How to Spot an Imposter

When Amy Robertson was hired as Principal of Pittsburg High School in Kansas, student journalists began work on what they thought would be a welcoming puff-piece. When they discovered Robertson had lied about her credentials, and that she had bought diplomas from a known degree-mill, the story they wrote ultimately resulted in her resignation. The students have been rightly celebrated for their reporting. The real question is why it was necessary.Every year in the United States, universities aware 45,000 legitimate doctorates, and another estimated 50,000 people buy themselves fake PhDs. This isn't new information, but every year, it seems to catch by surprise those responsible for hiring people for sensitive roles.  Continue reading...