Senate To Examine Diploma Mill Issue At State House Hearing

TRENTON – Legislation sponsored by Senator Shirley K. Turner (D – Mercer, Hunterdon) that would criminalize operating a school bus with a suspended license cleared the Senate Transportation Committee yesterday. Turner introduced the bill in response to a rash of school bus accidents that occurred in New Jersey this year, including a May incident in Manalapan where a school bus carrying 37 students slid off the road and hit a lamp post and tree. No students were injured; however, the school bus driver was driving with a suspended license.

“Our school buses are only as safe as the driver behind the wheel,” said Turner. “Drivers with suspended licenses are not privileged to be on the road, and they especially have no business transporting our children. Our school buses are carrying young precious lives, and we need to better ensure parents that the drivers responsible for delivering their children to and from school meet the highest qualifications throughout the school year.”

TRENTON – Legislation sponsored by Senator Shirley K. Turner that would criminalize operating a school bus with a suspended license was approved today by the full Senate. Turner introduced the bill in response to a rash of school bus accidents that occurred in New Jersey this year, including a May incident in Manalapan where a school bus carrying 37 students slid off the road and hit a lamp post and tree. No students were injured; however, the school bus driver was driving with a suspended license.

“Every day hundreds of thousands of New Jersey parents entrust the safety of their children to the school bus drivers who transport their children from home to school and back again,” said Senator Turner, D-Mercer and Hunterdon. “Drivers with suspended licenses do not meet the safety standards to be on the road let alone to be transporting this precious cargo. This bill will work to ensure that those who are responsible for delivering our children to school are upholding the letter of the law, and if not, are held criminally accountable.”

TRENTON – A measure sponsored by Senators Joseph F. Vitale and Linda R. Greenstein that would ensure that those taking…

TRENTON – Senator Shirley K. Turner today said school officials who obtain taxpayer-funded advance degrees from non-accredited “diploma mills” to pad their salaries and pension benefits are guilty of “educational malpractice.”

“These phony doctors are ripping off taxpayers and being horrible role models for children,” said Senator Turner, Chair of the Senate Education Committee. “It’s nothing less than educational malpractice.”

TRENTON – The full Senate today approved a bill sponsored by Senate President Richard J. Codey (D-Essex) and Senator Shirley K. Turner (D-Mercer) that would provide a decisive end to the controversial practice of school administrators and teachers using so-called “diploma mills” to obtain an advanced degree when the institution is not recognized by an official accreditation agency. Earlier this month, the Senate Education Committee approved the bill after a lengthy hearing on the issue, in which Sen. Codey railed against the practice as nothing short of fraud.

“This bill will put an end to this outrageous practice once and for all,” said Sen. Codey “It’s absurd that the same people that are charged with upholding academic integrity standards for our students, are the same ones that are milking the system with these phony diplomas. If anyone should understand the importance of accreditation, it’s an academic administrator. When our teachers and administrators receive advanced degrees from accredited universities, our students are the ones who benefit from this increased education and insight.”

A measure sponsored by Senators Joseph F. Vitale and Linda R. Greenstein that will ensure that those taking care of…

TRENTON – The Senate Education Committee today approved a bill sponsored by Senate President Richard J. Codey (D-Essex) and Senator Shirley K. Turner (D-Mercer) that would provide a decisive end to the controversial practice of school administrators and teachers using so-called “diploma mills” to obtain an advanced degree when the institution is not recognized by an official accreditation agency. The vote came after a lengthy hearing in which Sen. Codey railed against the practice as nothing short of fraud.

“Just think, someone who gets one of these diplomas, gets reimbursed for their tuition, gets annual bonuses, and sees their pension increase, and yet, they essentially did nothing to earn it,” said Sen. Codey. “Isn’t it sad that someone would call themselves a doctor and get a pay raise for a diploma that isn’t worth the paper it’s written on? The bottom line is that this practice will erode the quality of education offered in New Jersey unless we act now.”