Aside from being Transportation Coordinator for the Recovery School District, she is the more-than-likely-I-guess ex-girlfriend of former state senator Derrick Shepard‘s who withdrew her assault complaint with the help and presence of Shepard’s lawyer. I don’t usually pay any attention to nola.com comments for the obvious reasons but an email birdie brought this one to my attention:
Posted by waltw
July 30, 2008, 8:06PM
Questions the TP won’t ask until necessary:
What are Thaise Ashford’s qulaifications [sic] to be Transportation Coordinator for the RSD at a salary in at least the $75,000 range? does she, at 29, have any qualifications aside from her association with a state senator? Is this Chicago or New Orleans politics?
It’s a fair question, though waltw may or may not have had fairness on his mind. I’m not sure what Ashford’s experience was prior to this job—most of what I can find about her online relates to Derrick Shepard and that unwisely-withdrawn complaint—so I don’t know what’s up. Do you?
Eliot Kamenitz/The Times-Picayune
__________
mgordon. “Sen. Derrick Shepard faces new troubles.” nola.com. Jul. 30, 2008.
Deberry, Jarvis. “Fibs are risky, on or off the stand.” nola.com. Aug. 3, 2008.
Maggi, Laura. “Former state Sen. Derrick Shepherd jailed after his bond is revoked.”nola.com. Jan 15, 2010.
To be completely honest…Thaise really wasn’t qualified for the Transportation Coordinator’s position. However (since we’re discussing qualifications), neither is Betty Coulon-RSD’s Director of Operations who only has a GED level education, is caucasian, and earns $95K. For that matter, it’s absolutely laughable that Rayne Martin is RSD’s chief of staff-$145K-caucasian, with only a bachelor’s degree and absolutely no experience in education (in my opinion, she needs to invest some time in one of those English classes at RSD if her 2004 speech from the President’s convocation at Centenary College is indicative of her command of the English language); it begins “Each of you is special and destined to accomplish wonderful things…read it at http://www.centenary.edu/news/2004/August/0020.html. It’s not a typo…she bragged about it to her fellow co-workers obviously not recognizing that one should never use the phrase “you is” EVER…unless you’re actually TRYING to be funny! Let’s not forget about the lack of qualifications/experience/education of RSD’s “Superintendent of Human Resources” Ms. Shaw-bachelor’s degree-$110K-caucasian, and Ramsey Green-bachelor’s degree-caucasian-$135K-RSD’s Deputy Superintendent (they like that title don’t they) of Operations. Thaise was hired by Dr. Kelvin Adams…she wouldn’t have had a chance at being RSD’s Transportation Coordinator if she had to be hired by a member of “Vallas’ team”…not because she wasn’t qualified (because as you can tell…Vallas isn’t quite interested in experience-he thinks it’s overrated…it’s because those of a “darker persuasion” need a plethora of advanced degrees, “earned” acronyms behind their names, no conscious, no eyes, ears, nose or vocal cords in order to obtain a salary “remotely close” to six figures! Oh yeah, another RSD staffing question…do you have any idea why a school district (RSD to be exact) would have a “paralegal” on payroll (not at the state level, but the district level as in 1641 Poland Ave)? And if you are able to offer a reasonable explanation, my challenge is “where does she work? She doesn’t work at central office (no one there has ever seen her), but she runs through payroll each pay period and is coded under the “superintendent’s staff”. This “ghost” employee is believed to be the “personal paralegal assistant” to RSD’s staff attorney (Mr. Ginsberg), but she works out of his office on Poydras St. (i.e. she works in his private practice but is paid by the state of LA)…this sounds somewhat familiar…Jefferson Parish Gov’t perhaps?
After years of teaching college composition, the “you is” isn’t so shocking—it sounds worse than it is and I don’t feel like parsing the sentence to explain BUT this part of the speech is pretty funny, and not meant to be: “I decided to tutor a high school student. My tutor and I developed such a wonderful relationship that I remained her tutor throughout my Centenary tenure.”
Overall, it’s pretty bland, clunky, a faulty construction, The Usual.
The pattern of whites with minimal qualifications or education in powerful positions and minorities with advanced degrees in lower-level positions—this is something I’d like to see and chart on paper. It would be the same old same old, hardly a new day for the schools.
You’re right about Vallas—experience means little to him as long as your mind is “right.”
She was hired by Michael Haggen not Kelvin Adams
Thanks, RKA!
Interesting-shortly after Michael Haggen hired Miss Ashford he decided to take her on a cruise to the amazement of everyone. Did he think Miss Ashford was a man dressed or disguised as a woman?
nogirl—A cruise? How shortly after?
Yes, a cruise. Michael Haggen took Miss Ashford on a cruise about 4-5 weeks after hiring her as the Coordinator for Transportation. Weeks later, Miss Ashford would barely speak or acknowledge Michael Haggen’s presence. What was discovered on the cruise by each party??
So, nogirl, where was Derrick Shepard in all this?
And familiarity can breed disgust. Or maybe once the quid pro quo was over, there was nothing to talk about.
Derrick Shepard was aware of the trip and was the force behind the hiring of Ms. Ashford. Mr. Haggen loves people with “power.” Derrick Shepard approached his frat brother, Michael Haggen, and asked for a favor- to hire Ms. Ashford. Derrick knew Mr, Haggen would “suck” the bait after meeting Ms. Ashford; that Mr. Haggen would take his place; and knew the probability that nothing would take place on the trip when the true genders (choices) were revealed.
Derrick knew Mr, Haggen would “suck” the bait after meeting Ms. Ashford; that Mr. Haggen would take his place; and knew the probability that nothing would take place on the trip when the true genders (choices) were revealed.
Nogirl, you’re taunting me—”true genders (choices)”? Huh? Haggen “sucked” the bait but didn’t fry the filet?
OK, how can this be backed up? I need more…..I can search for the Haggen-Shepard connection. More than that, I need eyewitnesses, statements, documents, promises made in secretly taped phone conversations…..something…….
The RSD is a mess ! How can Michael Haggen and Rayne Martin supervise employees with they lack the proper certification ? The RSD is a money making business to keep certain employees with 6 digit fiqures. Michael Haggen is a very arrogrant person who pretends to love EVERYONE. However, he is Paul’s right man and he is used to get rid of good employees. How did this former Parental Trainer obtain power ? Where is he actually from ? Why in the hell is he able to supervise certified employees with he lacks credentials. Rayne Martin is just a lost cause. Shee is not capable of supervising teachers and principals. Paul Vallas, please leave our city ! You have made a complete mess of the schools in New Orleans. Dr. Adams, please come back to your city. The New Orleans Public Schools ran circles around the Retarded School District.
Michael Haggen is supposedly from an upper-middle class Jewish/Baptist family from Detriot. His mother is allege to be of african descent, and his father is allege to be white. Mr. Haggen’s version is that he and his family are “the aristocrats” of Detriot. Interesting, when the truth is he is actually from the slums (public housing) of Detriot. Mr. Haggen claim to have been an administrator of many years in Detriot’s school district, but somehow no one in Detriot’s education arena has ever heard of Mr. Haggen. In an attempt to impress, or I should say to deceive, on the walls of Mr. Haggen’s office are plaques listing him as “Whos Who Among American Educators.” Mr. Haggen thinks so little of people of New Orleans. He does not know that New Orleanians are aware that all recent graduates of education divisions can “purchase” those plaques and that instead of purchasing our recognitions, we are astute enough to earn and receive our recognitions from organizations for free.
You asked how did a former parent trainer and uncertified teacher obtain power at RSD. Well, he obtain power from sucking, not kissing the head of the organization ass; from telling lies and spreading lies and rumors about department heads and school administrators; from providing the furnishings, decorating and weekly cleaning Mr. Vallas’ apartment; from double-talking to the superintendent and board members to keep his job; from daily teensitting ( the boy is too old for me to say babysit) Mr. Vallas’ son; and by the oldest and best trick of all – creating and keeping conflict (as most fretful queens will do) among people.
You’re implying something about Haggen at the end that I’m not touching.
The rest, though, is damned ballistic. I will look at Mr. Haggen in April. In the meantime, Nogirl, I’ll start some research and I’d really like your help—point me in the right directions, feed me names, email me links, let’s talk for real….Because it seems now that the only way to stop this privatization high-speed train is to show that it’s really a steam engine running on sweat and crossed fingers. And corrupt contracts.
EMAIL ME!
You are right. I should not have gone there and I apologize to my best friend who is…
Where should send the email?
gbspotmail at gmail. Anytime. Today is good. ;)
Do you know any “deep throats” in RSD?
Pingback: Who IS Michael Haggen? – The G Bitch Spot
Michael Haggen is from the slums of Michigan. He is very jealous of people with advanced degrees. He is a manipulator and a great liar. He pretends to be this rich caucasian king/queen. Mr. Haggen does not have any credentials to supervise animals in the State of Louisiana. He should not be working in this state without the proper credentials. Mr. Haggen thrives on befriending people that are in “higher” places. You may him he say repeatedly that Mr. Paul Vallas is his father and etc. He flocked to New Orleans because of the money. Yes, the RSD was stupid enough to hire this fool and pay him well over $ 140,000 annually. Again, he does not have proper credentials. Yes, this is very illegal and fraudulent ! Mr. Haggen straddles fences. He meets with Mr. Jerome Smith, Mama D, NAACP and other individuals that are fighting the RSD. However, he still meets with his father, Paul Vallas and other RSD people to remain on their good side. Mr. Michael Haggen, the community does not want you here. I’m pretty sure that you can find work in the Detroit projects.
I believe she has an uncle named “Michael Haggen” from Detroit. However, I’m not sure if its the same individual. Thaise was employed by the city of New Orleans once before. All she has is high school diploma. Their whole family is screwed up and gold diggers…including the apple tree from which Thaise fell from. She must have fulfilled a few special requests to land this gig. One brother is in jail for life, the other is a JP cop and the other is a captain in the new orleans fire department. Her little sister was just arrested for God knows what. That entire family is trouble. Wherever there is a Ashford or Dyer there is drama, lies, and trouble. BEWARE!