Gulen Charter School in Georgia-Fulton Science Academy petition to stop unauthorized building of new school

Fulton Science Academy is a charter school funded by taxpayer money. The charter agreement or contract is important, it is the only tool available to the School Board to hold FSA accountable. The charter requests a blanket waiver of state and local provisions and a 10 year contract limiting the community's oversight over the charter schools finances, procurement practices and overall governance. It does not make sense to give Fulton Science Academy a blanket waiver of state and local provisions and eliminate the Boards already limited oversight. FSA's recent management decisions have been presumptuous serving only the population of the school and without regard to Fulton County taxpayers. Without approval from the school board, Fulton Science Academy decided to merge two charter petitions, develop plans to build a combined school, get bids on the project and obtain $19 million of tax free revenue bonds.

http://www.change.org/petitions/fulton-county-school-board-deny-fulton-science-academy-charter-renewal-in-its-proposed-petition

PLEASE CHECK OUT COMPLIANCE REPORT ON FULTON SCIENCE ACADEMY AND THEIR MANAGING ARM (GRACE INSTITUTE)
http://fsamiddle.org/images/stories/interimcompliance.pdf

UPDATE from CASLIPS

http://gulencharterschools.weebly.com/fulton-science-academy-charter-renewal-2011.html

Fulton Science Academy: Charter Renewal 2011

Page created Nov 30, 2011

In November 2011, the charter for Fulton Science Academy Middle School came up for renewal.  The renewal proposal can be found at this link, and a related document with responses to Fulton County Schools' review here.

Some Georgia parents are working on a petition that objects to the renewal conditions that FSA is requesting.  In particular, they object to the 10-year rather than 3-year renewal period, and the near complete lack of oversight by Fulton County Schools.  C.A.S.I.L.I.P.S. strongly endorses this petition.  In view of articles about abuses at Gulen charter schools, such as the June 2011 New York Times article on these schools directing large business contracts to firms in their own network, and a March 2011 article in the Philadelphia Inquirer about a government investigation into kickbacks, having oversight from Fulton County schools is entirely reasonable.

Further, when communities are forced to pay for a charter school but are not allowed any say in its governance, it amounts to taxation without representation.  This is an issue that has flared up in other communities across the country, where small special interest groups of parents try to force a community to accept a charter school, and the community rebels.

The Fulton Science Academy administration appears to be contending that its performance has been so satisfactory as to justify complete autonomy.  However, a "State of the Charters" document prepared by Fulton County Schools shows that FSA's academic performance is average for its demographics.  FSA has the lowest percentage of economically disadvantaged students of any of Fulton County's middle schools.  The document shows graphs of performance vs. percent economically disadvantaged students.  FSA lies very near the regression line in all subjects, indicative of average performance.
Connections to other Gulen charter schools

A number of text strings in FSA's renewal petition that appear verbatim in other charter applications and documents show its connection to the network of Gulen charter schools across the country.  These similarities of long strings of text cannot be attributed to mere "coincidence."  Examples follow (more will be added to this list soon).
“shortage of certified candidates and/or for any other reason deemed appropriate by the principal, candidates from traditional secondary environments"

·         Piedmont IT Academy (proposed Gulen charter school in NC)

·         Wake Math and Science Academy (proposed Gulen charter school in NC)

·         College Preparatory Charter School of Springfield (failed attempt at Gulen charter school in MA)

"Assessments for individual students should focus on a student’s growth towards a proficiency standard rather than comparing a student’s performance against that of other students."

·         Indiana Science Academy  (failed attempt at Gulen charter school)

·         Indiana Life Science Academy  (failed attempt at Gulen charter school)

·         Palm Beach Science Academy  (failed attempt at Gulen charter school in FL)

·         Wisconsin Career Academy  (Gulen charter school)

·         Nashville Charter Middle School  (failed attempt at Gulen charter school in TE)

"A detailed list of formal responsibilities and job descriptions are provided to teachers"

·         Albuquerque School of Excellence, Gulen charter school in NM that has financial ties to the Cosmos Foundation and Harmony Public Schools in Texas 

"Summative Assessments quantitatively determine achievement of students on a set of academic outcomes at a particular point in time."

·         Knoxville Charter Academy  (proposed Gulen charter school in Tennessee)

"Develop the understanding of characterization, plot, and point of view in literature"

·         Sweetwater Branch Academy (Gulen charter school in FL)

Gulen Charter Schools, Greek Americans speak out on the manipulation tactics of the Gulen Movement

Greek Americans take a stand against the Gulen Movement

The Greek Orthodox Church of America and its ignorance towards the Radical pro-Turkish Gulen Movement

By Greek Anonymous Writer
Unbeknownst to many within the Greek-American community Turkish Islamists has been able to infiltrate and manipulate the leadership of the Greek Orthodox Church of America.

 Just who are these Turkish Islamists? Fethullah Gulen, founder of the Gulen Movement, was born in 1941 in the village of Korucuk near Erzurum in Turkey. In 1959, with only a grade school education, he was able to obtain a preacher’s license in Edirne, Turkey and by 1966; held a religious post in Smyrna, Turkey.

 On the surface, his message was one of peace, social justice, and theoretical naturalism, however, secretly he promoted an Islamic agenda in hopes of establishing Islamic rule in Turkey. A message, which would attract the current Prime Minister of Turkey, Erdogan, who is a devote follower of the Gulen Movement. In late 1990’s Gulen would be exiled from Turkey during a time of immense political instability, as Radical Islamic Prime Minister Erbakan was overthrown by the Turkish Military.

 As a result, Gulen, moved to the United States and settled in Pennsylvania, in a remote area of 26 acres where he constructed the headquarters of his movement. Now firmly established in the United States, Gulen, continued to use such warm sounding buzz words as ‘social justice’, ‘peace’, ‘interfaith’ and ‘dialogue’ to manipulate the American public and Greek-American community into believing he was a man of peace. However, the June 6, 2011 New York Times article, Charter Schools Tied to Turkey Grow in Texas” (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/07/education/07charter.html) reveals the true dark side of Gulen and his Turkish Islamic agenda.
 
 Currently, in the United States, there are 122 Gulen Charter Schools controlled by various Foundations throughout the country. In Arizona, these schools such as the Sonoran Science Academy operate under the Daisy Education Corporation. In the Chicago metropolitan area, these charter schools are found under the Niagara Foundation. These countless Gulen schools use various loopholes to bypass American immigration laws to import more Turkish nationals as teachers to the United States at a time when unemployment is running high for American teachers. In addition, they employ Turkish owned firms to supply these facilities with food, janitorial services and so on, employing not a single American.

 American parents, concerned with what their children are learning in these schools have begun to raise awareness of brainwashing they were unaware of inside these Gulen Charter Schools, such as the fact that these various schools are teaching their students Turkish and Islamic culture. Gulen calls these students the ‘Golden Generation’, in reference to his movement’s goal of restoring the glory days of the Ottoman Empire and the Islamic Caliphate. These Gulen Schools organize Turkish Olympiads, which display American children demonstrating their Turkish skills: reading, singing, dancing in Turkish. There are currently 9 of these elaborate productions throughout the United States with the winners participating in the Gulen International Turkish Olympiad in Istanbul, Turkey. The last such production was held June 15-30th and had over 700 ‘Golden Generation’ students representing over 100 countries.

 Gulen, a master of deception, represents himself as a man of peace and interfaith dialogue, deceiving those who do not know him or his various groups. According to Stratfor Global Intelligence’s Special Report dated Aug 23, 2010, entitled ‘Islam Secularism and the Battle for Turkey’s future’, we are informed that, “In Turkey, the Gulen Movement follows a determined agenda that aims to replace the Kemalist elite and transform Turkey into a more religiously conservative society. Outside Turkey, Gulen presents itself as a multifaith global organization working to bring business, religious leaders, politicians, journalists and average citizens together. Whatever its public relations moves, the Gulen movement is at best just one more player jockeying for power in Turkey”.
 
A prime example of how the Gulen movement operates in the United States is the Rumi Forum, which is based out of Washington D.C. and promotes a pro-Turkish agenda as it lobbies and promotes Turkish interests. Gulen has been the honorary President of this organization since 1999. Located in the same building as the American Enterprise Institute, the Rumi Forum organizes Congressional Ramadan Iftar Dinners in the name of ‘interfaith’, ‘peace’, and ‘dialogue’. At its second Ramadan Iftar Dinner in 2007, Archbishop Dimitrios was a guest speaker.

http://www.rumiforum.org/iftars-dinners/2nd-congressional-ramadan-iftar-dinner.html

According to the Rumi Forum’s website, Archbishop Dimitrios expressed respect for Gulen. His speech focused on the state of human relations in our day. “Many misunderstandings have to do with lack of knowledge. You fight against something you do not know, if you know you might change your opinion and stop fighting and become friends”, His Eminence said. Praising the technology packed in small devices and showing the audience as an example his iPhone, Dimitrios said, “While technology goes that far, where is the iPhone of human relations? As religious leaders, we have to compete with technology and produce the device of human connectedness and love”. Dimitrios shared with the multi-faith crowd his vision of mutual respect as a basis for a successful interfaith dialogue.

Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, the Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Conference, made the keynote speech that year at the U.S. Congress, in which he stressed the need to energize interfaith dialogue. Professor Ihsanglu said that any terrorist or radical cannot represent Islam. Ihsanglu pointed out that Islam was not a religion of violence and expressed concern about the rising sentiment of islamophobia around the globe. “Extremists exist in all religious traditions. Sometimes extremists have spoken on behalf of Islam”, he stated. Noting that President Bush had recently announced his intention to nominate a special envoy to the OIC, Prof. Ihsanoglu said that this appointment would set up a direct linkage between America and the only official representative of the Muslim world, the OIC also stated that the OIC looked forward to cooperating with the Presidential envoy. He went on to say, “What we really need is to have a more comprehensive framework, which I call historic reconciliation between Islam and Christianity, Islam and the West”. Ihsanoglu called upon representatives of all faiths to have an agenda for their interfaith dialogue to transform misconceptions to mutual respect.

 The problem with this, however, is that the Rumi Forum is a Turkish Lobby group that holds lectures promoting Turkey and an Islamic Agenda in the United States. The Rumi Forum Executive Director, Ali Yurtsever, sided with the Turkish Coalition of America in denying the Armenian Genocide, so much for ‘peace’ and ‘interfaith dialogue’. In 2007, Yurtsever attended a congressional hearing on the Armenian Genocide resolution to lobby against it with other Turkish Nationalists. Of the numerous lectures, the Rumi Forum has organized on Islam and Turkey several topics include: “The Role of African Americans in Establishing Islam in America with Imam Vernon Fared” (Dec 22, 2010), “U.S.-Turkey; Model-Partnership for 21st century with Joshua Walker”(Nov 3, 2010), “What does Turkey mean to the West now?”(July 1, 2010), “Turkish-Armenian Relations: What’s New? With anti-Greek/Cyprus Omer Taspinar of the Brookings Institute”(March 31, 2010), “New Approaches in Turkish Foreign Policy by Dr. Erhan”(Oct 6, 2009), “U.S. Support of Turkey’s Accession to the EU”(July 18, 2009), and “Ottoman Empire, An Oasis for Refugees” (July 23, 2009). These lectures are conducted by pro-Turkish Congressmen such as Virginia Democrat Congressman James Moran and New Jersey Democrat Congressman Rush Holt.

 The Gulen movement has organized its Charter schools, foundations, and the Rumi Forum into the new Turkish-American Alliance based in Washington D.C. (http://www.turkicamericanalliance.org/). Within this alliance, they include other associations such as Albanians, Bosnians, Azeris, Kyrgz American Association, and Balkan Turks. 

 In 2010, the Gulen’s Niagara Foundation in Chicago awarded Bishop Demetrios of Mokissos with a special award. (http://www.youtube.com/user/niagarafoundation?blend=3&ob=5).

According to the Bishop’s website, it says, “Named as “one of the twelve people to watch” by The Chicago Sun-Times (January 5, 2003), Bishop Demetrios has worked extensively to build bridges of understanding and improve relationships between Chicago’s Greek Orthodox Community with other local Orthodox bodies, as well as other Christian and non-Christian groups. His ecumenical and interfaith commitments are numerous, coalescing around areas of social justice and advocacy. To this end, in February of 2003, he co-founded a local initiative to improve relations between the Turkish and Greek communities in Chicago, culminating in his being named the recipient of the 2010 “Fethullah Gulen Award” from the Niagara Foundation, a Turkish/Muslim-American group in Chicago, inspired by Fethullah Gulen, a leading Turkish Muslim, advancing interfaith and intercultural dialogue.”

 This Islamist Turkish Nationalist movement has succeeded in fooling Church officials through various awards to Greek Orthodox Priests in an attempt to neutralize the Greek-American community through the Greek Orthodox Church of America. It is up to those Greek Americans that have not fallen to the deceitful methods of the Gulen Movement to approach Archbishop Dimitrios and other Church officials to warn them about Gulen and his organizations. Organizations that seem to preach ‘peace’ yet lobby against the recognition of the Armenian Genocide and support the illegal Turkish military occupation of Cyprus.

Videos:
Bishop Demetrios of Mokissos Bio:
http://
 
 Rumi Forum Iftar Dinner and Archbishop Dimitrios:
http://.www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6SZ2XudfGI

Award to Bishop Demetrios of Mokissios by Niagara Found:
http://

Gulen movement:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xj1igo_the-gulen-movement-a-new-islamic-world-order-cbn-com_newswww.youtube.com/user/niagarafoundation?blend=3&ob=5www.chicago.goarch.org/bishop-demetrios/

Gulen Charter Schools, Who are we?

The flag and lady liberty of the United States of America



http://www.charterschoolwatchdog.com/

Let's be clear here ---

Our mission is simple...

This website was started in an effort to alert the American taxpayers who are unwittingly subsidizing the 125 plus “Gulen-inspired” charter schools that are operating throughout the United States --  schools that are actively engaged in a host of criminal activities and civil liberty violations, and have been doing so over the past 10 years of operation.

This website and its bloggers do not endorse any form of religious, gender,  national, or racial  discrimination. In fact, it is because of the blatant national and gender- biased based administrative actions of the Gulen-inspired school administrators that this website was created.

The naysayers (Gulenites) would like the public to believe that they are just innocent victims of hate propaganda, national discrimination, and an Islamophobic campaign – but it just isn’t so. That’s their bait and switch method of diverting the truth away from their nefarious activities.

And further, this website does not “operate” under any other names or aliases despite reports to the contrary.  It is what it is, and that’s all folks (sorry Porky).

It’s not some covert secret government operation, not funded by any source, and does not have any other agenda but to expose the Gulen boys for what they are – and for what they are doing.

However, this website does endorse other similar websites whose goal is likewise to expose the Gulen operation as it continues to fan out across the United States – using our tax dollars to -- among other things -- displace American teachers and administrators.

We encourage our readers to speak to their respective government representatives (even the ones that have been accepting free trips to Turkey and campaign funding from the boys), about any and all concerns that they may have regarding the “Gulen-Inspired” schools.

As taxpayers, we all have the right to examine and question any suspicious activities that affect our childrens’ education, our jobs, and whose pockets our tax dollars land in.

And we will not stop until our government stops them...

Gulen Charter School -Sexual Misconduct Case for trial Harmony Science Gulen School

http://www.kxxv.com/story/16039371/trial-set-to-start-for-local

Indecency with a child trial set to start for former teacher and actor

Posted: Nov 14, 2011 5:19 PM PST

By Noel Brennan

WACO - A former teacher and actor at a Waco theatre is set to go to trial for indecency with a child by contact.

Clifton Grasham-Reeves, 31, also faces five counts of sexual assault involving a 16 year-old girl. He is a former teacher at Waco's Harmony Science Academy and worked for Child Protective Services at one time as well.

Grasham-Reeves allegedly met the teenage girl last year while directing a play at the Waco Civic Theatre. Prosecutors allege Reeves knew the girl was underage, but he had sexual relations with her anyway.

On the night of February 5, 2010, Grasham-Reeves sent text messages to the girl and told her that his wife was out of town. He asked the girl to sneak out of her house so he could pick her up.

Grasham-Reeves then took the girl back to his Bellmead home where he is accused of sexually assaulting her. Court documents reveal that Grasham-Reeves and the girl met on several other occasions.

Attorneys spent much of Monday afternoon trying to pick a jury to start hearing arguments on Tuesday.

Gulen Charter Schools-Parents Across America concerned with stealth network linked to Gulen

http://parentsacrossamerica.org/2011/06/stealth-u-s-charter-network-linked-to-gulen-raises-concerns/#comment-3089

The New York Times this week published an investigative report about the financial practices of a sizable group of Texas charter schools being operated by the followers of Fethullah Gulen, a Turkish Islamic religious leader “whose devotees have built a worldwide religious, social and nationalistic movement in his name.”

While the New York Times focused on Texas schools, members of the Gulen movement have actually started schools all over the United States – approximately 120 charter schools in 25 states, mostly in urban areas. The Gulen schools constitute the nation’s largest network of charter schools.

Members of the education advocacy group Parents Across America (PAA) voiced strong concern. Sharon Higgins of Oakland, Calif., a PAA founding member who has been researching and blogging about the Gulen charter schools for more than a year, explained: “Our primary concern is not the national origin or religion of the group running the schools but the facts that they operate in secrecy, are not accountable to the public, and are not open about the nature or extent of the movement behind the charter schools in which unsuspecting parents are enrolling their children.”

Charter school parents, local communities, public officials, and charter school authorizers have been mostly unaware of the Gulen movement and its operation of the charter schools. You can find current Gulen-linked charter schools listed here:  http://turkishinvitations.weebly.com/list-of-us-schools.html

For example: there are currently three in New York state:

• Syracuse Academy of Science  http://www.sascs.org/
• Buffalo Academy of Science   http://www.bascs.org/
• Rochester Academy Science School    http://www.rochester-academy.org/

The New York Times’ report is not the first news coverage of the Gulen charter schools. ABC’s Cleveland affiliate reported in May on “a federal probe into Ohio charter schools involving a money trail of illegal immigration fees, as well as other payments to individuals living overseas.”

• “Exclusive 5 On Your Side investigation uncovers federal probe into Ohio charter schools.” WEWS 15 May 2011 http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/local_news/investigations/exclusive-5-on-your-side-investigation-uncovers-federal-probe-into-ohio-charter-schools

The Philadelphia Inquirer published two articles in March and April revealing that the Gulen schools are under a multi-agency federal investigation (FBI, Department of Labor, and Department of Education) for possible manipulation of immigration laws and misallocation of taxpayer dollars. It was also revealed that U.S. diplomats have expressed concerns about the large number of Turkish teachers being imported, as well as about the Gulen movement in general.

• “U.S. charter-school network with Turkish link draws federal attention.” Philadelphia Inquirer 20 Mar 2011 http://articles.philly.com/2011-03-20/news/29148147_1_gulen-schools-gulen-followers-charter-schools
• “WikiLeaks files detail U.S. unease over Turks and charter schools.” Philadelphia Inquirer 04 Apr 2011 http://articles.philly.com/2011-04-04/news/29380536_1_charter-schools-fethullah-gulen-truebright-science-academy

The Chicago edition of the New York Time also recently published an article about the Gulen movement’s involvement with the reopening of the American Islamic College.

• “Return of Islamic College Raises New Questions.” New York Times 28 May 2011 http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/29/us/29cncislamu.html

Background information about the Gulen movement can be found in a recent report produced by the BBC.

• “What is Islam’s Gulen movement?” BBC 24 May 2011 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-13503361

The Gulen movement is powerful and highly controversial in Turkey and has been linked with suppression of free speech and the arrests of journalists.

• “Journalists in Turkey decry crackdown on colleagues.” CNN International 14 Apr 2011 http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/europe/04/14/turkey.demonstration/
• “7 More Journalists Detained in Turkey.” New York Times 03 Mar 2011 http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/04/world/europe/04turkey.html

The Gulen movement’s influence is tied to Turkey’s political leadership and current economic expansion. Articles about the upcoming Turkish election appearing in Time and The Economist both reference to the Gulen movement.

“Under [incumbent Prime Minister Recep Tayyip] Erdogan, the police have become increasingly powerful and are allegedly dominated by members of a tightly knit religious brotherhood headed by the controversial Pennsylvania-based imam Fethullah Gulen. Two internationally acclaimed journalists investigating the brotherhood were detained and jailed in March and have yet to be tried. Journalists now assume that their phones are tapped — public leaks of private conversations have become commonplace.” (“Turkey’s Election: The Massive Implications of a Foregone Conclusion.” Time 03 June 2011 http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2075298,00.html )

“A new tolerance for the Muslim headscarf and an intolerance of alcohol point the way towards a more fiercely Islamist future, partly inspired by the opaque Fethullah Gulen movement, which seems strongly represented in the police.” (“Erdogan’s last hurrah (possibly).” The Economist 02 Jun 2011 http://www.economist.com/node/18772078 )

The Gulen movement is not mentioned in this MSNBC piece, but the movement is widely known to be a major force behind the rise of the more religiously conservative ruling party in Turkey.

• “US ally Turkey flirts with Mideast’s ‘bad boys’- Some fear the role model for the democracy movements sweeping the region is abandoning its secular roots.” MSNBC 20 Apr 2011 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42225974/ns/world_news-europe/

Despite being known for its large network of worldwide schools and other organizations, including a strong presence of those entities in the US, the Gulen movement does not maintain a comprehensive public listing. As a result, independent researchers have compiled listings – and other findings about – the Gulen movement-connected charter schools that are often only known as “Turkish schools.”

For more information, check out these links:

• Gulen Charter Schools by C.A.S.I.L.I.P.S. (Citizens Against Special Interest Lobbying in Public Schools) @ http://gulencharterschools.weebly.com/
• A Guide to the Gulen Movement’s Activities in the US by C.A.S.I.L.I.P.S. @ http://turkishinvitations.weebly.com/
• Perimeter Primate by Sharon Higgins @ http://perimeterprimate.blogspot.com/
• Charter School Scandals by Sharon Higgins @ http://charterschoolscandals.blogspot.com/p/gulen-movement-and-its-schools-in-news.html

For immediate release: June 8, 2011

For more information, please contact Sharon Higgins, Parents Across America, 510-910-4930; SharonH@parentsacrossamerica.org

Gulen Charter Schools -- Concept - Horizon - Noble propaganda for Schools with GULEN Movemnent ties

Here is one of the Concept Schools propaganda videos, note that they admit they are
part of the Gulen Movement and posted under Gulen Movement.

Nice to see the schools are starting to come clean. They care less about children's education if
they did they would insure that the children of Turkey were educated instead they fall below standard
worldwide.

Gulen Charter School to Convert ANOTHER Church- Suzan Mertyurek

Suzan Mertyurek is a liar. A longtime follower of Gulen as well as her husband.

BESE Revokes License For Abramson School Operator

Peggy Littleton on Gulen schools

America's Carlyle Group purchases Turkish Schools and will expand

Who is worse?  America's Caryle Group or the Gulen Movement?  Eventually the Carlyle Group will own all of the schools in Turkey.  Please Anonymous, don't come post on here and say we are "lying" this is reported by your own Turkish News and other financial reports.  Carlyle wins, Gulen loses

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=carlyle-buys-shares-in-school-chain-2011-10-04

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

ISTANBUL – Hürriyet Daily News

The Carlyle Group, a private U.S. capital fund, has applied to the Turkish Competition Board to acquire more than 50 percent of the shares of the Bahçeşehir and Beşiktaş private schools – from primary to high school education – daily Sabah reported Tuesday.

The group’s Turkey general manager, Can Deldağ, said the percentage could be subject to change in the future because Bahçeşehir College had schools in 20 provinces. “We will expand this chain [of primary, secondary and high schools] over all of Turkey.”

Bahçeşehir also operates universities and university preparatory schools, referred to as “dersanes” in Turkish. However, Deldağ said Carlyle had currently agreed to only cooperate with Bahçeşehir in running educational institutions up to the high school level. The school chain’s founder, Enver Yücel, as well as his family members, will continue their partnership in the management of schools, he added