Bethany K
Henderson,#2Author of original report
Sun, November 08, 2009
Thanks Jason for your comments. The fact that the grades came from the administration, not the teachers, is very interesting information. Though I always interpreted the tests that were switched to open-book midway, and the proliferation of honor roll students as, at the very least, a sign of pressure from above. Since IADT was a new school in our city, I imagine the pressure to retain students was even greater than at your school, and would not be surprised if teachers were threatened if they failed to meet retention quotas. Again that is speculation, but seems likely.
Waiting in the lobby for my "exit interview", one of my favorite teachers asked why I was leaving. His concern I could see was genuine. I was shell-shocked at the time at learning my grades would not transfer anywhere, and all I could muster was, "You know why." He wished me luck and walked away, and I always wished I had said more because he was a good teacher and a good man. I really don't fault the teachers.
One other thing I must mention..in the "exit interview", a joke to be endured before quitting the school, I was asked a series of q's about my experience and why I was leaving. I spent a good 20 minutes telling my grievances with grading, quality of education, one class taught by a teacher who admitted to little or no experience in the subject, the fact that I was lied to in orientation about accreditation and grade transfers. I finished with the fact that, since the school was so expensive, I could not justify the expense when I had no confidence in the quality of the education I was receiving, and thus my job prospects. The woman interviewing me (the Dean? Can't remember..) said, "So you are leaving due to financial difficulties..." and wrote a short sentence in her notes. I was furious!! Was she kidding me??! Why did she waste my time with this ridiculous interview, it was no more than some sort of spin-control.
Give me a $50,000 education and I will pay you $50,000. The IADT education was worse than worthless.
Jason
Pittsburgh,#3UPDATE EX-employee responds
Fri, November 06, 2009
It's not a policy that teachers issue good grades. I was an instructor at the Pittsburgh IADT prior to it's closure. There were SEVERAL students that I personally issued failing grades to only to find them appear on "Honor Roll" or "High Honor Roll". When I questioned my supervisor about this I was told "I don't know what you're talking about, here's you grade submission". What they did was white out my submission form, photocopy my signature, and change all of my grades. For the classes that I submitted online using their portal they would manually change failing grades to passing grades. And not only did they change grades, but they threatened to terminate my employment when several instructors and I threatened to speak to the local media regarding the "grade fixing scam". We were told that the school was a business and would only stay that way if they maintained a steady source of income.
They went so far as to initiate a "retention committee" whose job it was to keep failing students that were receiving no fail federal student aid coming to the school. I saw students who attended 2-3 classes per semester pass classes that they were given failing grades for simply because they had guaranteed student loans.
I also saw many students who simply put should not have been in college. Students who could not read, write, nor speak English, students who never graduated high school, or lacked basic english and writing skills. I also saw students admitted into programs that they legally could not complete....meaing students admitted into the justice technology program who had crminal records that prohibited them from taking the state mandated licensure classes for private police officers. They couldn't even get accepted into the class, but IADT accepted them, lied to them, and took their student loan checks until they could no longer keep them enrolled, then they kicked them out.
I've seen IADT from the inside out. I wouldn't recommend it to my worst enemy.