about his high school graduation? Principal outs him.

[madfloridian]

Now one has to wonder about his advanced degrees.

A former principal of Rochester, School Without Walls, calls him out.

NY: 22-Year-Old Charter Founder Did Not Graduate from Rochester High School

The 22-year-old who received a charter from the New York Board of Regents said he graduated Rochester’s School Without Walls when he was 16, received an online bachelor’s degree at 18, then earned a master’s and doctorate in four years.

The following email just arrived:

Hi Diane.

I was the principal of Rochester, New York’s School Without Walls from 1987 to 2010. Ted Morris, the young man awarded permission to open a charter school in Rochester, NY, and claiming to be a graduate of School Without Walls in 2008, attended SWW for less than a year and then voluntarily left to be home schooled. He never graduated nor received a diploma from School Without Walls.

Dan Drmacich

Here is more about Ted Morris being awarded the chance to run a charter school called Greater Works Charter School.

*Note about the following article: I just found it online very late evening last night, saved the quotes from it. The article either is no longer there or is behind a paywall. Hard to tell.

Since all of these educators and bloggers saw the same article I am going to post it.

22-year-old gets OK to open Rochester charter school

Unlike most school leaders, Ted Morris' days in a high school classroom are still very fresh in his memory.

It was only six years ago that he graduated from School Without Walls at age 16. Now, at 22, he's armed with a freshly minted doctorate degree in education and permission from the state Board of Regents to open a charter high school in Rochester in 2015.

"I remember being in school and feeling I was a bit more advanced and (not having enough options)," he said. "I wanted to grow up and open a school that's predicated on each student's needs and interests. ... I did it sooner than I expected."

....After graduating from School Without Walls in 2008, Morris got a bachelor's degree at age 18 from Western Governors University, an online college based in Salt Lake City. He then received master's and doctoral degrees from Concordia University near Chicago.

Morris has an educational consulting firm and said he has worked with the Rochester Prep schools, among others. He also helped start three non-profit organizations, he said: Sparq Rochester, a youth arts outfit; Greater Works Education Network, a fledgling statewide charter advocacy group; and Victory Living Christian Faith Center.

Another blogger has picked up on this, has noticed other discrepancies, has contacted him for more info.

Since Los Angeles now retired superintendent John Deasy also had problems in his educational background, one he never responded to, ones others appeared not to notice....then I think my usual saying is true.

I say accountability is only for public school teachers and advocates.

[madfloridian]

1. Peter Greene at Curmudgucation is on this story now.

http://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2014/11/rochester-charter-proposal-more-than.html

Morris was apparently born and raised in Rochester and attended Schools Without Walls, a very respectable example of what a good magnet school can be. Upon graduating, [Update: This just gets better and better. Here's Diane Ravitch passing along a note from the principal of Schools Without Walls during the time period in question. Seems Dr. Morris only spent a year there before switching to home schooling] he entered into a rigorous on-line bachelor's program. He snapped up a Masters and Doctorate from Concordia-- the piece says Concordia "near Chicago." There are several Concordia Universities about, ranging from a private Christian college to an on-line university.

Additionally FWIW, there's a Ted Morris of Rochester listed as an ordained minister at the Universal Life Church (on-line) who specializes in Youth Revivals and Conferences, Church Admin Consulting and Grant Writing. His favorite quote is "For whatsoever is born of God, overcometh the world, for this is the Victory that overcometh the world, even our faith" I John 5:4 So maybe while getting cyber degrees, he decided to get cyber-ordained, too.

Morris has already been running consulting firms, apparently, and takes credit (according to the article) for helping to start three non-profits, including the advocacy group associated with his new school. That group-- Greater Works Charter Network-- has only a ghost footprint on line, but another-- Victoty Living Christian Life Center-- appears to be a large, thriving organization. It also, however, appears to have been founded at least ten years ago, which makes Morris's work as a twelve-year-old consultant fairly impressive.

I don't mean to pick on Morris for his age. Michael Jackson, Mozart, Jackie Cooper-- all tremendous prodigies with great early success. So maybe Morris is simply that amazing.

But if I were the New York Regents, I'd want to be super-impressed by a guy who had no actual experience running, working in, or even being a student in a public-- oh, no, wait. If I were the New York Regents none of that would bother me at all, would it.

[Hoppy]

2. Shit. If he plays his cards right..... Fox interviews and all, he can get a few million from Gates

and Campbell Brown.

Then bankrupt the school and blame it on the public teachers' union. If you're gonna be a scam artist, don't do it half-assed.
+

[Smarmie Doofus]

3. The issue here SEEMS to be the *Bd of Regents*, which is appointed by the NYS legislature.

Which is reputedly THE MOST corrupt legislature in the USA.

Which is saying something.

[madfloridian]

4. Wonder if it is like our state board of ed in Florida?

Appointed and mostly charter school supporters. If local districts turn down a charter, the state often approves them anyway.

[madfloridian]

5. That story is now back up. Link. Wonder why they took it down for a while.

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2014/11/23/greater-works-charter-school-rochester-ted-morris/19454317/

[msanthrope]

6. Your sources say two different things--the Democrat and Chronicle source notes that he graduated

online, and not from SWW.

It was only six years ago that he graduated from an online high school at age 16. He had previously attended School Without Walls. Now, at 22, he's armed with a freshly minted doctorate degree in education and permission from the state Board of Regents to open a charter high school in Rochester in 2015.

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2014/11/23/greater-works-charter-school-rochester-ted-morris/19454317/

But you also have an unconfirmed email sent to Diane Ravitch, which apparently does not contradict the news source.

If he faked credentials, he should be nailed to the wall. But what exactly are you accusing him of, when your own source exonerates him?

[madfloridian]

7. The Dem Chronicle says 2 different things.

This paragraph:

It was only six years ago that he graduated from an online high school at age 16. He had previously attended School Without Walls. Now, at 22, he's armed with a freshly minted doctorate degree in education and permission from the state Board of Regents to open a charter high school in Rochester in 2015.

And also this one:

After graduating from School Without Walls in 2008, Morris got a bachelor's degree at age 18 from Western Governors University, an online college based in Salt Lake City. He then received master's and doctoral degrees from Concordia University near Chicago.

So you should check with them. The version put back up today has both paragraphs.

[msanthrope]

10. So you note the discrepancy, but assume that this charter owner, whose picture you included (why?)

must be lying based on an email sent to Diane Ravitch?

Look, if he is, then nail him to the wall. But is this the OP you wanted to write today?

[madfloridian]

17. See posts 15, 16. He just resigned.

[msanthrope]

18. Then nail him to the wall. But if you think some 22 year old is a worthy adversary, well...nt

[madfloridian]

19. When he takes money from public school coffers, he puts himself on the firing line.

The public school teachers are far more on the firing line that he is.

[msanthrope]

21. Without a doubt. But there's a time for everything, no? And the charter goes forward.

It's a small victory, on an inappropriate day.

[madfloridian]

23. Yes, the disintegration of public schools goes forward. None of us can stop it.

It's no victory, not even close.

Not even a small one.

It's just tragic.

[Starry Messenger]

9. A doctorate in a couple of years?

How does that work?

[madfloridian]

11. Long list of schools. On Edit this resume was taken down as well.

Last edited Wed Nov 26, 2014, 03:12 AM - Edit history (1)

http://www.offspringscharities.org/Pages/Facilitators.aspx

[msanthrope]

12. The way mine did. I earned it. If you write your thesis and eschew being a T&A

slave, you can do it.

[LWolf]

13. It's true.

And unfortunately, public schools and teachers are held accountable, not only for their own credentials, but for many things that they can't affect.

[madfloridian]

14. Wow, interesting. Deutsch.com blogger finds no dissertation in usual places. Link...

From the comments section in a link in the OP, the blogger who noticed other discrepancies.

http://deutsch29.wordpress.com/2014/11/24/who-is-new-york-regents-charter-approved-ted-j-morris-jr/

Reteach 4 America permalink

Mercedes, Do you have access to ProQuest with Dissertation Abstracts, to see if he has a dissertation listed there? He doesn’t say what area of education his EdD is in and Concordia University has several programs. Curiously, his masters is listed as being from a different school, Concordia College, but the location is not provided and at the bottom of his page, there are actually two different Concordia Colleges listed, one in North Dakota and one in NY, so that seems a bit hinky.

Also, if you read past the religious spin on his LinkedIn page and look at his Groups, you can see that he is definitely a “reformer” who wants to be a social entrepreneur who rakes in the big bucks, re: the 1937 book listed there, “Think and Grow Rich,” inspired by Andrew Carnegie.
Reply

deutsch29 permalink

No record of a dissertation by Ted J. Morris, Jr., on Proquest or UMI.

[madfloridian]

15. More from Peter Greene today after further research.

http://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2014/11/more-on-rochester-charter-wunderkind-or.html

[Update-- because this story just never stops-- My hat is off to Murphy-- I was hard on him above but he has been on this story like a boos all day--

Breaking: Ted Morris, he of suspicious resume, resigns from board of trustees of Greater Works Charter School. #ROC
— Justin Murphy (@CitizenMurphy) November 26, 2014


Morris submitted his resignation shortly after this story was published: http://t.co/nUwNTgo6rD #ROC
— Justin Murphy (@CitizenMurphy) November 26, 2014


School trustee Peter Kozik, a Keuka College prof, takes over. "It was too much of a distraction." School will still open.
— Justin Murphy (@CitizenMurphy) November 26, 2014

Someone PMed me and said I was posting racist stuff. No, this is not racist stuff at all. If anyone is "racist" it's the reformers who have led minorities to believe that they were not getting a good public education. Ones like Jeb manipulated whole communities.

That my dear friends is a way to get segregation all over again. And it is not me doing it. It is me and a lot of bloggers pointing out the harm being done.

Whether a reformer is white like John Deasy (with mysterious doctorate claims) or black like Ted Morris....they are hurting public schools and I will speak out on it.

[madfloridian]

16. Democrat Chronicle update: Young charter school founder Ted Morris Jr. resigns

Young charter school founder Ted Morris Jr. resigns

Ted Morris Jr. of Rochester wrote on a 2013 charter school application that he received a bachelor's degree from Western Governors University and had served as assistant CEO of a local nonprofit; both assertions, among others, turned out to be false.

He submitted his resignation Tuesday afternoon, according to Peter Kozik, a Keuka College professor and fellow trustee who now will take over as lead applicant.

More:

Former School Without Walls principal Dan Drmacich and the Rochester School District both verified that Morris left the district in 2008.

"From what I remember, he was very articulate, a great conversationalist, but ... he didn't go to many of his classes," Drmacich said. "We constantly worked with him through his teacher adviser and the school counselor, to no avail — to the point he realized and we realized he was just coming to school and hanging out versus attending classes on a regular basis."

....• Morris said in interviews and in paperwork submitted to the state that he got a bachelor's degree from Western Governors University, an online college based in Salt Lake City. But a school spokesman said he attended classes there but did not graduate and is not currently enrolled.

[Quixote1818]

20. Here is his youtube fundraising video

[madfloridian]

24. That's been removed as well.

If you find another copy, please repost it.

[BubbaFett]

22. Most of the "characters" involved with charter schools,

I wouldn't trust them with a used car inventory on Western Ave., let alone precious children.