This came from an anonymous source, and Hillel had a board meeting about it as well yesterday evening.
“Dr.” Holden received his Doctor of Education degree (Ed.D) from California Coast University, a distance learning (correspondence) school.
California Coast University’s doctoral program at the time “Dr.” Holden was granted his “degree” was unaccredited by any regional or national accrediting body.
In 2004 it was discovered that “Dr.” Lynn Ianni, a psychological therapist working for the Fox Television Network on the reality show “The Swan” was not really a doctor at all. Where did she receive her Phd? … California Coast University.
Should a person with a doctoral degree purchased on the internet from a non-accredited doctoral program be shaping the future of Hillel?
Another message refers to an article about John Pennington, FEMA advisor, who also attended California Coast University. The article states:
In testimony before Congress last year, investigators for the General Accounting Office identified California Coast as a diploma mill.
22 responses so far ↓
1 Concerned Citizen // Mar 29, 2007 at 9:53 am
Hillel alumni who hold graduate degrees from Ivy league schools like Harvard, Columbia, and University of Pennsylvania are clearly more credentialed and qualified to be making decisions than Mr. Holden.
2 2001 Alum // Mar 29, 2007 at 10:01 am
I reiterate my conditional offer to be retained as a consultant on this matter, or to serve as an outside director on the Board. The Board will fail to consider my generous offer at its own peril.
3 Concerned Citizen // Mar 29, 2007 at 10:03 am
Thank you. Harvard / Hillel Alumi are much appreciated.
4 Avi Frier // Mar 29, 2007 at 10:59 am
I spoke about this with Judy Dach who was one of the people responsible for hiring him.
She told me that they knew where his degree was from, but didn’t care because the PhD was not a requirement for the job. His Masters is from a ‘real’ university, and that is the minimum requirement they were looking for.
She said they would have hired him with or without the “Dr.” title.
5 alumni parent // Mar 29, 2007 at 11:01 am
I was involved with Hillel for many years and although I may not agree with the direction of the school I do find this site offensive. It is the bane of the web that people can hide behind fictitious names while naming board members, alumni and other, posting email addresses and writing about private matters.
I spoke to a member of the board who told me that the board supported the actions of the heads of school and that enrollment is up significantly for the first time in years. The school must be doing something right to gain the support of the parents- the only ones in the end who count.
In any discourse, civility must be kept. To insult the head of school, board members and active alumni while writing anonymously is as offensive as what you claim these people are doing. Get together, have a meeting, write petitions, get involved to make Hillel what you believe it should be. But do so honorably and openly.
I acknowledge that I wrote this anonymously which will seem to some as hypocritical and perhaps it is.
6 admin // Mar 29, 2007 at 11:05 am
To alumni parent: Thank you for your viewpoints. I don’t know how many times I have to say that if there are “insults” being thrown, I will disallow them from being posted, and I will not condone slander, which I already have had a long discussion about here. The post to which you reply is simply a fact that Holden’s credibility as a “Dr” is at stake. Any Internet search could have told you that.
7 Isaac Sapoznik // Mar 29, 2007 at 11:21 am
There is nothing offensive going on. We are simply trying to have our frustrations over the last few years heard. Basically, this is the straw that broke the camels back.
They have opened up a can of worms and they must face it before it gets to the next step.
Right now they are running away.
Let’s remember though, Dr. Holden is new to the school and doesn’t yet know what is going on. Truthfully, I do not beleive that this is all his fault.
It has more to do with the angry administrators that were asked to not come back after they did a terrible job. He is making decisions based on what the last admnistration is telling him.
Again, this has nothing to do with his credibility. Simply the fact that he hasn’t been there enough time to make decisions.
8 Flabbergasted // Mar 29, 2007 at 11:23 am
Alumni Parent writes:
“The school must be doing something right to gain the support of the parents- the only ones in the end who count.”
Hmmm…. I seem to recall the kids being the only ones in the end who count. The parents write the checks, so the school may listen to them more carefully, but never forget who it’s all about: The kids.
9 Concerned Citizen // Mar 29, 2007 at 11:42 am
Dear Parent,
The only reason for the anonymity is because it is necessary. Hillel teachers and students are shaking in fear right now and they need us to speak for them. I know because I talk to them everyday. Parents won’t name themselves for fear their children will be retaliated againt. What kind of healthy atmosphere is this? I have it on good authority that the dean has already retaliated against current students who named themselves and were posting. That’s the price they’ve had to pay for being brave and exercising their first amendment rights. I can’t say more for I risk putting those children in great peril.
Clearly you are afraid too or you would name yourself.
Get a clue.
10 Concerned Citizen // Mar 29, 2007 at 11:57 am
I neglected to mention that the board members listed on the site are a matter of public knowledge.
If they have nothing to hide, there should be no reason for there names not to be known.
This entire constituency has a right to voice their opinions to the board who are supposed to represent the needs of all stakeholders not just the desires of an elite few.
As for Judy Dach, she is one of the loveliest people I khow and has been a true advocate for teachers for several years. The teachers know this about her.
When she and Joanne Papir embarked on a search for dean, they were hard pressed to find anyone qualified and so they opened the search to include all denominations.
Certainly they were right to do that.
Some of the people the children miss most are dedicated teachers and administrators who are NOT Jewish BUT had a DEEP RESPECT for the school culture and did not seek to dismantle it. They all exhibited DEEP LOVE for our children and for that we are forever indebted to them.
To a name a few: Amy Gallup, Ted Liebersfeld, Nick Henrichson.
These individuals have demonstrated the utmost respect for the Jewish culture of the school and have righteously dedicated many years of their lives — some of the best years of their lives — to our children.
Our children are thanking them again and again on this site.
This Mr. Holden, however, does not serve the community’s needs.
If the selection committee made a mistake in hiring him, then we will give them the benefit of the doubt so long as they correct their error now that the constituency has spoken.
True leaders are those who can admit when they are wrong, learn from their mistakes, and correct them.
All we are asking for is a demonstration of true leadership rather than the “woodenheadedness” we are seeing displayed here.
I beseech the board to re-think their decision and act accordingly before there is a revolution.
11 Peter Kiviat // Mar 29, 2007 at 1:30 pm
Anyone who would use an a phony doctorate as part of their creditionals would not be tolerated by any first class educational institution. That said, we are in Florida where erstatz dentists (sometimes operatng out of vans in Hialeah), doctors and lawyers are not unheard of. So, what the heck!
12 Concerned Citizen // Mar 29, 2007 at 7:19 pm
Truthfully, the issue is not his degree.
We all know that some people without prestigious degrees are brilliant and some who look great on paper are terrible.
Either you can get the job done well, or you can’t. Holden can’t. Period.
13 angry student // Mar 30, 2007 at 1:28 am
I’m going to let everyone in on a little secret….the fact that “enrollment is higher then it has been in the past” is a funny story… i happen to know FIRST HAND that when the administration was showing the school around to some kids and their parents projects were shown of different high school classes. One teacher (name will be kept private) was doing one of these projects with her student when SOME administrator condemned her for doing what was known as an “immature” project…that SAME administrator showed THAT SAME project to the visiting parents….hmm…all i will say is THAT is the type of administration running Hillel at this time…its truely sick!
Thank you to all the students speaking out….and for the parent that criticized this….ARE YOU CRAZY??? number one…you too are anonymous…number two…as for what is going on at hillel…I KNOW ONCE AGAIN FIRST HAND kids are being blamed and reprimanded for what they say…so instead of basically calling us cowards how about you step up!!!!
14 demosthenes // Mar 30, 2007 at 2:17 am
woah….that is heavy! who could ever imagine that administrators would criticize teachers for using an idea and then steal the idea and pass it off as their own.
how sick is that!!
what you’re saying confirms what Isaac just said:
“It [the firings] has more to do with the angry administrators that were asked to not come back after they did a terrible job. He is making decisions based on what the last admnistration is telling him.”
sounds like these adminstrators are so angry for being fired and so jealous of these wonderful teachers that they are determined to take every one down with them on their way out…it seems the dean can’t see this and that they have ulterior motives…ick!!!!!
doesn’t sound too professional to me–very, very sad.
it’s nice to hear from a student on the inside what is actually going on over there…i can only imagine that most of the kids are too afraid to talk right now especially if as you say “kids are being blamed and reprimanded for what they say”
makes me so sad to hear that kids are afraid to tell the grown ups about how they are really being treated by the people in charge at school
sounds like child abuse to me. mental abuse. isn’t that illegal?
the parents seem to doing a poor job of protecting their children from these monsters….you are so right…they need to STEP UP.
15 Parents from Kansas // Apr 1, 2007 at 12:39 am
As a parent at the Hyman Brand - I was truly happy to see “Dr” Holden leave our school. It sounds to me that Hillel is a wonderful school with caring administration, students and staff. I am sorry that you ended up with him as your headmaster. He does not follow through with his promises. He does not build community bridges. He aligns himself with the least jewish leadership. He is not a mensch. I hope your school will not suffer too much under his leadership.
16 angry student // Apr 1, 2007 at 2:33 am
i would just like to say to the parents from kansas….THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR OPINION! it means a lot to our school that you too show your support against the actions of Dr. Holden…i understand what he has done to your school and i would like to say i hope you can bring that sense of pride and lvoe for judaism back. thank you for your post!!!
17 HBHA Teacher // Apr 12, 2007 at 6:43 pm
Shalom to all of you. I wanted to share with the Anon Parent (who as stated didn’t bother using a real name either) that during the reign of Dr. Holden, fear was the name of the game. It was common knowledge that he had spies, and that teachers were called into his office if they were overheard voicing dissent, and even threatened with their jobs. We also had to fill out confidentaility clauses that were “non binding” but ominous enough. I have no doubt that people using their names here will be dealt with in the Facist state that Dr. Holden runs. The School above all doesn’t mean the students, but the institution - as long as the wrapping was pretty,and there were photo ops, what happened to the students didn’t matter. We lived in fear that we would lose our jobs over nothing, and the “yes men” were the ones who got promoted.
To all that post here, continue to do so, and stay annonymous for your sake and the sake of your children. Its just safer that way - trust me I know!
18 upset alum // Apr 29, 2007 at 4:44 pm
As to Avi Frier’s comment that Judy Dach would have hired Dr. Holden regardless of his unaccredited degree makes perfect sense she was on the commitee that hired the other non Jewish dean in violation of the school’s rules. As to the comment that enrollment is up is not true please check your facts.
19 Anonymous // Apr 29, 2007 at 5:00 pm
Everyone does need to continue to post even without names. The board is reading all of this– I know for a fact. Holden won’t meet with parents because what can he tell them–sorry I lied???? The media needs to be alerted–this is what i’ve been told by key people on the inside–no one else has the power to turn this situation around at this point in time………………………
20 Anonymous // Apr 29, 2007 at 5:14 pm
Enrollment is definitely up in the elementary. There are waiting lists and people have been turned away. Someone should check if enrollment is up on the whole…regardless, will enrollment be up or down next year?
21 Isaac Sapoznik // Apr 29, 2007 at 6:19 pm
We have the power to turn it around. We do not need to alert the media. That will bring negative publicity to our school and we don’t need that.
If we want what is best for our school we don’t want to bring negative media to our school. We need action from all of us. Negative media will hurt us for years to come.
22 anonymous // Apr 29, 2007 at 8:40 pm
Perhaps the numbers were up at the time of contracting, however, I believe this is in the process of changing. There are more and more who have made alternate decisions.
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