deCasal Canned...? - USM Forum -- Message Board

Date: May 30, 2006

deCasal Canned...?

Date: May 30, 2006

I heard the same thing. . . .If true, it was inevitable (no matter how well she did with the NCATE review prep) given the friction between her and PrimaDana.

Date: May 30, 2006

Yes, this is in action - search is on by Exline for her replacement.

Date: May 30, 2006

It's a hard knock life wrote:

I heard the same thing. . . .If true, it was inevitable (no matter how well she did with the NCATE review prep) given the friction between her and PrimaDana.

Each day I think things could not get worse and yet, they do. These are the saddest of times at USM; how we will ever overcome the tragedies of this administration I will never know. This will be the longest year of our collective lives. And I fear the retaliation is just beginning. I pray each night for all of us; that we will be able to come out of this year with some honor and integrity. But, without a doubt, it is in short supply in the Dome. I pray for us all.

Date: May 30, 2006

Angeline wrote:

Yes, this is in action - search is on by Exline for her replacement.

DeCasal was told her position was "eliminated" and the NCATE office was no longer needed. I wonder how NCATE would view this event given how recent the last visit was and that another visit is just around the corner.

If Exline is truly searching for a replacement, then that means NCATE was taken away from Willie Pierce and given to Dana Thames to run (or that Joan plans to run it out of her office).

My guess is that Wanda Maulding, the associate dean, and Joan Exline, ran some interference for Dana in this Tuesday Morning Massacre. However, Angeline, I have not seen any evidence that a replacement is being sought. I think it will be given to Dana on a silver platter, though.

It is odd and sad that the PEC, the body that governs teacher ed across all the colleges, was cut out of the loop with the decision to eliminate deCasal's office and to give the Office of Field Experiences to Dana to run.

Dana Thames made a move early on in Dean Pierce's tenure to acquire control over all teacher ed programs at USM. All that is left in the puzzle is for her to acquire the secondary ed programs housed in COST, COAL, and COH. Boy, will Gandy, Fos, and Pood be surprised when this happens under their noses.

And to think that USM was founded as a normal college. Sad.

Date: May 30, 2006

as a point of historical reference--there was a point in the last 15-20 years when the teacher ed programs in the various colleges were all in COEP. this has been an issue for years.

Date: May 30, 2006

Any chance she has one of those safe deposit boxes stinky was talking about recently? Now would be a good time for her to open it . . .

WHAT is it going to take for the IHL to intervene in this mess? Lose teacher ed altogether?

Date: May 31, 2006

Amid all the sadness, members of the board retain their wit (and their wits), as the clever references to "PrimaDana" and "normal college" show.

Date: May 31, 2006

stinky cheese man wrote:

as a point of historical reference--there was a point in the last 15-20 years when the teacher ed programs in the various colleges were all in COEP. this has been an issue for years.

It must have been longer ago than 15 years ago, and I do not think they were ever all in the C&I department (at least not in "modern" times). Regardless, having ALL secondary ed content areas in housed completely in a COE (much less a single CISE department) in a CRE comp university would be a rarity today (I can't think of one offhand). This wouldn't be an issue at most universities.

The ONLY person this has been a real issue for years is Dana Thames, and the reason is a poor one: Personal empire building, power, and burying the bodies of her enemies. It has nothing to do with quality education. As Dana is collecting real estate, she is constructing a pseudo-dean position for herself with her pal Wanda Maulding's support and Dean Pierce's "compromises." That is the issue.

SCM-thanks for the historical reference, but it gives little insight into the motives and actions of the players today. Unless you are suggesting that antiquated educational models would still be useful at USM (then we can move CISE into the one-room school house in the bowels of OMH ).

Date: May 31, 2006

the point of the historical reference is that at USM it has been a contentious issue for years of where you house secondary education programs. when the programs were shifted from COEP to the various colleges, the number of majors many departments had doubled. for example, think how many english majors are english education majors. it is not inconsequential when it comes to student credit hour generation or the number of majors a department has.

let me suggest that where you house secondary ed programs is an issue at universities. at the u of georgia the secondary education program in english is housed in education.

Date: May 31, 2006

Exline has already talked to prospective candidates on campus in an informal way - yes, Exline's Office will run NCATE now.

Date: May 31, 2006

stinky cheese man wrote:

the point of the historical reference is that at USM it has been a contentious issue for years of where you house secondary education programs. when the programs were shifted from COEP to the various colleges, the number of majors many departments had doubled. for example, think how many english majors are english education majors. it is not inconsequential when it comes to student credit hour generation or the number of majors a department has. let me suggest that where you house secondary ed programs is an issue at universities. at the u of georgia the secondary education program in english is housed in education.

I read your post and Huh?'s post. I think you missed his or her point. H's argument is not whether or not ANY secondary programs should be housed in a COE. There are still some here at USM. It is whether a single CI department (not COE college) should be responsible for ALL of them, and the motivation of that CI department. CI's goal is not to move secondary to COE. It is to move them ALL to CI. There is a difference. UGA does not have all secondary programs in their COE, much less all housed within a single department in the college.

By the way, English secondary ed at Georgia in housed in a separate language and literacy education department--not a CI department.

Date: May 31, 2006

my point is simply a historical one--this issue has been batted around at USM for years. we're just batting it around again. i don't have a dog in the hunt because my department isn't involved in teacher ed. i frankly would prefer the model at the u of florida.

Date: May 31, 2006

It has always struck me that one of the great strengths of USM's secondary ed programs are that they are housed in their respective disciplinary departments. Students need to actually know English Literature, history, or chemistry if they are going to teach those subjets. The less time they spend in vapid pedogological courses in the education departments, the better prepared they will be to gain some mastery of the subject they are going to teach.

Just look at how the various CoAL departments fared in the NCATE visit compared to CISE and other education departments. History, for example, passed with flying colors. Will the education departments pull us into NCATE probation?

Putting secondary ed back under the education umbrella would kill those programs. Teacher training is too important to be left to the school of education.

Date: May 31, 2006

What's happening to the gifted education department. I hear the office is being moved out of Dana's fortress

Date: May 31, 2006

qwerty, I really think that Huh? and your post are the cause and effect related to NCATE and this action. Empire building and getting some "control" over teacher ed is the cause. Vapid education pedagogy replacing discipline-specific knowledge is the effect. End result? downward spiral of teacher ed. Here that is business as usual in a former normal college.

Makes me think of Igor in "Young Frankenstein" - "Abby Normal".

Date: May 31, 2006

Counting the days wrote:

qwerty, I really think that Huh? and your post are the cause and effect related to NCATE and this action. Empire building and getting some "control" over teacher ed is the cause. Vapid education pedagogy replacing discipline-specific knowledge is the effect. End result? downward spiral of teacher ed. Here that is business as usual in a former normal college.
Makes me think of Igor in "Young Frankenstein" - "Abby Normal".

Pardon me for missing your meaning. Don't we agree that housing USM's secondary teaching programs in their departments works well, and that putting them back in the Education dept like CISE would be a disaster, no matter who is the chairperson?

Date: May 31, 2006

Sorry for the confusion - we agree. Pulling the ed programs out of the specific disciplines will undoubtedly damage them. I guess my point would be that empire building and better control by Dana trumps whether there is damage or not. I'm sure it follows something like, "We need to get a more coordinated and responsible level of control over teacher education". Whether this affects past NCATE success is beside th point.

Count

Date: May 31, 2006

All of this talk about the appropriate home for various education progams but not narry a word about an appropriate home for psychology.

Date: May 31, 2006

The appropriate home for Psych is as far away from DT as possible.
Where is Psych housed at other universities?

Date: May 31, 2006

Psychology's placement can vary from university to university -- from colleges of Arts, Arts and Letters, Arts and Sciences, or Science. But as a general rule (with the exception of some school psychology, counselor education, or school counseling programs), a psychology department is not in a College of Education.

LVN wrote:

The appropriate home for Psych is as far away from DT as possible.
Where is Psych housed at other universities?

Date: May 31, 2006

Don't many schools have colleges of social/behavorial sciences? That would include Psych, Anthro/Soc, Social Work, maybe Geography? What else? That model might not make sense for USM, but it seem that Psych would be more appropriately housed in Health Sciences than in COE.

Date: May 31, 2006

LVN wrote:

Don't many schools have colleges of social/behavorial sciences? That would include Psych, Anthro/Soc, Social Work, maybe Geography? What else? That model might not make sense for USM, but it seem that Psych would be more appropriately housed in Health Sciences than in COE.

Sometimes Psych is paired with Business as at Clemson. Given the Dome's disdain for both at USM...

Date: May 31, 2006

The NCATE effort will be headed by a Director of NCATE who will report to Maulding and Exline. The office itself is not being dismantled. It will be reorganized to achieve better results and better coordinate with education programs outside the CoEP. This was done after many interviews and much analysis by Exline. It has nothing to do with Dana Thames. It is all about accreditation and project management skills.

Date: May 31, 2006

NCATE Scoop wrote:

The NCATE effort will be headed by a Director of NCATE who will report to Maulding and Exline. The office itself is not being dismantled. It will be reorganized to achieve better results and better coordinate with education programs outside the CoEP. This was done after many interviews and much analysis by Exline. It has nothing to do with Dana Thames. It is all about accreditation and project management skills.

LOL!!!!!!!

Date: May 31, 2006

NCATE Scoop wrote:

The NCATE effort will be headed by a Director of NCATE who will report to Maulding and Exline. The office itself is not being dismantled. It will be reorganized to achieve better results and better coordinate with education programs outside the CoEP. This was done after many interviews and much analysis by Exline. It has nothing to do with Dana Thames. It is all about accreditation and project management skills.

and tell me again joan's qualifications to make this type decision? didnt she teach home ec before she became a fos?

Date: May 31, 2006

NCATE Scoop wrote:

The NCATE effort will be headed by a Director of NCATE who will report to Maulding and Exline. The office itself is not being dismantled. It will be reorganized to achieve better results and better coordinate with education programs outside the CoEP. This was done after many interviews and much analysis by Exline. It has nothing to do with Dana Thames. It is all about accreditation and project management skills.

When deCasal was hired, she went to Joan to ask for help and resources. Exline was clueless about NCATE or its importance to this university. For the first year here and more, deCasal's pleas for resources and support (including the weight of Exline and President) were completely ignored. DT said repeatedly that USM didn't need deCasal, that DT could handle it herself (deCasal was seen by her as not toadying up enough). DT was highly unccorperative, passive aggressive, and insufficiently engaged in the entire NCATE process (there is documentation of this and many witnesses to be deposed). Again, Exline ignored all pleas for help.

If USM survives NCATE this round, it will be due to people like deCasal, Eric Luce, David Walker, and others--Maulding and Exline were useless in this process. They undercut the NCATE folks, confounded communications by asking for redundant information, confused the lines of authority, and led programs to believe that deCasal was responsible for writing their SPAS. You're right--it is about accreditation and project management skills--and Exline and Maulding screwed this one up big time. Much analysis? Yeh, analyzing how they could advance up the food chain by stepping on other people and kissing up. Both are experts in the John Bolton model of career advancement.

Date: May 31, 2006

Carole: Quit posting false information!

Date: May 31, 2006

Caroler wrote:

Carole: Quit posting false information!

Joan: Love you too. Say hello to Dana for me.

Date: Jun 1, 2006

Word is that SFT signed paperwork for posting of NCATE Director position. It will be posted soon. Everything and everyone will move forward. The email onslaught from Carole will come to an end! Team building will occur. This is all a good thing. Watch and see!