One of the abiding mysteries of charter world is the Gulen charter chain. The schools use different names, like Harmony or Magnolia or Sonoran, but they have certain characteristics in common. The board is dominated by Turkish me. Many of the teachers are Turkish, in the US on visas. The schools teach the Turkish language. But when asked if they are Gulen schools, the head of the school (usually Turkish) insists they are not.
Recently the state of Alabama approved a Gulen charter to open in a rural county, despite intense local opposition. The new principal was identified only as “Amy O.” The CEO, Soner Tarim, is Turkish. He previously was CEO of a Gulen charter in Texas. But he insists that the new charter, Woodland Prep, is not a Gulen School. Neither was the previous one. Imam Fethullah Gulen lives in seclusion in the Poconos.
Our blog poet wrote:
“The Shadow Knows”
The Shadow knows ’bout Amy O’s
Turkish cults in Turkish clothes
The Shadow knows ’bout Gulen schools
Gulen books and Gulen rules
The Shadow knows ’bout Gulen money
Gulen milk and Gulen honey
We don’t know, but The Shadow knows
‘Bout exiled Turks in the Poconos
Ed reformers don’t care if anyone in that community wants a charter school. They’re following an ideological agenda.
Here’s Betsy DeVos speaking at an elite gathering of ed reformers and ed reform funders:
“Education spending, Milton Friedman said, “will be most effective if it relies on parental choice and private initiative.” The godfather of school choice was right then, and he’s still right today.”
Ideologically opposed to public schools. Which is unfortunate, given that 90% of students and families attend the schools she opposes. It’s ludicrous, that this is the position of the United States. They’re contra to 90% of their own schoolchildren- on an ideological collision course with every public school student, and we pay them for this!
https://www.ed.gov/news/speeches/prepared-remarks-secretary-devos-manhattan-institutes-19th-annual-alexander-hamilton-award-dinner
“They’re following an ideological agenda.”
Yeah, the Mammon Agenda.
Grew up in the early days of the Shadow Knows radio broadcasts. Our fabulous poet has conjured a wonderful reprieve of that long-lived character and a perfect connection to the shadowed Gulen mystery man in the Poconos.
SDP is too humble. Sometimes I wonder if SDP knows how powerful the sounds of these poems are, the explosive aspirated alliteration of crass Turkish cults, the goopy, gooey Gülen… I love a poet’s songs as much as I hate charters run by a political-religious cult. Great work.
‼️ After the Washington Post story ran on May 3rd, Amy O (alleged WP principal) contacted the Post and requested this paragraph be added to clarify she has not accepted the position, and “they jumped the gun.” 😮 Her family members commenting that “they used her as a scapegoat.”‼️
Also after the Post story ran, Woodland Prep removed the Lottery regarding enrollment count from their website, but our last count had them with only 45 confirmed applicants…Fishy business going on, no doubt!
A bus load of opposition residents are heading to Montgomery this Thursday, May 9th to present strong evidence of fraud, plagiarism, etc… to the State Board of Education Members and also on the agenda for Governor Kay Ivey as well!! Woodland Prep, losing several board members this week, is certainly feeling the heat and is back to deleting anything that calls them out on their Facebook page…damage control can’t help at this point!!!! Hopefully they’ll wave the flag soon…
🌟🏳 🏳🏳🏳🏳🏳🏳🏳🏳🏳🏳🏳🏳🌟
The opposition group page of blocking Woodland Prep can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/protectwashcoschools/