When you read an article like this, you wonder if the Republican party has lost its collective mind. Why do they want public money to be spent on religious schools that do not teach modern science and mathematics and history? Why do they want public money to go to charter operators who are not educators? Why do they want public money to be squandered on fly-by-night operators whose motive is profit? Are they deliberately trying to destroy our future as a nation? Are they ignorant, or is it that they just don’t care?
In the linked article, Rebecca Klein writes about the voucher school in Florida that teaches the dubious doctrines of L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Church of Scientology.
Huffington Post has been conducting an investigation of the schools that receive vouches or tax credits, and came across Clearwater Academy in Florida, which uses teaching materials and curriculum “dedicated to spreading educational methods developed by Hubbard.”
The school and others with similar goals insist they are not associated with Scientology, but the Huffington investigation suggest that the connection is real.
As Katherine Stewart wrote in her article in The American Prospect, “Proselytizers and Privatizers”, the charter movement created an opening for religious schools to get public money; she contends that supporters of charters were “useful idiots” for religious fundamentalists, who run some of the nation’s largest charter chains.
I hope that Klein and Huffington Post take a close look at the Gulen charter schools. All of them say they are not associated with Imam Fethullah Gulen, but all of them have boards dominated by Turkish men and teaching staffs with many Turkish teachers. Coincidence? According to parent activist Sharon Higgins, who keeps watch on the spread of Gulen charters, there are now 175 of them, making them either the largest or second largest charter chain in the U.S. The state with the most Gulen charters is Texas, which has 62 Gulen charters. Exactly why are taxpayers subsidizing schools run by a Turkish imam?
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Because Clearwater has a large community of Scientology followers. What better way to keep your cult alive than by having the government support it with tax dollars for schools to indoctrinate the youngest. It keeps their industry alive.
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It also provides further subsidies to Scientology. Since it is a “religion”” (that’s a hot one), it’s exempt from property taxes, and now school taxes are subsidizing the “church.”
If there are any residents of Clearwater who aren’t members of this predatory cult, they should be up in arms over the expropriation of their tax base and tax dollars.
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Firmly believe in Public Schools. These charters have no business being in education. Their ‘output’ does not support a better education nor better test scores. The profit quest in the US is actually ruining our country in pretty much all areas. Every day we are losing our humanity. We have started very far from being for, of and by all the people.
I am a retired math teacher, but I substitute teach regularly. From elementary school to high school, I find the level of student ability in every class I’ve subbed in to be behind their grade level. This does not have to be the case. Somehow, the political will is missing. This should not be tolerated.
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Not everyone who supports school choice is a Republican. There are some Democrats, who support school choice. (One of them is soon-to-be-former senator Al Franken, who sends his children to a high-priced private school).
Tax money flows in torrents and rivers to all types of religious schools. I know of a school which teaches ritual cannabalism and multiple Gods. The school is Notre Dame, South Bend Indiana.
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OMG. Scientology? Wonder how many movie stars will open Scientology charter schools to line their pockets?
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Meant “VOUCHER and CHARTER” schools to line …
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“Why do they want public money to be spent on religious schools that do not teach modern science and mathematics and history? Why do they want public money to go to charter operators who are not educators? Why do they want public money to be squandered on fly-by-night operators whose motive is profit? Are they deliberately trying to destroy our future as a nation? Are they ignorant, or is it that they just don’t care?”
There are a fair number of Republicans who support vouchers because they want students to receive religious instruction. But I think most are agnostic, no pun intended. They support vouchers simply because they take money away from traditional public schools. What the voucher schools teach (and even whether they teach) is irrelevant.
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To elaborate — education spending has been a gigantic and growing budget line in states and localities. Republicans have always fought to shrink that budget line. The party’s true interest (even if individual lawmakers think otherwise) is in making it de minimus or eliminating it altogether. Education budgets started ballooning in the 70s and beyond, largely because of the cost of benefits and special education mandates. And the power of teachers’ unions grew to protect those budgets. Vouchers are a way to pull students and money out of the schools that employ those unions’ members. Over time, you weaken the unions. When the unions are weak enough, Republicans will win the big budget battle they’ve always been fighting.
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YES.
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Having done absolutely nothing to support or benefit the 90% of Ohio children who attend public schools this year, the ed reform echo chamber that dominates my state government managed to put in a couple of hours of work to come up with…another voucher bill:
“An Ohio House committee may soon approve a bill rewriting and expanding Ohio’s school-voucher programs — even though the estimated cost is a ridiculous $48 million a year to start, and sure to rise because of built-in escalators based on demand”
Thousands of public employees down there in Columbus and none of them advocate or work on behalf of public school students, although public school students are the VAST majority in this state.
Is there any way we could hire a couple of people in government who support PUBLIC schools? Who add SOME value to public schools?
Because this is ridiculous. 90% of the families in this state have no advocate at the statehouse. They do absolutely nothing for the disfavored and unfashionable “public school sector” yet we’re all paying them. How is this fair? We have zealous and committed voucher advocates, we have zealous and committed charter advocates, and public school kids are left with the completely ineffective potted plants who are “agnostics” and get rolled by this “movement” every time.
90% of families should have some committed and passionate representation. They don’t get that in ed reform. They get a grudging acceptance that public schools still exist and people who treat our schools as a kind of “default” that can safely be neglected and ignored. This is not acceptable to me and it shouldn’t be acceptable to the 90% of families in this state who attend and support public schools.
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It is not so much where the goes but where it does not go, that excites Republicans .
Every dollar diverted from Public Schools and their mostly union teachers is considered a win.
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Yes, precisely.
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Incidentally. Remember when ed reformers told the public vouchers were for lower income students in low performing schools?
Look at the newest voucher bills. Every one of them extends vouchers to higher income people.
They misled the public when they sold this. Again.
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Can someone do some kind of FOIA request on this coordinated political campaign?
“DeVos will hold two “Rethink School Summits” in the coming weeks. One on K12, the other on Higher Ed.”
This will be exactly the same roster of billionaires and experts in privatization that constitute the ed reform movement. Is the federal government now part of that political campaign and if so, is it okay that they exclude representatives from public schools and public school advocates?
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Scientology plans control of downtown Clearwater for retail makeover
Tampa Bay Times
CLEARWATER
The Church of Scientology is maneuvering to control all downtown real estate to create a master retail district that will operate under its management and oversight.
The plan, according to two city officials briefed by Scientology leader David Miscavige, requires all property from Osceola to Myrtle avenues between Drew and Pierce streets being bought by the church, its parishioners or others willing to participate.
The concept involves recruiting a few major national retailers to anchor the district and filling the grid with handpicked businesses all at one time, similar to how an outdoor mall is established, said Community Redevelopment Agency director Seth Taylor and City Manager Bill Horne, who in October were shown renderings of the retail strategy by Miscavige but not given copies.
The plan does not require approval from elected officials or voters but is a vision the church has already started implementing with the help of consultants and an aggressive acquisition of downtown property.
Along with the more than $260 million in property Scientology has acquired under its name since arriving in Clearwater in 1975, and later establishing its international spiritual headquarters downtown, the church has been buying parcels in the central core for the past several months through anonymous LLCs.
Scientology spokesman Ben Shaw did not respond to an email or phone call requesting comment.
But since Jan. 31, businesses registered to Scientology attorney Robert Potter bought two blocks of vacant lots along Myrtle Avenue between Drew and Laura streets for $9 million; the Sage venue at 22 N Fort Harrison Ave. for $600,000; and the Trickels Jewelers building at 714 Cleveland St. for $1.9 million, according to property records.
Through companies registered to Ybor City real estate broker Fred Edmister, the church bought the city’s landmark, all-glass office tower at 601 Cleveland St. for $13 million on Feb. 1 and a nearby auto garage on Laura Street for $1.7 million on Jan. 13, Taylor confirmed. Edmister also registered 700 Cleveland Street LLC in November to buy the Clearwater Mortgage building at that address.
Alabama-based Retail Strategies executive vice president Wade Robinett said Scientology hired his firm three years ago “to reach out to retailers,” but he declined to comment on specifics of the plan. The church also hired Tampa-based Gensler architects to design a facade overhaul for property along Cleveland Street.
Horne said he expects Miscavige to make a public presentation in the near future. He said he believes the plan has stayed relatively secret so the church could acquire real estate quietly and avoid property owners inflating the prices.
For two decades, the city has tried to revitalize downtown by hiring consultants, designing redevelopment plans and marketing to businesses. Despite its proximity to the Intracoastal Waterway and success of the waterfront Coachman Park as an event venue, Clearwater’s downtown has lagged behind Tampa and St. Petersburg.
The city last month approved a 10-year, $55 million plan for reshaping the waterfront to bring more visitors to a new garden, improved concert venue and walkable nature trails.
Horne said he is willing to allow Scientology officials to take the lead on recruiting businesses in hopes they can find the solution that has eluded city government.
“We have to try something,” Horne said. “We haven’t been successful on our own. The private sector has not been successful. Maybe we’re in a situation where the only way we get that investment is if the church brings it.”
But Taylor, whom the city hired in July as the community redevelopment agency director to recruit businesses and help revive downtown, said he believes a more grass roots and market-driven approach would be more realistic.
He said if the city can bring a flagship business as an anchor, like a craft brewery, local businesses will follow.
“The retail strategy they are proposing is frankly not feasible,” Taylor said. “I don’t think it should be the business of the Church of Scientology to take the lead on this. The reason being the city is charged with representing the interests and desires of the whole city. The church does not have that mandate. And that could potentially impact what this retail environment looks like and how it is shaped. Bottom line is the CRA is the entity that should be taking the lead on retail recruitment efforts.”
City Council members said they knew the church was working on a retail strategy but had no idea about the scope or details.
“It’s disconcerting,” Vice Mayor Bill Jonson said about the surprise, declining to offer his opinion until he hears details from Horne or Miscavige. “It may be a wonderful plan, but it’s just not a partnership. Maybe it is a partnership. I just haven’t heard anything, so I don’t know.”
Zachary Thorn, vice president of government affairs for the Clearwater Regional Chamber of Commerce, said he was unaware the church’s strategy was to take complete control of downtown.
“The chamber would appreciate any partner that would make the downtown viable, but communication is key in any relationship and the more forthcoming they are in general about their business plans, the more the community can work with them,” Thorn said.
In only the second time he has arranged formal meetings with all elected officials, Miscavige is scheduled to meet individually with each City Council member next Tuesday at the Fort Harrison Hotel to discuss the retail strategy and a 1.4-acre vacant parcel the city is expected to vote on March 16 to buy that is owned by the Clearwater Marine Aquarium and desired by the church.
After initially accepting a one-on-one meeting when it was put on her calendar last week, City Council member Doreen Caudell on Monday said she will not meet with Miscavige privately and insisted he make a presentation at the March 16 City Council meeting.
“These individual meetings, requested exclusively by Scientology, ignore transparency and inappropriately snub our great community and our citizens from commenting on Scientology’s retail plan,” Caudell wrote in an email to Horne.
Horne said it will require a leap of faith to trust the church is committed to building a downtown geared toward the general public, not just its parishioners. He said he was told the church does not intend to own the properties forever, but to sell the real estate back into the private sector once a viable economic marketplace is established.
After consultants hired by the city in 2014 said the city and Scientology should work closer together, Horne said Miscavige became involved in the church’s retail strategy.
Although 75 percent of the church’s current real estate holdings in Clearwater are tax exempt for religious purposes, Horne said the properties involved in the retail district would remain on the tax rolls.
Shaw told the Times last month that the church “has no further plans to expand our campus downtown,” but Taylor said Shaw, in a private conversation, clarified he was referring only to the religious campus.
Horne said he does not know specific businesses the church is recruiting but said the concept is geared toward the high-end and compared it to Tampa’s International Plaza.
Jeff Green, a national retail consultant, said he has never heard of a private entity controlling a business district outside of the Vatican but acknowledged there is a stigma that would have to be overcome by consumers.
He said most distressed downtowns with high vacancies like Clearwater respond better to restaurants and local businesses for revitalization. The market for high-end retail and chain stores thrives in high-traffic areas like U.S. 19 rather than neighborhood downtowns.
“It makes sense in terms of being able to control more of downtown, but the question I have comes down to retail feasibility,” Green said.
Horne said transparency by the church would help alleviate some of the suspicion the public has about Scientology’s intentions and that a public presentation is needed.
“Are they going to follow through with what they say is in this opportunity? I can only go on what they say,” he said. “In some point in the future we will know if they were truthful.”
Contact Tracey McManus at tmcmanus@tampabay.com or (727) 445-4151. Follow @TroMcManus.
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sorry, this story is from March 7, 2017.
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Thanks, FLERP. That explains why they want their own schools.
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We should offer to suggest new names for the city David Miscarriage is buying: Robotopolis? Scamton? Cultlandia?
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“These summits will bring together education leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs from around the country who are demonstrating student-centric models can improve student achievement.”
Can we file a formal ethics complaint if the public employees at the US Department of Education continue their practice of selling ed tech product to public schools under the guise of “reform”?
Do ed tech companies lack salespeople? Is there a shortage of private sector actors who sell product to public schools? Is that why DeVos has decided this is her job?
Don’t buy. Get better advice and counsel. Listening to vendor pitches is not “science”.
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I am guardedly optimistic about the Scientologists going into the real-estate of this city. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons), own most of the downtown area of Salt Lake City. SLC has a very high quality of life, and the downtown is so clean, you can almost eat off the ground.
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[spit-take]
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The Republican Party has a brain … really? I thought the skulls of most conservatives was filled with concrete and gold. Their brains had been sucked out long ago and replaced with foolish, evil, corrupt greed, and that explains the reason for malignat viruses like Trump, Bannon, and Moore, et. al.
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I sure hope Leah Remini does an episode about this in the next season of her A&E show.
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