Three charter schools in Georgia affiliated with followers of Turkish cleric Fetullah Gulen defaulted on bonds and were subject to public audit. The audit revealed, according to the New York Times, that “the schools improperly granted hundreds of thousands of dollars in contracts to businesses and groups, many of them with ties to the Gulen movement.” The schools used public funds to purchase a variety of goods and services from organizations with ties to school officials and other Gulen followers. In some cases, bids were won by the organization that was not the low bidder.
This story is becoming familiar. “The New York Times reported last year that the group’s 36 Texas schools had granted millions of dollars in construction and renovation contracts to firms run by Turkish-Americans with ties to the movement, in some cases bypassing lower bids from firms with no connections to the movement. The Texas schools also awarded deals for cafeteria food, after-school programs and teacher training to organizations affiliated with Gulen followers.”
The schools affiliated with the Gulen movement typically deny that they are connected to the Gulen movement, even though Imam Gulen has said that establishing charter schools in the United States is part of his mission. The Gulen-related or not-related schools constitute the largest charter chain in the nation. They have received hundreds of millions of dollars in public subsidy for capital costs and tuition.
The Gulen charter schools specialize in math and science, and some of the schools get high test scores.
It does seem odd that the U.S. imports science and math teachers from Turkey because Turkey is not a high-performing nation on international tests. It also seems surprising that Turkey should be exporting science and math teachers to the U.S. because Turkish students are in need of good teachers.
None of this makes much sense.
Diane
Diane Ravitch's blog 
It might begin to make sense if you “follow the money.”
They are bankrupting the American Taxpayers and very little of the money actually goes toiward education, it is robbing from our children. Instead the money goes to support the Gulen Turkish and Azerbaijan Lobbying in the USA. In fact, many of their teachers that they bring over on h1-b visas never step foot in a classroom, but rather they are at the local universities in the USA getting their higher education on American taxpayer’s dime and many open up businesses like janitorial or catering which services the schools. Or they move on to the 2 dozen Gulen lobbying groups or web of Gulen Front groups to lobby for Turkey, education, etc., : Pelican Education system, and Cosmos Foundation dba Harmony Science Academy had over $6 million on their 990 tax returns for 3 years expended for “Travel”. Some of their other front groups are: Chesapeake Lighthouse Foundation, Raindrop Turkish House, Turquoise Council, East West Institute, Niagara Foundation, Willow Education, Daisy Education, Magnolia Education Foundation, Pacifica Institute, Rumi Forum, Holy Dove Foundation, Grace Institute and many more.
As American tax payers you can search 990 IRS tax returns for free at http://www.guidestar.com after a short registration. This is something all Americans need to learn about -where their tax money is REALLY going.
Hopefully, this will tighten up the Charter School laws in this country and create “checks and balances” instead of no oversight and handing a blank check over to questionable groups who want to open a charter school.
http://www.charterschoolwatchdog.com
I am very uncomfortable with the establishments of any charter school, but the Gulen charters are ones that double my discomfort. There is one in the community in which I live and they have frequently been under the magnifying glass. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that just because a very large charter welcome sign has been hung out in Louisiana, that no more will will enter the scene.
Based on what I have read about Gulen charter schools, I am also very uncomfortable with their program. One has opened in my district this past year and when I compared their website with our other schools I noticed they did not list the names of the teaching staff-something the rest of us are required to do. They also have a link for the governing board and when you click it- you arrive at a blank page. Recently, a parent whose child has some learning challenges told us she wanted to enroll her daughter there and I am curious to see if she is successful. Based on what I have read they are selective about student enrollment.
Chesapeake Math and IT Academy- http://www.cmitacademy.org/
Gulen schools do not welcome students with special needs. I earlier blogged about a public school in Minneapolis that was handed over to a Gulen charter. One of its first acts was to ask 40 autistic children to leave.
[…] Responding to a third-grade teacher who despaired of complying with all the demands pressing on her, this reader asks the best question of all: why is this hard-working, dedicated, conscientious teacher compelled to satisfy Bill and Melinda Gates? Frankly, the same question occurred to me but this reader asked it better than I. […]
To karen and kathy;
As of now the Gulenists education operations are ceasing in Louisana, Georgia and now Tennessee. Former ex-Mayor of Memphis Willie Herenton tried to get 9 public schools converted with Cosmos Foundation as a partner.
He was denied back in November 2011, he then wen to the state who “approved” the conversions last week.
After the Shelby City Commissioner came out with the information from the NY Times about the Georgia school and other major glaring isses about Cosmos Foundaton and their obvious links to the Gulenists operated charter schools. On Tuesday evening June 12, 2012, the Governor of Tennessee Mr. Haslam rescinded the offer to Herenton and declared “There is no more money left in TN for your schools”
They are patient and will keep trying. But they are running out of money and running out of political favors (which the Gulenist thrive on)
the also failed with the Knoxville Charter Academy.
http://www.gulenpoliticians.blogspot.com
http://www.gulenschoolsworldwide.blogspot.com
Follow the “charter school scandals” blog for information on the Gulen network. It is the largest charter chain in the U.S.
I failed to comment on this blog. But, apparentlly none are concerned about the Gulen Charter Schools in the USA. Where in the world are our elected representatives and our law enforcement? What ever happened to seperation of church and state? The Gulen schools (various names) appear to be supporting their religious point of view in charter schools across the nation.
As long as a charter school is “performing” legislators in Georgia don’t seem to care the consequences.
The New York Times wrote about Fulton Science Academy here, http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/06/us/audits-for-3-georgia-charter-schools-tied-to-gulen-movement.html.
Georgia will vote on a Charter School Amendment in November. The debate has got so heated that there are lawsuits flying from the supporters of the amendment trying to silence the opposition.
As a parent and former charter school advocate, I am afraid for the future of education in Georgia.
you are right to be afraid. The charter people mean to privatize your public schools. Not quite. They will take the best students and leave the ones they don’t want for the public schools. And once again, Georgia will have a dual school system.
I see my comment was posted inJune, but nothing has really changed. Gulen and other Charter Schools continue to destroy local school boards and representative government. They “cull” off whatever they want from the schools and throw the poor students back into the underfunded public schools…that is what is left of them. The privateers get richer and the poor American citizens get poorer because they have lost the ability to control the tax base for public schools in their area due to charter schools laws in their states and national. Choice is such a joke that it would be funny except for the horrible consequence of what is happening to our nation, children and teachers.
Something has changed. There are more charter schools. Both Obama and Romney think this is a wonderful development. Read about the latest controversy in New Orleans on this blog tomorrow morning.