Bill Phillis, retired deputy superintendent of schools in Ohio and founder of the Ohio Coalition for Equity and Adequacy, fights for full funding of public schools and blows the whistle on charter scams.
In his latest bulletin, he notices the strange governance of the state’s Gulen charters:
“The tangled web of the business operation of Gulen charter schools in Ohio
“17 of the Gulen charters in Ohio have 85 governing board seats. The same 38 individuals fill all 85 seats. Some members sit on as many as four Gulen charter boards. In some cases, board members live 150 miles from the location of the charter. About 85 percent of the board members are of Turkish descent.
Click to access 85da4d4b-4650-43c3-bad0-f4e896e9cc63.pdf
“Several of these 38 charter board members also serve on the Concept Management company board, and further on the real estate company board.
Click to access 2f99bc8e-1420-4820-b599-b564d193c139.pdf
“The followers of the Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, exiled in Saylorsburg PA, have devised this secretive, devious enterprise as a means of advancing the Gulen Islamic movement.
“State officials, charter school sponsors and a bevy of school choice advocates have allowed this heinous scheme to flourish. If charter schools were required to follow the same regulations as traditional public schools and were subjected to the same monitoring, this sham would not have been created and allowed to operate.
“More to come”
Ohio E & A
100 S. 3rd Street
Columbus OH 43215
Sent by ohioeanda@sbcglobal.net in collaboration with
Constant Contact
Try it free today
Diane Ravitch's blog 
“Several of these 38 charter board members also serve on the Concept Management company board, and further on the real estate company board.”
Gulen issue aside, that should be illegal. Remember- this is ALL public money. Their governance structure is riddled with conflicts of interest.
It’s insane to handle public funds like this. It’s a dereliction of duty by state lawmakers.
The Gulen charters must be hugely politically connected, is all I can say. If you had told me Ohio state lawmakers would be using public funds to bring in public school teachers from Turkey prior to charter-mania hitting this state I would not have believed it.
Local people here were mad when our school district bid out work to out of STATE companies. They would have gone nuts if they thought were were sending locally collected tax dollars out of the COUNTRY.
LikeLike
Read all of Sharon Higgins research wherein she reports on Fatullah Gulen’s many contacts with US legislators and business leaders. She exposes exactly who is helping him stay in the US and to make over $500 Million a year from his now over 150 US charter schools. It is all available online.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I noticed a new horror in Ohio charter schools yesterday:
“Dave Cash, president and founder of Charter School Specialists, the consulting firm paid about $2 million a year to handle the 41 schools and more than 10,000 students overseen by the St. Aloysius Orphanage in Cincinnati.”
St. Aloysius is an “authorizer” or “sponsor” of charter schools. Except THEY outsource that function to yet another contractual entity- “Charter School Specialists”
This was done to get around Ohio law on who can be an authorizer or sponsor.
So this guy invented a company, “Charter School Specialists”, named himself President, and now collects 2 million dollars a year in public funds.
Anyone could do this. He created a publicly-paid position for himself. Amazing.
http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2016/10/ohios_charter_school_superintendents_dreading_their_poor_ratings_coming_this_week.html
LikeLike
Now there is a word for this: what is it? Oh, yes, “scam.”
LikeLiked by 1 person
Forgive my being offline most of the day.i was at an event at Wellesley where Pasi Sahlberg gave a masterful presentation.
LikeLike
Chiara. Wow. That story in the Cleveland paper is a bombshell. I noticed the Cincinnati Enquirer published a fairly good piece on the Gulen schools.
The Chicago-based manager, Mark Weaver, says the schools are in trouble because of teacher unions. That changes the subject, as if the FBI raids, legal challenges, and “ongoing” investigation are not worthy of any reply to the public.
http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/politics/2016/10/11/turkish-coup-and-cincy-charter-school/91897838/
From the Article: “The 17 schools in Ohio are run by the Chicago-based management company Concept Schools. Spokesman Mark Weaver has denied any ties – financial or operational – between Gulen and the charter schools. Some of Concept’s founders grew up in Turkey and were perhaps inspired by Gulen, Weaver said, but that’s as far as the relationship goes.
“The false notion that Mr. Gulen is directing these schools is largely driven by teachers’ unions who would like to see charter schools closed and parental choice in education ended.”
Mark Weaver is spinning and he is wrong. ”
LikeLike
One of the schools had a kind of crazy, ranty online post against labor unions back last year when questions were raised about an incident that happened on a field trip.
I can’t find it now but I was surprised- it was so nutty Right wing.
I love how the board members don’t have to live anywhere near these schools. Some of the “sponsors” of Detroit charters are 200 miles from Detroit. They’re in a completely different area of Michigan.
Very “local”. Yeah, right. If “Turkey” is local.
LikeLike
It’s a shame that Ohio’s Democratic Senator hasn’t found time to criticize the U.S. Dept. of Ed. for calling charter schools, like those in the post, “public”. Sherrod Brown only has time to praise John King, for his confirmation as Secretary of Ed. and, to ask for $71 mil. to expand privatization of the most important common good. Brown’s position is just like his Republican Senate colleagues…except that some of them find the idea of Microsoft and Pearson making money on Common Core objectionable, and Gates’ $1 bil. promotion of the corporatization of education, disingenuous.
LikeLike
I emailed Sherrod Brown about Ohio charters and got back a collection of ed reform talking points.
Same response from the US Dept of Ed.
They’re not interested in public schools. Just off the “fashionable” list.
LikeLike
Same here from Sherrod Brown. Boilerplate.
LikeLike
I contacted the two Ohio professors who were quoted at Politico, describing Brown, as a “progressive”. No reply. I contacted the John Glenn College of Public Affairs, where Brown is on the Board and where a leadership conference described charter schools as “public”. No reply. What are the odds that Sherrod would respond if Gates or the Waltons called… same odds as in Wisconsin, when Scott Walker took a call that he thought was from the Koch’s.
LikeLike
They will never bite the hand that feeds them $$$$$
LikeLike
Just read how the Editorial Board of The NY Times endorsed charter schools.
Wish they would read more of these pieces instead of drinking from the billionaire and hedge fund investor Kool-Aid. So disappointing.
LikeLike
Charter schools are all super-awesome and public schools all suck.
That’s about the extent of it. They’re ga-ga over charters. You won’t read a word of criticism anywhere in ed reform.
There’s an Ohio columnist who calls charters “the darlings” of politicians and she’s right.
LikeLike
Never fear, Ohio public school students! Ed reform lawmakers are hard at work on yet another measuring scheme.
Like last year and the year before, the one and only contribution to public schools from ed reformers will be “accountability” and endless tweaks of measuring metrics.
Public school kids could literally show up three days a year for testing in the spring, check that box, and ed reform would be done with them until the following year.
LikeLike
Back to Gulen–a great blogger who’s on the case in Chicago, T.B. Furman (Google that name) has written numerous posts packed with information on the Gulen Schools in Chicago & nearby (&, also, how his neighborhood–w/the help of the terrific 9th District Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky {her strong letter did it, & kinda “forced” the hands of some pro-charter Dems–in fact, the one who started the ILL-Annoy Charter School Commission–yes, a Dem!–to sign her letter}–kept yet another Gulen Concept School out of their neighborhood!). Just yesterday, he posted, “An Astonishing Account of Gulen Charter School Fraud”(replete w/pictures of an increasingly rundown school interior), Sunday, Oct. 2nd-“Gulen Update, Oct. 2016” &–perhaps a personal best (well, one of my favorites), “Your Ticket to a Fake Board Meeting” from Monday, 9/18.
Must-reads! (He’s written many more, & I subscribe, but–funny this–can’t get into the archives, & can’t find anywhere on past e-mails.)
LikeLike
I meet a guy who worked in a Gulen school not too long ago. He told me horror stories, but none involving Islamic indoctrination. He said he never experienced that or got any kind of vibe around the topic.
I do think someone needs to take a deep long look at Ohio Charters.
LikeLike
The Gulen schools have a very powerful ally who is more than happy to take their money and provide cover. She’s about to become our President, but since she’s not as detestable as the other major candidate people choose to overlook this curious relationship.
LikeLike
To tribucks:
Do you take money from Trump to intentionally falsify and twist information?
Are you Paul Manaford in disguised?
Extremist Islamic is ISIS, and Gulen movement is extremist Islamic according to current Turkey government. Therefore your statement or personal expression is a defamation to readers in this forum. We are not uneducated and gullible Trump’s followers or white people, please do not undermine our thinking skills. Back2basic
LikeLike
LAUSD Board Member Monica Garcia, in her past elections, had her campaign bankrolled by the Gulenists — and will likely have her next campaingn bankrolled by them — so it’s interesting to watch Garcia in this two-years-old LAUSD Board meeting carrying out her Gulenist masters’ marching orders.
The beginning of this video shows what Garcia later dismissively refers to as “groups or something”, as an LAUSD lawyer (southern accent) somewhat sheepishly admits that officials and teachers in the Magnolia Science Academy Charter Schools are, in fact, Gulentist cult members. However, he also makes the incredible claim that such a connection does not rise to the level that it would mandate denying or closing any of these Magnolia Science Academy Charter Schools.
———————————————————
( 00:06 – 00:23 )
( 00:06 – 00:23 )
LAUSD LAWYER: ” We have done some … uhmm … looking into that allegation, and and there is some evidence that some members of Magnolia DO HAVE TIES to the Gulen Movement, but we have not found anything, currently, that that would be grounds for denial.”
—————————————————-
Seriously, THAT’S what you think, Mr. LAUSD Lawyer? Did you get your law degree out of a Crackerjack box? What the-hell kind of legal advice is THAT?
Furthermore, the fact that these Gulen connections WERE EVEN MENTIONED in a public school board meeting enrages the Gulen-backed LAUSD Board Member Monica Garcia no end.
Later on, as soon as Garcia can get the floor, she responds with near hysterics. (at the end of those post)
To quote Shakespeare, “Me thinks the lady doth protest too much.”
Before taking that apoplectic performance in, however, you first have to understand more about the focus of Garcia’s outrage. Pursuant to that end, pay careful attention to the following exchange transcribed below.
LAUSD Board Member Bennett Kayser is asking Jose Cole-Guttierez, the the pro-charter head of LAUSD’s charter division whether or not, and why school boards in other states — and in other California districts — denied Gulen-backed charter schools — and that if part of that reason for the denials was related to the Gulen connection.
The fox in the henhouse, as it were, Cole-Guttierez disingenuously denies knowing about any Magnolia Charter School applications being denied in other states, or whether those whose charter petitions that WERE denied in California were rejected based on their connection the the Imam Fetulleh Gulen, and to the Gulen movement.
Here’s that back-and-forth:
——————————————————–
( 3:49 – 5:20 )
( 3:49 – 5:20 )
BENNETT KAYSER: “Also, from one of the public speakers, there was a mention of the (Magnolia Science Academy) CMO having applied, or having put in petitions for charter schools in some other states that have been turned down. Is that .. uhh… is that accurate information?”
JOSE COLE-GUTTIEREZ: (flustered by the question) “I can’t … speak … I don’t … from … uhh … ”
BENNETT KAYSER: “And would it be relevant information if it’s … uhh … if it’s alleged?”
JOSE COLE-GUTTIEREZ: “I’m not aware that THIS organization — the California-based Magnolia Science Academies organization — has applied out of state. I AM aware that they have applied in other parts of this state, and we have been in contact with such authorizers, but I cannot speak to out-of-state at this time.”
BENNETT KAYSER: “And the authorizers in other districts, in-state?”
JOSE COLE-GUTTIEREZ: “Yes.”
BENNETT KAYSER: “They’ve accepted or allowed the petitions? Or they’ve turned them down?”
JOSE COLE-GUTTIEREZ: “In the past, there’s been approvals. I know of one in uhhh.. in a different … uhh … county that was recently denied … for a new petition.”
BENNETT KAYSER: “And what was the basis of the denial?”
JOSE COLE-GUTTIEREZ: “I don’t have those findings committed to memory, but I do understand that some of those denials had do with the financial picture … for the school, which is one of the reasons why we have the conditions on these renewals … uhh … as stated.”
(Cole-Guttierrez knows full well that, in addition the the financial concerns, the Gulen connection was a key factor in those charter petitions being denied, but instead of mentioning them, Cole-Guttierez feigns memory loss …
“I don’t have those findings committed to memory.”
Yeah, right. That dodge sounds like something out of Watergate hearings.)
——————————————————–
As to out-of-state charter school denials, while that may be true, Cole-Guttierez knows full well that other Gulen-backed charter groups such as the Horizon Charter Schools have been denied because of their shenanigans related to their connections to Gulen, and their importing teachers from Turkey, using dubious justification for the visas used in these cases, among other reasons.
When it comes to the issue of Magnolia Charter Schools being denied by districts WITHIN California, Cole-Guttierez ducks the question of whether or not the Gulen connection played a role in the denial when he knows full well that the Gulen connection was key to the denials.
This sets the stage for Garcia’s volcanic reaction, and her dismissive, vague reference to the Gulen controversy.
” … (Magnolia charter) people are in groups (related to Gulen) or something.”
Garcia is royally pissed at the idea that any consideration should be given to any denial of a Magnolia Charter School elsewhere, or that the district should be ascertaining the reason for those denials, or that any of those reasons should be considered when deciding whether or not to approve a Magnolia charter school.
Along with the earlier admission by LAUSD’s lawyer that Magnolia officials, administrators, and teachers are, in fact, Gulenist cult members, the above back-and-forth between Cole-Guttierez and Kayser provokes Board Member Garcia to blow a gasket.
Observe the anger here.
She calls such comments of conversations “dangerous.” How dare you question Magnolia? How dare you look into any denials elsewhere or the reasons for the denials? That’s not “material” here.
————————————-
( 5:20 – 6:36 )
( 5:20 – 6:36 )
MONICA GARCIA: “Board Members, I’m just a little confused, and I’m concerned about this! So WE’VE turned down charters that other people approve, and then people … the County (BOE) approves charters that we’ve turned down! So I am uncomfortable with the notion that what is happening in other jurisdictions is material here: Number One!
“Number Two: I am also uncomfortable, Superintendent, that in every motion that comes to this board, I should ask if you believe that your team is right on the finances, or that you have neglected or denied or ignored the Inspector General’s reports to us!
“So this idea that we’re uncomfortable with something that we really aren’t clear about, but (HERE COMES HER VAGUE, DISMISSIVE GULEN REFERENCE) people are in groups or something … I think this is … in a dangerous place! I am expecting that when you bring us a recommendation, I can disagree with you, but I’m expecting that when you bring us a recommendation, the work has been done, and I am uncomfortable accepting amendments that direct you to do your work!”
—————————————-
Garcia’s in-the-heat-of-the-moment, Gulen-supporting arguments here are asinine, and in fact, would endanger children.
For example, if a charter was denied because of … say … improper response to or rampant and illegal mishandling of child abuse perpetrated by the charter school’s/charter chain’s administrators or teachers, does Garcia really think that LAUSD’s Board should be compelled to ignore such past transgressions, then go ahead and approve the charter petition anyway, and just hope for the best? (LAUSD’s insurance carrier would just love that, I’m sure.)
Of course, not. She truly blew it here.
Put simply, Garcia is under direct orders from her Gulenist masters to do her utmost so that the Gulen connection to Magnolia Science Academies be kept out of any LAUSD Board Meetings or any LAUSD documentation. If any mention does occur, she has to throw out disinformation and hysterical anger to confuse and squelch any such discussion.
Having been feted on luxury junkets to Turkey, ones paid for by the Gulenists, where she was treated with one gala luncheon and dinner after another, first class air & hotel, etc. and having her election campaigns bankrolled by the Islamic Imam Fetulleh Gulen (with campaign funding funnelled through groups that the Imam controls), Ms. Garcia’s loyalty is not to the million or so citizens and voters in the LAUSD School Board District, or to the ones who elected her and whom she represents, but instead her allegiance is to foreign Islamists who use the profits from their charter chains — profits which Garcia enables though her votes to approve those charters, and whose interests she so vehemently fights for elswhere (ABOVE) — to finance a revolution back in Turkey with … to quote Jack above … the Imam Gulen’s ultimate goal to impose a brutal Islamic theocracy and dictatorship like the one imposed on neighboring Iran in 1979.
LikeLike
Gulen is deeply involved in the geo-politics of NATO and the West’s complex relationship with the MIddle East. He’s built a private empire whose money buys loyalty and influence from key people inside US, European & Turkish governmental and business sectors. He shape’s news & public opinion through is vast media empire, as was clear by US reaction after July’s attempted coup against his political rival Erdegon.
http://www.bilimiletisimi.com/show.php?id=5910
“It was not the media alone that turned their back to Erdogan post coup. U.S Secretary of state John Kerry and European Union threatened Turkey with ending Turkey’s NATO membership if the government did not follow rule of law in its treatment to the coup plotters without showing empathy or support for a government that barely escaped a coup. European Union foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini acted quickly and said, “Turkey’s bid for EU membership could be at stake if Turkey did not adhere to the rule of law in its treatment of coup plotters.”
According to Dr. Mehmet Aydeniz, a Turkish professor at the University of TN, Gulen’s charter schools are bankrolling his movement with funding from public education dollars.
“For one, our Western colleagues and friends should understand that Gülen in no way is someone who cares about education or socioeconomic mobilization of poor kids through education or promotion of a peaceful world through interfaith dialogue. Gülen has been exploiting poor, yet smart kids (most vulnerable) and the interfaith dialogue as a venue to build himself a fame. His followers consider him messiah, who is sent by God to save the world from the evil. Education of poor struggling kids has never been on his agenda because they can offer little for his desperate journey to power. His followers never invested in the education of struggling poor kids unless it served their cause. For instance, his interest in opening charter schools in the US is based on charter schools’ potential to earn him respect in the U.S. and allow him to freely operate in the U.S, not because of his genuine interest in the education of poor kids. Moreover, reports from respected newspapers show that these schools use taxpayer money to favor businesses close to the Gulen movement. See this piece published in New York Times on the matter in 2011.”
LikeLike
The charter school spin, Ron Adler, Ohio Coalition for Quality Education, “allegations leveled by… teacher unions and liberals”. Of the regular commenters at this blog, who self-identify as Ohio residents, none appear to be union members. And, the definition for liberal is too murky for assignment. Opponents of charter schools have, in common, an understanding that they are fleeced taxpayers who are witnessing the theft of the most important common good, by the richest 0.1%
LikeLike