Kansas principal resigns after school reporters raise questions about her credentials

Photo: The student reporters discovered Amy Robertson's credentials were questionable. (Supplied: Emily Smith/Pittsburg High School)

An incoming high school principal has resigned after the school's student reporters investigated and raised questions about her credentials. The Booster Redux, the student-run newspaper at Pittsburg High School in Kansas in the United States, started researching Amy Robertson after she was hired. Their research uncovered revelations about Corllins University, the institution Ms Robertson said she received her master's and doctoral degrees from. When the students tried to look up the university, the website did not work and they were not able to find evidence Corllins was an accredited institution."There were some things that just didn't add up," student Connor Balthazor told the Washington Post.

Ms Robertson, who currently works with an education consulting firm in Dubai, told the Kansas City Star she received her degrees in 1994 and 2010 with "no issue" before the university lost accreditation. She said all three of her degrees were "authenticated by the US Government". She declined to comment on questions posed by the students about her credentials because "their concerns are not based on facts". The Pittsburg School Board accepted Ms Robertson's resignation, saying she felt the decision was "in the best interest of the district ... in light of the issues that arose".

'They weren't out to get anyone to resign'

Superintendent Destry Brown praised the student reporters' work.

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

Mr Brown said questions were also being asked internally within his office, but that the students' public reporting "probably speeded that process". He said the district, which does not typically ask for official transcripts until after a hiring decision has been made, will likely change its vetting process. The school's journalism adviser, Emily Smith, said she was "very proud" of her students. "They were not out to get anyone to resign or to get anyone fired," she said. "They worked very hard to uncover the truth."

ABC/AP