Jersey Jazzman has pulled together many of the questions that have been raised about the Gulen network of charter schools.
We know that there are many of them, at least 160. That makes it the second largest chain in the nation, behind KIPP.
We know that Gulen charter schools typically deny that they are part of the Gulen network, even though their board is composed primarily of Turkish men, and many if not most of their staff is Turkish.
We know that they operate in many states under different names. In California, they are the Magnolia Science Academy charter schools. In Arkansas, they are LISA Academies. In Indiana, they are the Indiana Math & Science Academies. In Nevada, they are CORAL Academies of Math & Science. In Ohio, they are the Horizon Science Academies, also the Noble Academies. In Texas, they are the Horizon Science Academies. In these and other states, they operate under more than one name. To see the complete list of current Gulen charter schools, read Sharon Higgins’ blog here.
We know that a number of them have been raided by the FBI and that questions have been raised about their awarding contracts to Turkish contractors, even when they were not the low bidder.
We know that they are not financially transparent.
JJ writes:
Look, I won’t pretend we haven’t had problems — in some cases, big problems — with fiscal opacity in public district schools. But charter schools, because they are not state actors, are not subject to the same standards of transparency as public district schools. Once the money flows past the non-profit shell of a charter school and to its aligned management organization or property lease holder, all bets are off.
We are now seeing a very real and very serious consequence of this lack of transparency. It’s not at all an exaggeration to say our national security interests may have been compromised by allowing this network to flourish within our borders — and, again, for what?
It’s well past time to clean up the charter school sector. Standards of transparency and accountability have got to become much tougher. Americans have every right to know who, exactly, is running their schools and under what circumstances. If the Turkish coup and the growth of Gulen-linked charter schools teaches us anything, it’s that the consequences for not properly regulating the charter sector are potentially serious and far-ranging.
One more thing: I’ve noticed some rumblings on social media that criticism of Gulen-linked charter schools might be motivated by Islamophobia. I obviously can’t speak for every critic, but that strikes me as far too facile. The problem with Gulen-linked charter schools isn’t about the particular religion Hizmet subscribes to; its about the total lack of transparency in these schools’ management.
I have often posed the question on this blog about the wisdom of outsourcing American public schools to foreign nationals. The reason I ask this question is that the primary purpose of public schools–the reason they receive public funding–is to teach American citizenship. If they are controlled by citizens of Russia or France or Turkey or Venezuela or any other country, they are not qualified to teach American citizenship. Certainly, any country or any group of foreign citizens that wishes to open a school is welcome to do so, but they should not be funded by taxpayers. They should be private schools, free to teach the customs and laws of their country. The Gulen movement operates schools around the world, but the U.S. is the only nation that underwrites them with public funds. Why? Is it because the Gulenists have showered legislators with all-expense paid trips to Turkey?
As to the question of Islamophobia: I recently was invited to meet Robert Amsterdam, the D.C. lawyer who was hired by the Turkish government to investigate Fethullah Gulen’s activities in the United States. He is knowledgable about the Gulen schools and believes they are a source of funding for Gulen’s political activities in Turkey. He has met with numerous whistle-blowers. I don’t know whether or not that is true, but the U.S. government should be asking these questions.
I asked Mr. Amsterdam how he responds to the charge that critics of Fethullah Gulen are expressing Islamophobia. He laughed and said, “I am a lawyer. I was hired by the Turkish government. I am investigating Gulen on its behalf. The Turkish government is Islamic. How can anyone reasonably claim that the Turkish government is Islamophobic? That is absurd on its face.”
Please, Diane, in order to raise questions about the Gülen schools, you don’t need to buy hook, line and sinker what you hear from an agent (lawyer) of the despicable, anti-democratic, anti-secular, civil-liberties-destroying Erdogan government–the government that has facilitated passage of would-be militants into the ‘Islamic state’. Please don’t allow the byzantine (yes, as in Byzantium) politics of Turkish Islamic autocracy to taint the cause of public education in the US. Our enemy’s enemy is not our friend.
Turkey is a NATO member and an ally. Its “anti-democratic” government was democratically elected. Far from ideal, it is better than a military coup by far and away.
Public schools are an American institution and unionized teachers are its ally. Our “anti-students first matter now” school boards are democratically elected. Far from perfect, they are better than a hostile, corporate/private takeover with little transparency by far and away.
Here is a post from KPCC two years ago by Annie Gilbertson, their excellent education journalist, describing the Gulen charter schools. Please read all the comments, particularly those from the attorney who comments right after I do, and the ones by Turkish activists who also commented often on my Gulen articles.
California state auditor probing LA’s Magnolia charter schools | 89.3 …
http://www.scpr.org/blogs/…/08/…/california-state-auditor-probing-la-s-magnolia-cha/
KPCC
Aug 14, 2014 – Ellen Lubic • 1 year ago. Amazing to see that no where in this article, nor in the comments, is the name Fettulah Gulen mentioned. Gulen, of the …
Nuts..they took the page down at the link. But if you google my name you can find and open this telling report by my fave investigative journalist, Annie Gilbertson (who broke the Deasy/iPad scandal)…and the important comments by Turkish activists. Relates closely to the weeks Turkish coup info and Ergogan’s blaming Gulen for the uprising.
typo…Erdogan…that is…
Here are the comments made re Annie Gilbertson’s article at KPCC in 2014, that are so pertinent today. Ozgur Cengiz, who also comments on my various Gulen articles, is particularly knowledgeable. Keep in mind that Turkish parents were able to influence the judge who actually shut down two LA Magnolia schools for financial mismanagement, by demanding of him that they must have a place to send their children, and it would be a hardship for them to have these schools closed….so much for legal justice and protecting our tax expenditures gifted to Billionaire Imam Gulen and his henchwoman, Caprice Young (with LAUSD charter overseer, and her friend and colleague, Cole-Gutierrez cheering them on). Ellen
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8 Comments
kpcc
Ellen Lubic • 2 years ago
Amazing to see that no where in this article, nor in the comments, is the name Fettulah Gulen mentioned. Gulen, of the Turkish Gulen Movement is the owner of the Magnolia Charters, and the Harmony Charters, and about 147 charters in the US. This Turkish Imam who strives to lead a new Turkey ruled by Sharia Law is now a billionaire living in the Poconos Mountains in a heavily guarded estate, and all paid for by U.S. taxpayers.
It is almost impossible to gather information to understand why the last three administrations have allowed him to open this Turkish-directed schools, and why he is allowed to bring to the U.S. thousands of Middle Eastern men ostensibly to teach at, and run, these charter schools. The FBI was investigating the Magnolia Charters in LA for possible fraud some months ago…but there are no recent reports as to this investigation.
Why is this strict Islamist Imam allowed to do these things?
InternetAttorney Ellen Lubic • 2 years ago
Because politicians love their $ campaign contributions, honors and those famous trips to Turkey and the other Turkic countries like oil rich Azerbaijan, Krygzstan, etc., They are pulling a fast one on LAUSD they pushed all the Turkic people out of the way, including their CEO Mehmet Argin and hired a Hispanic PR CFO, absent at the last meeting where MSA #8 was denied was any of the Turks, some where in the audience but didn’t speak. The speaking was done by the hired mouthpieces of Jerry Simmons, Kim Onisko, Oswaldo Dias, the first two being an attorney and accountant. Their court case will continue and like the other “Gulen Inspired” schools they will scram before they have to testify, give up evidence in discovery or answer interrogatories. The Gulen Movement hates exposure and transparency. They believe they have every right teaching our children and that their education is superior to all others (despite the fact OECD ranks Turkey’s education at below standard 34 out of 36 countries just above Chile and Mexico). Things are about to stink up, the Gulen Networks were declared a “NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT ” in Turkey. Erdogan has dismantled their schools, banks, positions in the government. It’s only a matter of time in the USA.
Xochipilli • 2 years ago
Annie Gilbertson, if you want a real scoop, investigate the LAUSD’s massacre of older teachers. Thousands of senior teachers including me have been abused by principals, brought up on false and ridiculous charges and forced out of their jobs. the huge abounts of money spent by the superintendent to hire outside law firms to persecute teachers is obscene. You would get the scoop because Howard Blume has told me that his editors believe that all teachers are horrid. The state auditor put out a report in 1997 that warned the LAUSD that it was in legal danger because of the incompetent manner in which they conducted investigation of teacher misconduct. The district took this as a plan of action and follows it to the letter.
Xochipilli Mariana Petoom • 2 years ago
You’re probably right. All teachers become incompetent when they near retirement. New York minute? This is L.A. and UTLA is in it for the kids so allowing 10,000 teachers to be dispatched is really okay.
Xochipilli Mariana Petoom • 2 years ago
Sometimes my snarkiness gets out of hand. I was speaking from experience not opinion.
Ozgur Cengiz • 2 years ago
It might be appropriate to state that Mike MeCey, is a partner at Magnetic communications. Formerly he was a press secretary for the California Legislature. Hence, he is a paid public relations firm for the Magnolia Schools. This same group has hired a high profile PR firm in Ohio to gloss over their recent FBI raid (concept Schools) and in Texas they hired the ex-PR lady of former President Bush (Karen Hughes) Hopefully, Mr. MeCey will check out the accuracy of his public statements.
Ozgur Cengiz • 2 years ago
Agreed there needs to be oversight, but Magnolia isn’t the first charter in California to be closed down for financial mismanagement. Many times it leads to a criminal indictment and jail sentence for the charter operators (Ivy Academia, California Charter Academy, Khadijah Gafour) Magnolia Charter Schools, Magnolia Public Schools, Magnolia STEM Schools or Magnolia Science Academy (they change their names) continues to weave a deceitful web of self dealings. 4 days after the LAUSD sent them a letter to shut down the 2 schools the California Department of Facilities awarded them $6 million in grants.
Magnolia claims to have an “independent” accountancy that declares they are solvent – this was used to obtain this $6 million. They are rapidly moving forward with the building of a school in Santa Ana, CA (they were originally denied this by the local school district but got this school overturned at the state level) Shouldn’t this money be put on hold until the finances and the school are cleared of wrong doing? Lastly, Mr. Mekan Mahummodov is the CFO (Chief Financial Officer) of Magnolia Public Schools, he also heads up the MPM – Magnolia Property Management, which stands to benefit from the $6 million. Self dealings are strictly prohibited under racketeering laws if you are a board member of one entity and benefiting from the business of that entity with outside business.
It will be interesting to learn where the furniture, uniforms, catering, janitorial, etc., services to the school are being conducted and who or what “movement” reaps the benefits of this American money. Fortunately the judge already ordered the schools to cease paying Accord Institute (which shares the same building as Pacifica Institute) any more “consulting fees” Accord is collecting fees from all the charter schools on the west coast operated by this “group”
Good Luck California, it’s a shame over $300,000 has to be spent to get a thorough forensics audit. Seems like Magnolia Schools should have to pay that back to the State of California. Poor American Tax payers.
2UrbanGirls • 2 years ago
Parents have told 2UrbanGirls that money is being spent on consultants in Turkey. Coincidentally, the principal of the school in Culver City is also from Turkey. This shows that independent charters need more oversight of how they are spending taxpayers money.
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I am not sure just what you are referring to with Diane buying something hook line and sinker. Articles about gulen abound….pick a year, pick a city….2014…cleveland? FBI raids? anything I need to be careful about believing in this story by Doug Livingston? http://www.ohio.com/news/break-news/cleveland-fbi-leads-investigation-of-charter-school-chain-1.494782
One need not be Islamophobic to question the propriety of the Gulen charter schools, staffed largely by Turkish Muslims, getting millions of dollars in public funds extracted from US taxpayers of all religious persuasions. — Edd Doerr (arlinc.org)
Yes. Follow the money, not the politics.
Thanks, JJ, for calling out these unanswered questions.
One question I have is: Are charter school networks the new way to fund regime change? With almost no oversight or regulation, it was just a matter of time before a secretive, controversial cult leader would use the US charter school ATM to turn tax payer dollars into a slush fund to allegedly overthrow a foreign government.
You don’t have to take sides in a geo-political mess to decide that US education dollars should not go to that.
Karen. I think this summary from JJ is really important, especially since the discussion regarding how Gulen cmae into the US and his later denials that he has any knowledge of the schools. See also Mercedes Schneider’s book on Schools Choice which has a whole chapter on the Gulen schools.
I agree, Laura! This summary is very important. My point is that with the lax oversight of charter schools, anyone for any purpose could use the system as an ATM. We have seen that to be true and yet public officials look the other way. It’s baffling to me.
I haven’t read Mercedes’ newest book yet; I look forward to it.
Laura, it’s interesting that, when it suits him, the Imam Fetulleh Gulen denies any connection with the charter schools, yet, in the context of his immigration status, the Imam’s founding and guiding of these schools used used by the Imam’s lawyers as justification for awarding him a Green Gard to stay in the United States.
Jersey Jazzman just posted some interesting stuff on this aspect of the affair:
http://jerseyjazzman.blogspot.com/2016/07/what-we-dont-know-about-gulen-linked_98.html
While the Gulen-backed Magnolia Science Academy CEO Caprice Young and other well-paid front people for the Gulen schools claim no connection to Gulen — Young “absolutely, categorically” denies any such connection — the Imam Fetulleh Gulen himself, when it served his purpose to remain in the United States, eagerly contradicted this.
Indeed, he, through his lawyers, cited his involvement in those same schools — again, the same involvement so vehemently denied by Young and other Gulen front people — as justification for the U.S. government allowing him to stay here.
His lawyers enthusiastically claim to Immigration authorities, “Look at what Gulen’s done for U.S. education. Let him stay!”
(From a 2011 article in the Philadelphia Inquirer (which has, over the years, done some really excellent reporting on charter schools
http://articles.philly.com/2011-03-20/news/29148147_1_gulen-schools-gulen-followers-charter-schools
This excerpt shows the Imam Fetulleh Gulen eagerly claiming credit for all those U.S.-based charter schools, to bolster his efforts to remain in the country:
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“Fethullah Gulen is a major Islamic political figure in Turkey, but he lives in self-imposed exile in a Poconos enclave and GAINED HIS GREEN CARD BY CONVINCING A FEDERAL JUDGE in Philadelphia that HE WAS AN INFLUENTIAL EDUCATION FIGURE IN THE UNITED STATES.
“As evidence, his lawyer pointed to the charter schools, now more than 120 in 25 states, that his followers – Turkish scientists, engineers, and businessmen – have opened, including Truebright Science Academy in North Philadelphia and another charter in State College, Pa.
“The schools are funded with millions of taxpayer dollars. Truebright alone receives more than $3 million from the Philadelphia School District for its 348 pupils. Tansu Cidav, the acting chief executive officer, described it as a regular public school. [emphasis mine]”
“The national Gulen charter school network has been confirmed by Gulen’s own lawyer.”
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Except elsewhere, when it suits Gulen and the operators of the Gulen charter schools, they claim no connection to Gulen whatsoever:
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“Federal officials declined to comment on the nationwide inquiry, which is being coordinated by prosecutors in Pennsylvania’s Middle District in Scranton. A former leader of the parents’ group at the State College school confirmed that federal authorities had interviewed her.
“Bekir Aksoy, who acts as Gulen’s spokesman, said Friday that GULEN KNEW NOTHING ABOUT CHARTER SCHOOLS or an investigation.
“Aksoy, president of the Golden Generation Worship & Retreat Center in Saylorsburg, Pa., where Gulen lives, said Gulen, who is in his early 70s, ‘HAS NO CONNECTION WITH ANY OF THE SCHOOLS,’ although he might have inspired the people who founded them.”
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So Gulen WAS involved in founding the schools, except he WASN’T.
Errr … except he WAS … again, when it suits Gulen and the leaders, they claim the credit:
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“The (Gulen’s) American charter schools were A CENTRAL PART OF GULEN’S ARGUMENT THAT WON HIM A GREEN CARD card after the Department of Homeland Security ruled that he did not meet the qualifications of an “alien of extraordinary ability” to receive a special visa.
“In a lawsuit Gulen filed in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia in 2007 challenging the denial, his attorneys wrote:
” ‘In his position as the founder and head of the Gulen Movement, MR. GULEN HAS OVERSEEN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A CONGLOMERATION OF SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT the world, in Europe, Central Asia, AND THE UNITED STATES.’
“His attorneys also referred to a letter of support from a theology professor in Illinois who described Gulen as ‘A LEADER OF AWARD-WINNING SCHOOLS FOR UNDERSERVED CHILDREN around the world, including many schools IN THE MAJOR CITIES OF AMERICA.”
“On July 16, 2008, U.S. District Court Judge Stewart Dalzell ruled that Gulen met the requirements for a green card.”
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Except he WAS. Hmm …
Why does the U.S. allow it? Why is Gulan protected in the Poconos, PA? The FBI has raided Gulan schools and carted away boxes of documents and what else? What has the FBI done about the Gulan schools? NOTHING.
Whistleblowers spoke up about the Gulan schools and were rebuked.
These schools should be private schools, not “public” charters, and certainly not supported by our taxpayers.
How do we the people stop this?
Our government is complicit in the Gulan schools and in protecting F. Gulan himself.
How do we stop it?
Wish I knew the answer, Donna…i have been writing about Gulen for the last three years, as have others, and have asked these questions of all major media sources in the US, and of my Congress and Senate reps…and even wrote Obama. Did not get one single reply…not even a bland courtesy note which I usually get on a daily basis. Our govt. keeps this situation ‘under wraps’ and they seem to have controlled all media sources as well. It is only in the last two days that so much news is coming through. As you see, Gulen said today he “feels very safe in the US and has NO intention of returning to Turkey” (where now he would be summarily wiped out by Erdogan), but that “he would leave with no animosity toward the US, should our govt. ask him to”…
Ellen.
I had to go to my resident mid east expert on this one ,Juan Cole.
Apparently the opposition parties in Turkey including the Kurd’s stood behind Erdogan. Which leaves open some interesting possibilities as to whether Gulen acted alone. Me ,I
keep waiting for a coup that does not favor US interests. It would seem that plane crashes ,hard and soft coups, only seem to happen when those opposed to US objectives are in power. So if we can sell drugs on the streets of American cities . Selling charter education to children does not seem out of the realm of possibilities when it comes to US power objectives.
But Erdogan is using the opportunity. He is purging the courts and the military of all opposition party members even those who supported him against the coup. Sounds like the Turks have the same choice we do the lesser of two evils . Which one that is ,I am not sure.
Pretty much agree with you Joel…however I am not always comfortable with Juan Cole who often presents his own ax grinding. But in this circumstance, it seems obvious that the US leadership which includes those who run the CIA, have a definite purpose in protecting Gulen. I have read that they consider him to be a more malleable and “moderate” Islamic leader, more so than Erdogan, and that he promotes a more “peaceful and spiritual” form of Islam.
With Obama demanding, over these last few weeks (since the Dallas,murders) that we NEVER use the term “Radical Islam” and expanding on our colleague Left Coast Teacher’s comments here today on the rampant attack on those of us who do use this phrase and others that are similar, calling them/us, “Islamophobic”, I fear for the outcomes in our own country.
I see that the PR of the highly educated Palestinians I know on campuses in the US, and the very well organized leadership of the Islamic Center, and Zogby’s cohorts, has influenced not only Obama, but also most media to back off from real dialogue. Lakeoff is the linguist who warned of this form of using political language to define and manipulate a cause…and here we have it in spades…again, IMO. The charges of Islamophobia have upped the charge of the BDS movement, and have discredited Israel in the eyes of the world. Anti Semitism is rampant world wide, and in the US the Trump followers are taking full advantage of openly encouraging pogroms.
It is fascinating (and horrifying) for me as a public policy educator to see how this is all playing out. Robert Reich, who teaches public policy at Cal Berkeley, often writes about this…and of course famous linguist,Lakeoff, himself teaches there.
So, when we delve into Gulen’s long term belief system, he has always been a strict follower of the Q’uran teachings and of Sharia Law, and he believes completely in a male dominated society…and has always yearned for a return to a world wide Ottoman Empire.
IMO these are dangerous goals.
And his outright ‘buying’ so many of our legislators and others in power, with free trips to Turkey, with cash and with gifts, and his scamming and ‘stealing’ from US taxpayers to run not only his Turkish directed charter schools, but also his vast empire of businesses, is a major detriment for Americans…and I feel he should be deported ASAP.
I have written for at least the past year that it is our tax money that he has been using to foment chaos all over the Middle East, including in his native land, Turkey. Gulen is not a man who should be gifted by our administration with our hard earned American freedoms and laws, nor with our tax money, to use to his own advantage.
I agree with Donna too that there are elements of the Gulen Movement that could and should be approached using our RICO statutes.
No one,until a few days ago, paid much attention to my rants about how this despot was using out tax money to foment revolution overseas. This left me rather non plussed as to how much ostrich-like behavior was ruling this site’s readers, and also that of the general population which reads my other articles on City Watch Today, LA Progressive, Down With Tyranny. and many more sites directed at the informed and intellectual reader. I hope many folks will now stay on top on any and all info on Fetullah Gulen and his supporters.
We should encourage the media to follow the Gulan money trail. I think most Americans would be shocked and outraged to find that public money is most likely winding up in Turkey to finance a coup. A Hollywood script writer couldn’t write this; it is so absurd. I think that someone like Matt Taibbi would be willing to tackle this story and connect the dots.
Dear retired teacher…how do we “encourage the media to follow the money” when the media is all in on the charter school scam?
I am so discouraged that you have not heard my voice here in over three years when I constantly, ad nauseum, write about the media and how it does not give a damn about saving public education, particularly the LA Times in my home state. Quite the contrary. They do not want to hear from us and they insulate themselves and only interview thugs like PRev’s Ben Austin, and United Way, and other Broad shills, but not any of those of us who you read here like Karen Wolfe, Robert Skeels, Cynthia Liu, etc..
I, and my Joining Forces colleagues, write letters to the editor daily that are rarely printed. We wrote hundreds on the subject of Gulen. Not a single one was used. We make calls and send op eds…and we get NO response. Linda Johnson has been amazing at getting some of her’s printed in the LA Times…kudos Linda.
Eli Broad and his profiteers practically own the LA Times where he pays for the education articles. I have written endlessly about this. Rupert Murdoch owns the WSJ and most other media sources…on and on.
We have NO allies in the media who care anything about educators nor students, and certainly not public schools. They care only about cash and profits. Gulen has shown them the way to milk the system, and it is we, the taxpayers, who are hit for multi billions of dollars to use for his, and their, own benefit. Our legislators let all this happen…they collude with these crooks.
Yes, Donna, there is much here that could be a RICO case if there was any honest attorney to file suit. So much fraud and racketeering abounds.
Money, money, money….Murdoch does this grab to buy young women….Broad does it to add to his billions and buy more art work, but mainly to get endless power…and the DFERS are all in on this giant scam…all of it is for money…and every media source is in on it.. They will protect Gulen, for by doing so, they protect themselves.
We have NO power for we have NO free press, no free media…but only a FREE MARKET that works for them, not for us.
Retired teacher “I think most Americans would be shocked and outraged to find that public money is most likely winding up in Turkey to finance a coup. ”
I think this is not the real issue. I think for the real issue we need to modify the grammar: public money has been financing. the billionaires’ coup in the US and all over the world.
Ellen
The consolidation of the corporate media, print and broadcast has long been a problem . I have been to labor demonstrations, where perhaps ten thousand people were in attendance in the middle of Seventh Ave at 3P.M. on a weekday ,with permits . If not for the traffic helicopter above reporting an impediment to traffic, there would be no mention . Been to Labor Day demonstrations on the same day as the West Indian day parade. After a ten minute coverage of that parade . Barely a scant mention of the 80-100,000 on Fifth Ave in support of America’s workers.
When Chomsky talks about the bludgeon vs propaganda you can include media blackouts in that equation. I have long questioned why progressives have not Occupied the Media starting with our friends at supposedly !!!! liberal news organizations . Then moving to the right wing propaganda machines .
This may provide some clue as to why. http://journal-neo.org/2016/07/18/behind-the-cia-desperate-turkey-coup-attempt/
Do you, reader, know what it feels like to be called racist or phobic because you believe in the democracy, sovereignty, and independence of nations? It stinks. It’s not just.
It feels like being called racist for not believing that Common Core was the Civil Rights Movement of the 21st century.
LeftCoastTeacher, tell the reporters languishing in Erdogan’s prisons, tell the people crushed in demonstrations against the government, tell the Turkish intellectuals in exile across the US and Europe, and tell the Kurdish & Alevi citizens of Turkey about Erdogan’s “democracy.” Yes, Erdogan’s party has won elections. (So did Adolf Hitler’s.) And yes, Turkey is a US ally and a NATO member: John Kerry needs to be diplomatic. But last I checked, US citizens don’t need to shore up every oil-producing sheikh and autocratic ruler of a strategic ally with whom our government gets into bed. And, PS, with respect to your slander, neither I nor anyone I’ve read on this site supported the attempted coup–and neither did Erdogan’s secular democratic opponents. They poured into the streets of Turkey alongside his partisans.
Russel, I was referring to the wrongful assumptions of Islamophobia on social media of which Jersey Jazzman wrote. And I am not so much in support of the Turkish government as I am opposed to the Gulenist movement. Opposition to letting this charter school network be affiliated with Gulen without complete oversight of finances should not imply Islamophobia or support of the way Turkey runs its very diverse country in its tenuous geographic position. And if you don’t think allowing Gulen charters to open their doors meant our tax dollars just funded the use of tanks, bombs, and guns against a civilian population, I disagree. You wrote you didn’t support the attempted coup. How can you be so sure you didn’t?
Russell, what’s your point relative to education (the purpose of this blog)? That because you think the Turkish government is a dictatorship, that US education dollars should be footing the bill for a regime change?
Let’s say an exiled American politician opens schools in Turkey. Would the Turkish citizens want Turkey’s government to give, the tax money that the people earmarked, for their kids’ educations, to American nationals, with either strong or tenuous links, to the American politician? Or, would the Turkish citizens say, “What the h_ll?
Diane, The Concept Gulen charter schools cover Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Indiana and Michigan. Dan Mihalopoulos of the Chicago Sun Times covered the FBI raids on the headquarters that your website covered.
Wow…mind blowing link dChristine…thanks…I knew very little of this. You should post this on every single discussion of Gulen.
More info on Fethullah Gulen and Gulen schools
http://www.boilingfrogspost.com/2015/02/10/bfp-exclusive-william-engdahl-on-operation-gladio-fethullah-gulen-one-world-government/
Wow…mind blowing link dChristine…thanks…I knew very little of this. You should post this on every single discussion of Gulen.
Ellen Lubic: Please send me your email address. Edd Doerr (arlinc@verizon.net)
Ed et al…you can reach me at
joiningforces4ed@aol.com
http://turkishinvitations.weebly.com/list-of-us-schools.html
Gulen makes his money from his 146 Charter Schools. (listed here)
So sad. I’m neither informed enough, nor inclined to discuss the internal politics of Turkey. What I do know for certain is that Gülen and his shadowy cult run the largest corporate charter school chain in the U.S. This is the inevitable result of fact that charter schools are privately managed, but publicly funded. The only way to take away one of Gülen’s biggest revenue streams is to shutter his vast network of charter schools. While we’re at it, we should shut all charter schools down, since another greed driven group will just take Gülen’s place. The concept of contracting the private sector for something that is best handled by the community is flawed from inception. It’s past time to put these greedy charter profiteers out to pasture, and stop enabling individuals like Gülen from using our scarce tax dollars to fund coups.
“If they are controlled by citizens of Russia or France or Turkey or Venezuela or any other country, they are not qualified to teach American citizenship. ”
This is a more complicated issue, and I am not sure it can be covered by such a simple sentence. To satrt:
What does “controlled by” mean?
Isn’t Gülen an American citizen?
Gulen is NOT an American citizen. He is a foreign national.
In Atlanta a team effort by the Fulton County School Board and a group of concerned citizens eventually forced the closure of three “Gulen inspired” schools. The schools were sending money to an non-transparent 501(c)3, refused to form and give any say to a parent led school board and and refused to comply with reasonable requests repeatedly.
Why should such an organization be entitled to receive our tax dollars? They did themselves in.
Reblogged this on Mister Journalism: "Reading, Sharing, Discussing, Learning".
First of all, I would just like to say that there is absolutely no evidence to support these allegations against Harmony Science Academies in Texas. The people I know that work for Harmony are a blend of nationalities, and not just Turkish. They are also from various faiths, and therein lies the problem because Erdogan (the Turkish President) does not support secularism, and he can’t stand to see children of all faiths working and studying under the same roof. Basically, I want to say that I have been treated with respect and dignity at Harmony, something I never experienced at a Texas ISD.
Finally, it is important to establish a couple of facts about living and working in the US. If I want to belong to a movement, any movement, then I am allowed. To come out and keep criticizing the Gulen Movement like it is some terrorist organization is ridiculous…I don’t belong to any movements, but I don’t care who does. I might join tomorrow, and that would be my business only. Furthermore, Erdogan has no right to interfere with schools in our country. How does he even have time to keep obsessing over his old partnership with Fethullah Gulen that has long been dissolved? Why does he care so much about what school children do in Texas? He has violated the rights of his own citizens, and his coup attempt is probably nothing more than cruel theatrics orchestrated in an attempt to garner public hatred against the academies, and his old rival Gulen. Erdogan’s actions in his own country should raise numerous red flags. I agree that charter schools should have strict accountability, but the schools you speak of are staffed with caring adults from all over the world, including our own country. Erdogan has transformed over time into a fundamentalist that would have children separated by race, religion, ethnicity, and sex. It is a privilege to see children from all walks of life study and play together…it is Erdogan’s motive to erase secular schools.
Just one more point to consider: If you had a powerful enemy like Erdogan, wouldn’t you stay out of the public?
Lawanda,
It’s fascinating to see someone with as little self-awareness as you display here.
You vociferously disclaim any connections of your schools to Gulen or to events in Turkey, insisting that the allegedly Gulen-controlled schools are just as normal and as American as apple pie.
However, you then you proceed to go on blathering on and on about Turkey and its current and past political situation, parroting all the Gulen talking points, citing all this minutiae about internal politics and granular detail about Erdogan that the Imam Gulen himself just spewed forth in a rare interview yesterday.
Boy, great minds REALLY DO think alike.
Your first name gives you away as (possibly) African-American, so I wonder: how many U.S. African-Americans or African-American teachers who are so well-versed in the specifics of the politics of Turkey? How did you end up knowing so much about an arcane topic that no one else — African-American or otherwise — in this country really knows or cares all that much about?
Gee, I’ve been teaching 17 years, and I can honestly say that the subject of Turkish politics — let alone details about specific Turkish political figures — has never been broached in the teachers’ lounge, or in conversations with other teachers. Doesn’t it seem odd that you yourself are so absorbed with, and can so readily and easily spit back so much on this topic?
Do you think this might have anything to do with the school at which you work, and the people ultimately controlling that school?
Just so you know, I am a white woman with 1/8 Native American blood. I happen to know a lot about Turkish politics because I subscribe to the New York Times. And I suggest you do the same so that you may be better educated. Furthermore, it is true, I do have some friends from Turkey because I actually work with some of them. I also work with people from other countries…European countries, and Asian countries. This gives me an outlook that is more broad than average, and it also provides my students with multiple perspectives. Obviously, you are suffering from something akin to narrow-mindedness…and for that, I do have a cure. READ…it will do you good. Until then, spread your hateful bigotry elsewhere…Harmony Schools are doing just fine.
Interesting. Lawanda always struck me as an African-American name. It makes me think back to the late Lawanda Page, who played Aunt Esther on SANFORD & SON (wow, I’m really dating myself).
I stand by my statement. It’s odd that a U.S. teacher of non-Turkish descent has such detailed grasp of Turkish politics. You mention that it’s because because you work with them. Are you referring to Turkish citizens brought in on visas to teach at your school?
LaWanda Eckert
Just curious, How many people do you know who are working or who have worked for the Harmony schools in Texas and which schools do they work in? Have you visited any Harmony schools? I think readers of this blog would like more detail.
(In this list the last entry refers to the name of the administrative “cluster” for each school).
Harmony Science Academy – Austin-K-8-Austin;
Harmony School of Science – Austin-K-5-Austin;
Harmony Science Academy North – Austin-6-12-Austin;
Harmony Science Academy – Beaumont-K-12-Houston South;
Harmony Science Academy – Brownsville-K-12-San Antonio;
Harmony Science Academy – Bryan-K-12-Houston North;
Harmony Science Academy – Dallas-K-12-Dallas;
Harmony Science Academy – El Paso-K-12-El Paso;
Harmony School of Innovation – Carrollton-K-5-Dallas;
Harmony School of Nature – Dallas-K-12-Dallas;
Harmony School of Business – Dallas-K-10-Dallas;
Harmony Science Academy – Euless-5-12-Dallas;
Harmony School of Innovation – Euless-K-5-Dallas;
Harmony School of Science – Houston-K-6-Houston South;
Harmony Science Academy – Fort Worth-K-3-Dallas;
Harmony Science Academy – Laredo-6-12-San Antonio;
Harmony Science Academy – Lubbock-K-12-El Paso;
Harmony Science Academy – San Antonio-6-12-San Antonio;
Harmony School of Innovation – Fort Worth-4-12-Dallas;
Harmony School of Excellence – Austin-6-12-Austin;
Harmony Science Academy – Garland-K-5-Dallas;
Harmony School of Innovation – Garland-6-12-Dallas;
Harmony Science Academy – Houston-K-8-Houston South;
Harmony School of Excellence – Houston-K-8-Houston North;
Harmony School of Innovation – El Paso-K-12-El Paso;
Harmony School of Innovation – Houston-6-8-Houston South;
Harmony Science Academy North West – Houston-K-8-Houston North;
Harmony School of Ingenuity – Houston-6-12-Houston South;
Harmony School of Endeavor – Houston-K-8-Houston North;
Harmony Science Academy – Grand Prairie-K-8-Dallas;
Harmony School of Advancement – Houston-9-12-Houston North;
Harmony School of Innovation – San Antonio-K-5-San Antonio;
Harmony Science Academy – Odessa-K-8-El Paso;
Harmony School of Political Science – Austin-K-12-Austin;
Harmony School of Science High – Houston-7-12-Houston South;
Harmony School of Discovery – Houston-6-12-Houston North;
Harmony Science Academy High – Houston-9-12-Houston South;
Harmony School of Fine Arts & Technology – Houston-K-8-Houston South;
Harmony Science Academy West – Houston-K-5-Houston South;
Harmony School of Exploration – Houston-K-5-Houston South;
Harmony Science Academy – Waco-K-12-Dallas;
Harmony School of Innovation – Austin-K-5-Austin;
Harmony School of Innovation – Laredo-K-5-San Antonio;
Harmony School of Achievement – Houston-K-5-Houston North;
Harmony School of Excellence – San Antonio-K-5-San Antonio;
Harmony Science Academy – Carrollton-6-12-Dallas;
These are very recent additions.
Harmony School of Excellence – El Paso NEW 2016-2017-K-12-El Paso;
Harmony School of Innovation – Katy NEW 2016-2017-6-12-Houston South.
I teach in a Harmony School, and I am going on my third year. My coworkers are, of course, Harmony teachers. Some of them have been with Harmony for a decade. Most of them are US citizens, Texans, in fact. I go to Harmony sponsored trainings, and I attend other professional development workshops with the state. I am a certified professional, and this nonsense about Harmony is absolutely laughable.
And I would like to note that the only teacher at Harmony that I thought should not be in front of students was born and raised in the US. The only high level administrator that I believed to be unethical and lack subject knowledge was born and raised in the US.
Why would anyone suggest that people from other countries have nothing to offer our educational system? That is xenophobic and offensive. What Harmony is doing, while not yet perfect, is blending students and teachers from all nationalities together. It’s wonderful to go to work and see the different faces, and hear the different voices, and experience the beautiful languages and cultures from not just Turkey, but internationally. Harmony is not sponsoring Islam, the schools are totally secular. No one from my school, or from Harmony administration, cares what religion I am or even if I am religious.
And just for the record, all of the teachers in the social studies department are AMERICANS! Born and raised…in the US.
Meanwhile, back at the Texas ISD, you can be sure that you had better be cookie cutter perfect, or at least their definition of cookie cutter perfect. And the last thing you would do at a Texas ISD is point out a problem because if you do, then you will get fired.
I would also like to point out for the benefit of Ms. Ravitch’s blog, that financial irregularities are commonplace at Texas ISD’s. I respectfully wish she would investigate that.
Here is a goldmine of data assembled by a team of lawyers working on behalf of the Government of Turkey to bring Harmony Schools of Texas into the public eye for over-the top use of visas, issues of self dealing and the like.
Foreign nationals are permitted to own and operate US schools and receive taxpayer dollars for that. I believe that should be illegal. Private schools are a different matter, but these are really the hybrid, privately managed publically funded.
I understand that this legal team is working on behalf of the government of Turkey to discredit the whole enterprise of Harmony schools in Texas. I would love for this work to have been carried out by a legal team representing the US, not Turkey.
Click to access TEA-Complaint-Harmony-Public-Schools-5-24-2016.pdf
Turkish government document:
At the Harmony Science Academy – West Houston, a male Turkish teacher with a
Bachelor’s degree and no experience, who teaches English Language Arts and “other”, is
paid $56,875 annually. At the same school, a female non-Turkish teacher, who has one
year of experience and teaches English Language Arts, “other”, and Social Studies is paid
$47,000 annually, a disparity of $9,875.
The paragraph above is just one example of the lies in that document. I can personally guarantee you that there is no man teaching ELA at the HSAWH. We had a male teaching tenth grade English at that school the year before last; I know him personally, but he was an American citizen (born and raised) and moved to a different state. You should make sure that the facts in your document are not fabricated by the Turkish government before you go running it in a blog because you could embarrass yourself. Furthermore, we do not have any teachers overlapping with social studies and ELA. They are completely different departments, and they are all staffed with Americans.
I have never known any Turkish person to teach English Language Arts at any Harmony school. I would know because I attend the cluster trainings with my colleagues. The TEA is going to throw the Turkish government’s documents in the trash because they already know everything there is to know about the educators, the visas, and the management.
I can’t understand why Xenophobes, like yourself, can’t find better things to do than try to hurt schools and children. We are not busting any unions here, this is Texas. And just like any school, you are going to find complaining parents. You are going to find complaining teachers, especially in the cruel world of edreform. But if you want to really find teachers and students that have been mistreated, I have a couple of leads for you. I have some really good stories, but they didn’t happen at Harmony.
The people of Texas do not want some foreign country meddling in the business of our local schools…you can quit panting and slobbering all over this issue because it amounts to absolutely nothing. Furthermore, it would be a terrible mistake to allow a theocrat like Erdogan to reach across the Atlantic to punish people that he imagines are not supportive of his fundamentalist Islamic plan. The visas that are fulfilled are legal. The US government is allowing these teachers to come here and contribute to our students, so why would you care? We are facing a shortage of qualified math and science teachers…there is no surplus, and no US citizen is denied a position based on what you are suggesting.
The students are introduced to teachers from around the world, not just Turkey. It’s true, some of them have a heavy accent from their native land. But the students adapt, and they become better listeners and more tolerant of people of other nationalities. That is what we want for our children…we want tolerance, understanding, and community.
Think about what you are doing and who you are supporting. Erdogan will murder the people that defy him. Be logical and read everything that you can find on Erdogan because he is becoming a dangerous and unstable president. Your hysteria, based on your hatred for charter schools, could lead to devastating consequences, not just for the students and teachers you are hurting at this moment, but for yourself because you are unwittingly providing support to a man bent on making Turkey a theocracy. In that theocracy little girls and boys will not be allowed to attend school together, Christians and Muslims will be separated, and human rights will be further violated.
“Foreign nationals are permitted to own and operate US schools and receive taxpayer dollars for that. I believe that should be illegal. ”
This is not clear, is it?
Why not have a Finnish educator run a school here in Finnish style? If there is a concern, specify that history needs to be taught by a US citizen.
Talking about taxpayers’ money going to support foreign educators is not such a great point of departure to criticize Gülen and friends. For example, a good chunk of US public higher ed is done by foreign nationals. It’s safe to say that in some subjects like math the majority of the educators are not Americans.