This Incoming High School Principal Resigned After Student Journalists Took Issue With Her Credentials

Upon students' discovery that her masters and doctoral degrees came from a currently unaccredited online institution, Amy Robertson resigned from the post she was about to take on. Find out more here.

C.j. Eugene
Created by C.j. Eugene
On Apr 10, 2017
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Student journalists in Pittsburg, Kansas wanted to know everything they could about their new incoming principal, Amy Robertson. What they found was a potentially devastating secret. While researching Robertson, the students of the school's Booster Redux newspaper found that her masters and doctoral degrees came from Corllins University, a currently unaccredited online institution.

She was going to be the head of our school, and we wanted to be assured that she was qualified and had the proper credentials. We stumbled on some things that most might not consider legitimate credentials.

Trina Paul, Student Editor at Booster Redux

USA Today, April 6, 2017

And while Robertson, who currently works as an education consultant in Dubai, claims that there were no issues with her degrees, which she received in 1994 and 2010, she refused to answer the students' questions concerning her credentials and instead resigned from the position because of the controversy surrounding her entrance. Superintendent Destry Brown had high praise for the students' investigative work:

I appreciate that our kids ask questions and don't just accept something because somebody told them.

Destry Brown

USA Today, April 6, 2017

The students' journalism adviser, Emily Smith, also expressed her pride in them, saying:

They were not out to get anyone to resign or to get anyone fired. They worked very hard to uncover the truth.

Emily Smith

April 6, 2017

But now, what we want to know is...

Do you think Robertson's university accreditation should really have been this big an issue?

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