MARK HALL: FLYNN, MUELLER, KILLING ED 11/16/17 ALEX JONES INFOWARS

NAACP calls for investigation of all Gulen charter schools

Did you know that Muhammed Fethullah Gülen Hocaefendi (pictured), an Imam who exited Turkey and is sequestered in rural Pennsylvania, is operating the second largest affiliated network of charter schools in the United States? (Yes, this is the same Gülen that Michael Flynn allegedly was trying to have extradited from the United States)

In the past I have blogged about the Gülen-affiliated charter schools in the posts Bad Charters, Bad Charters, “Whatcha gonna do when they come for you” and Gulen-affiliated charter schools are bad apples? and Empire of Deceit says charters squandering taxes and violating immigration laws.

When I watched the film Killing Ed, I was skeptical, as I am paid to be. So when I was in Houston to give a talk at Rice University, I ran into a former Gülen Harmony student and asked a few questions.

Q: Was it true that the Gülen schools were populated with many teachers from Turkey who had difficulty speaking English

A: Yes

Q: Was it true that some students didn’t actually do their own science projects as alleged in the film Killing Ed.

A: Yes

I spent more time confirming with the student some of the other allegations about lack of playgrounds, self-dealing, and aberrant behavior from administrators. I was shocked their behavior was being allowed in Texas.

So, I am announcing today, in addition to getting the negative attention they deserve from law enforcement and the media, the California NAACP has now stepped up to the plate with a resolution to call for an investigation of ALL the Gülen charter schools.

RESOLUTION #16 CONCERNING THE IMPACT OF GÜLEN CHARTER SCHOOLS

WHEREAS, there exists over 200 schools in the United States operated by the Gülen Organization, teaching over 80,000 American students. This organization operates under the names Magnolia Science Academy (CA), Horizon Science Academy (OH , IL), Harmony Science Academy (TX), Sonoran Science Academy (AR), Coral Academy of Science (NV), Dove Science Academy (OK), as well as others.

WHEREAS, audits having been conducted in LAUSD, the State of Oklahoma, the State of Georgia (resulting in their closure), the State of New York, have resulted in a pattern of massive accounting irregularities involving without limitation the use of Gülen related landlords such as Terra (NY, NJ), the Sky Foundation (OK), Harmony Public Schools (TX), Concept Schools (IL, OH), the use of Gülen Related Management Companies such as Accord (CA), Concept Education Services (OH), Apple Education (NJ), Terra Science and Education (NY), as well as others.

WHEREAS, Gülen schools; such as Magnolia (CA) have targeted the African American and Hispanic communities as shown in the documentary film Killing Ed.

WHEREAS, all 200 Gülen schools recruit teachers from Turkey under the H – 1B Visa program thereby replacing fully qualified American teachers.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, the California NAACP urges federal, state and local authorities to conduct forensic audits of both the schools, and the management organizations operating them.

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the California NAACP further urges that these investigations be conducted by state and federal auditors as opposed to state boards of education, as well as other relevant investigations necessary to evaluate fully the apparent, suspect financial dealings, visa misuse, and highly suspicious conduct.

If you want to understand depth, breadth and shocking nature of the alleged malfeasance against Gülen-affiliated charter schools, I highly recommend you check out the film Killing Ed. (Also, check out the Empire of Deceit website) As shown in the film, the Gülen-affiliated charter schools are some of the worst proverbial bad apples in the charter sector.

What is really disconcerting about charter schools is that they stick together like glue no matter the malfeasance shown to them. They use their charter lobbying associations in California, Texas and elsewhere to fervently protect these bad apples regardless of alleged illegal activity. While charter schools, their leaders, and supporters say vehemently in public that they support transparency and accountability, the $$$$$$$ that they spend in legislatures says loudly otherwise.

Incidentally, one of the Gülen-affiliated Magnolia schools petitioning for re-authorization was rejected recently by the LA school board. Although, the LAUSD board did broker a political deal to allow many, many other charters through. However, in the past the LA County board has overruled LAUSD’s local-control to keep the “embattled” Magnolia.

Please stay tuned to Cloaking Inequity for the other education resolutions passed by the California NAACP. Also, here is another controversial resolution we passed at the convention— but right and important. California NAACP seeks to remove ‘Banner’ as anthem, supports Kaepernick

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Cleveland Ohio's Opioid Epidemic - By the Numbers. Gulen Schools Heroin Trafficker Inc...

Robert Amsterdam Presents "Empire of Deceit: An Investigation into the Gulen Schools

EMPIRE OF DECEIT book can be downloaded from website

http://www.empireofdeceit.com 

EMPIRE OF DECEIT book can be downloaded from website

http://www.empireofdeceit.com 

Horizon Science Academies - Charter Schools still abuse American money

When I worked in the Ohio Department of Education’s charter school office, I was able to observe charter school abuses up close. Since my retirement in 2011, I’ve watched from the outside as the pace of abuse has increased. Consider these:

· The Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow, which leads the state in the number of student dropouts, recently received state approval to remake itself as a school that promises to help dropouts. Why? The rules for dropout recovery schools are even more lax than the already weak ones that govern other charter schools.

· The Columbus Primary Academy, part of the Imagine Schools charter chain, is saddled with a lease that requires exorbitant rent to Imagine’s for-profit real estate subsidiary. In two other states, federal courts deemed the leases “self-dealing’’ and ordered Imagine to pay $1 million fines. The latest state audit shows the academy’s current lease extends to 2033, while the latest state report cards shows the school continues to fail our kids.

· Ohio charters affiliated with the Gulen movement received mostly Fs on their report cards — a pattern too common in Ohio where charter schools have been sold as a better alternative to traditional public schools.

Charter schools are publicly funded but privately managed. Ohio has some very good charter schools, but it has more very bad ones. Even when faced with overwhelming evidence that the worst performing ones need to be closed, Ohio legislators and other policymakers have been slow to embrace comprehensive charter reform and downplay the steady parade of scandals.

A new book, Empire of Deceit, provides a look at charter schools in Ohio and 27 other states run by followers of Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen.

Gulen schools in Ohio took center stage more than three years ago when a panel of teachers who worked for the Horizon Science Academy of Dayton testified before the State Board of Education about problems they personally witnessed: widespread test-tampering; a teacher who encouraged an in-class groping game; teachers who openly referred to African-American students as “dogs;’’ a “Science Academy’’ with no working labs.

The state school board launched a supposed investigation into the teachers’ allegations that found no wrongdoing. Those of us who support comprehensive reform were not surprised by the lack of action by the board in what other Gulen critics thought was a cover-up.

The new book shows how these Ohio charter school scandals, which have been well documented by Ohio journalists, are part of a national trend.

It shows there have been 833 “special occupation” visas filed by the Ohio Gulen network alone. Instead of hiring qualified Ohioans, the schools obtained visas to hire Turkish nationals to fill positions such as assistant principal, art director and even English teacher.

These statistics follow news reports showing that the U.S. State Department raised serious and repeated concerns about the schools, sending cables to the CIA, secretary of defense and the president’s National Security Council. Special attention was paid to the large number of Turkish nationals with questionable credentials seeking visas to teach at U.S. charter schools. 

The book details a property lease signed by a board member of an Ohio-based school that resulted in the school paying him in rent three times the purchase price of the property. These lease payments are similar to some found in Imagine schools.

Should we mention that the board member of this school was also the landlord?

It’s time for parents, teachers, school district officials, lawmakers, charter school proponents and other concerned citizens to demand immediate reforms for a system that sends more than $1 billion annually in taxpayer funds to mostly low-performing charter schools that abuse public money.

Last year, Ohio passed a new law that improved accountability, made it easier to close some chronically failing schools and banned some conflict-of-interest business relationships. The continued scandals, poor academic performance and abusive leases show we have more work to do.

Let’s find a way to close the bad charter schools and invest in the good ones to ensure a better return on investment of our tax dollars and a quality education for all of our children. We can’t do anything less for our future.

Smith is a retired school administrator and a former consultant in the Ohio Department of Education’s charter school office.

https://www.ohio.com/akron/editorial/commentary/denis-smith-charters-schools-still-abusing-public-money

Gulen Charter Schools under US scrutiny- Horizon Science Academy

FETO, a designated terror group in Turkey, has established itself abroad through companies, foundations, media outlets and charter schools.

The leader of the network, Fethullah Gulen is accused by Turkey of being behind a bloody coup attempt which left 249 people dead and more than 2,000 injured in the country last July. 

Gulen, currently living in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania, has denied the charge and continues to fight against  Ankara's extradition demands.  

His movement controls 163 schools across the country, teaching around 70,000 students. Now some schools linked to his network have come under investigation in the US over allegations of financial misconduct.

"In the state of New Jersey alone, a chain of charter schools is linked to the Gulen Movement, also known as FETO. The organisation's attempt to launch a fifth school in this state was denied, after the board of education said it had used "forged and fraudulent" petitions to show community support for its initiative,"  Ersin Konkur, a former maths teacher in a Gulen-linked school, told TRT World. 

Gulen Charter Schools former CIA Officer explains