Are the H1-b Visas of Gulen Charter Schools about to face hard times?

Off in a small corner of the immigration policy world there is an intriguing side-show – it is a battle which pits one group of conservatives against another in a fascinating contest that the mainstream media has all but ignored.

In one corner there is a player as reactionary as they come, the Islamic president/dictator of Turkey; in the other is a conservative Islamic religious leader, another Turk, and his allies in the American charter school movement.

Turkey's authoritarian's ruler is Recep Erdogan; he is at loggerheads with his former ally, Fethullah Gulen, the self-exiled leader of an Islamic cult that is devoted to undoing the reforms of modern Turkey's George Washington, Kamal Ataturk. Gulen's followers in the U.S. have created a series of charter schools which use public school moneys, via staff extortions, to support the cult's activities. The Gulen schools, which have also used political contributions to shore up their position, are charters, and, as such, are sheltered by conservatives promoting charters generally. Erdogan has said that he wants Gulen extradited from Pennsylvania to Turkey because of his alleged ties to the failed coup in Turkey.

Why is this of any interest to immigration policy types?

In spite of the presence of tens, perhaps hundreds, of thousands of unemployed U.S.-trained teachers, Gulen's schools continue to use local tax funds to secure H-1B visas for, and to provide wages for, teachers from Turkey, including in a few cases English teachers, as we have reported previously.

Why are the Gulen schools so interested in recruiting Turkish teachers (and often paying them more than U.S. teachers in the same schools)? To some extent it is a Tammany Hall sort of nepotism – let's use public funds to help our landsmen – but there is another apparent motive. According to a long, detailed, and stinging report by LA Weekly, there is a highly organized, systematic shake-down of Turkish teachers to benefit Gulen cult organizations. The name of one of Gulen's collectors in one of his school systems, the amounts raised, and their transportation, in cash, to cult meetings are all spelled out in detail.

While efforts have been made in Georgia and in southern California to shut down some of the Gulen schools (for their hiring and financing malpractices), no one has been indicted, at least not yet.

Meanwhile, the Gulen schools have been investigated by the FBI for years, newspapers have printed multiple exposes, a state auditor caught a Gulen operation in Oklahoma obtaining more than $4 million via grossly inflated rent charges from public funds, and an excellent documentary film, "Killing Ed," has been produced on all this corruption.

Why, with all this evidence, has no one been charged with anything?

I asked this question of Robert Amsterdam, a Canadian lawyer retained by the government of Turkey to look into these matters; he said he was puzzled too, and suggested that (1) charter schools have a lot of support, particularly from conservatives, and (2) maybe the CIA was discouraging any federal action.

In addition, I think there may be a hesitation in some journalistic circles (a whiff of political correctness, if you will) to examine a system which relates to a particular nationality, that of the Turks.

Further, I think the facts are so hard to believe -- U.S. public school moneys being used to fund intra-Islamic squabbles in Turkey – that reporters are reluctant to tackle them, valid though they appear to be.

Change Coming? All of this may be about to change because of one of President-elect Trump's appointments. According to the Daily Caller:

An intelligence consulting firm founded by retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, Donald Trump's top military adviser, was recently hired as a lobbyist by an obscure Dutch company with ties to Turkey's government and its president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Further, we know that President Erdogan has joined Donald Trump at one or more hotel opening ceremonies in Turkey; this was well before the presidential campaign. So Gen. Flynn, who is known to be opposed to Gulen, and who is soon to be the National Security Adviser to the President, might well let it be known in government circles that he has no opposition at all to Gulen school administrators being indicted.

That, combined with the wealth of evidence on these schools' finances, might just change matters.

GulenMovementVisaScam  Click here To CIS (Center for Immigration Studies) David North Article

Second Gulen private school to sell Amity School of Brooklyn, NY where Magnolia's Varol Gurler taught

Is money tight in the USA for the Gulen Network? Amity School the Gulen operated private school in Brooklyn, NY .  The Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) has put up one of its private schools in Brooklyn, New York for sale due to economic problems, reports said on Wednesday.

The terror group’s U.S.-based schools have frequently been scrutinized for a number of irregularities and have been raided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).FETÖ has put up its the Amity School on sale due to economic problems while FBI investigate the terror group’s US-based schools

The Amity School, which was put up on sale via Cushman & Wakefield Company, is located in a 7-square-meter field in Brooklyn, New York. No details about the private school’s sale price are yet to be mentioned on the sale advert.

According to information posted on the official website of the school, 256 students have been receiving education since 1999.

FETÖ runs a global network of charter and private schools, from Africa to Central Asia but mostly in the U.S. to gain income and impose its ideas to the students.

Charter and private schools linked to FETÖ in the U.S. are facing several probes by FBI in four states, although the FBI is quiet about the progress of the probes, which is reportedly focused on shady business practices by the charter and private school chains.

The schools in the U.S., some of which have changed names over time, were opened in the late 1990s and beginning of the 2000s. Around 60,000 students attend the schools annually.

FETÖ’s schools in the U.S. are usually gathered under umbrella organizations and are managed through foundations. As an example, there are 46 schools — all under the name “Harmony” in Texas, 30 schools under the name “Concept” in and around Ohio, as well as Magnolia.

While the judicial processes continue over FETÖ’s schools in the U.S., the American public has also started to express more doubts about the schools, according to U.S. media reports.

Residing in Pennsylvania since 1999, FETÖ’s leader Fetullah Gülen is the man who controls these schools and the $500 million annual income.

FETÖ[Office1] is the terror group not only behind the failed July 15 coup attempt but a string of crimes including two previous attempts to overthrow democratically-elected government in Turkey, money laundering, sham trials and imprisonment of its foes through its infiltrators within the police and judiciary systems, as well as the state apparatus.

Several countries, including Chad, Guinea, Iraq, Pakistan, Rwanda and Somalia, took action following the July 15 coup attempt regarding FETÖ schools in their respective countries to be transferred to the Turkish Maarif Foundation

Amity School of  Brooklyn, NY is the second private Gulen school to sell the first was Putnam School of Science in CT.   

http://fetofacts.us/2016/12/14/feto-linked-private-school-in-new-york-to-be-put-up-for-sale/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Gulenist VAROL GURLER taught at Amity School but is now Principal of  Magnolia Science Academy in Santa Ana (Elementary School)  We have discussed his moving around the USA here: 

http://magnoliascienceacademy.blogspot.com/2016/10/new-school-opening-in-santa-ana-while-2.html  

Amity School Varol Gurler   <-----Click


Varol Gurler at Magnolia Science Academy Ribbon cutting


Varol Gurler at Amity School Graduation 3 years ago (Gulen Private School)

Gulen Private School Brooklyn Amity School Profile from Gulen Cemaat

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brooklyn_Amity_School

North American University Houston Texas A Gulen private non-profit University UPDATE President has arrest warrant part of FETO Serif Ali Tekalan

and you thought the Gulen Movement only had publicly funded charter schools?

http://www.na.edu

NAU History

North American University, formerly known as North American College, was operated by the Texas Gulf Foundation (TGF), a non-profit educational organization founded on April 7, 2007, and located in Houston, Texas. The main purpose of the TGF was to establish superior higher education institutions. Toward this goal, the TGF Board of Trustees established the Texas Gulf Institute (TGI) and the Gulf Language School. These institutes started operation in September 2007.

The Texas Gulf Institute submitted an application for a certificate of authority to offer Bachelor of Science degrees to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) on January 20, 2009. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board unanimously approved that a Certificate of Authority be granted to TGI on October 29, 2009.

The TGI submitted an application for accreditation to the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) on October 16, 2009. The ACICS council has awarded the TGI an initial grant of accreditation to offer certificate programs through December 31, 2013. On June 16, 2010, the TGI applied to the ACICS for inclusion of its bachelor’s degree programs in accreditation. The application was approved on July 2, 2010.

With the addition of Bachelor of Science degree programs, the Texas Gulf Institute evolved into North American College. The name change was approved by the ACICS on August 16, 2010, and by the THECB on September 10, 2010.

North American College applied to FAFSA to award Federal Financial Aid on September 24, 2010. The application was approved on January 30, 2011.

North American College was granted to offer M.Ed. in Educational Leadership by ACICS and THECB starting in Fall 2013. With the addition of Master degree program, the North American College name change application to North American University was approved by the ACICS on August 29, 2013.

North American University has been granted Bachelor and Master degrees through December 2017 by THECB and ACICS.

http://www.na.edu/about/administration/

WAR ON TERROR

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Terror suspect now heads Texan university

DAILY SABAH

ISTANBUL

PublishedJanuary 8, 2017

Şerif Ali Tekalan, a medical professor with an arrest warrant against his name by Turkey for his alleged membership of the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ), was recently appointed the third president of the North American University based in Houston, Texas.

Story here North American University President terrorist

All the Harmony 100% college acceptance 

get accepted at Gulenist operated private College 

Pornography scandal at Gulenist operated School of Science and Technology

http://www.kristv.com//story/33680810/local-teacher-accused-of-watching-porn-on-campus-placed-on-leave#.WCY1w-cgkIg.twitter

Local teacher under investigation, accused of watching porn on campus

Posted: Nov 10, 2016 12:06 PM PSTUpdated: Nov 10, 2016 3:07 PM PST

By Veronica Flores

CONNECT

 

A teacher at the School of Science and Technology has been placed on administrative leave after students reported he was watching pornography and touching himself in a classroom.

A teacher is under investigation after being accused of watching pornography on campus.
   
According to the school's spokesman Mustafa Tameez, several students said they saw a male teacher watching porn and touching himself in a classroom at the School of Science and Technology on Everhart Road and Saratoga Boulevard.

The incident happened late last week and was reported on Monday. The school says it is looking through the teacher's laptop and taking statements from students.
   
In the meantime, the teacher has been placed on paid administrative leave while the school continues its investigation.

     

Syracuse Academy of Science gets approval from NY regents despite prayer room and academic failures

The Prayer Room at Syracuse Academy of Science from Mary Addi on Vimeo.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- The head of Syracuse Academy of Science charter school made an impassioned plea Wednesday for the public to judge the school on its merits, not the ethnicity of some of its leaders. "My heritage you can see with my skin color, but that doesn't matter," said SAS superintendent Tolga Hayali, who is Turkish-American. "In the end, are we helping every child to be successful, to be productive, good, caring citizens? It's not about my religion. It's not about my ethnicity. It's about the children. I love to be judged based on the product, not on my ethnicity." Hayali's comments came near the end of a lively hearing on whether the charter network should expand to include another kindergarten through 12th grade school in Syracuse. The New York Board of Regents will decided whether to grant SAS another charter. Syracuse Academy of Science currently operates an elementary, middle and high school here, as well as a middle-high school in Utica. In Syracuse, the schools have waiting lists that have at times exceeded 400 students, officials said. The new school would be similar to the others, which focus on college preparedness and science, technology, engineering and math. The big difference is the proposed school would include requirements for community service, and give enrollment preference to English learners who apply to the school's lottery. Dozens of people spoke about the charter school. More than 20 people spoke in favor of the expansion. Eight or nine people spoke against expanding the school, arguing that charter schools divert money away from traditional public schools and lack oversight. A few people mentioned Syracuse Academy of Science's supposed ties to Fethullah Gülen and the Gülen movement, which promotes "tolerant Islam which emphasies altruism, modesty, hard work and education," according to a report by the BBC. Educators inspired by or affiliated with Gülen have opened more than 120 schools across the United States since the early 2000s. Gülen, who lives reclusively in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, has also been blamed by the Turkish government for the attempted coup there this summer. Speakers at the hearing Wednesday brought up the alleged connection to Gülen, and the fact that most members of the school's board of trustees are of Turkish descent. That's what frustrated Hayali, he said. "One thing bothers me: Yes, I am Turkish-American, but I will tell you one thing: My son will be American-Turkish and my grandson will be American," Hayali said. "When people come with ... not facts, that kind of hurts me. Many of my board members are either American citizens or on the way with a green card, so what does it matter? They are dedicating their valuable time with our children. They don't get paid for this." Hayali's pointed remarks about ethnicity culminated an evening that otherwise echoed the debate happening around the country about charter schools. Syracuse charter school head: Judge us on merits, not ethnicity

Tolga Hayali, superintendent of Syracuse Academy of Science charter school http://www.syracuse.com/schools/index.ssf/2016/10/syracuse_charter_school_head_judge_us_on_merits_not_ethnicity.html

 SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Syracuse will get its third charter school, after the New York State Board of Regents Tuesday authorized the Syracuse Academy of Science to open its second school in the city. The new school, which will be called the Syracuse Academy of Science and Citizenship, will start educating students in the 2017-18 school year. The school was approved despite a contentious hearing in Syracuse last month. SAS superintendent Tolga Hayali made an impassioned plea for the community to judge the school on its merits, not on its leaders' Turkish ethnicity or alleged ties to Fethullah Gülen and the peaceful Islamic Gülen movement. Dozens of parents and teachers spoke in favor of expanding the school, citing a waiting list for students who want to attend, frequent field trips and academic successes. Critics of the school spoke out at the hearing to tell personal stories of disappointment or frustration with how the school was operated. Critics of charter schools in general, including members of the local teachers union and Syracuse City School District Education Commissioner Katie Sojewicz, said they didn't believe Syracuse needed another charter school to siphon funds and resources from public schools. Charter schools in New York receive funding on a per student basis from the districts they operate within. They are not subject to the same oversight as public schools, though Hayali argued that they still have to answer to auditors and the state's comptroller. The expansion to a second school was approved by the 17-member Board of Regents, made up of appointees from across the state, as well as the Regents committee working on pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade education. Officials from the State Department of Education recommended the approval based on evaluation of SAS's plan. "Granting the proposed charter is likely to improve student learning and achievement," officials wrote in a report on the proposed school. The new school will belong to the existing Academy of Science network, which operates a high school, middle school and elementary school out of a building on Park Avenue in Syracuse, as well as the Utica Academy of Science for sixth through twelfth graders. Officials from SAS have not yet said where the new school would be opened. It will open with 171 slots for students in kindergarten through second grade. Officials said they plan to eventually expand the school to 975 slots for students in kindergarten through twelfth grades. The school will focus on educating students who are learning English as a new language and will include requirements for citizenship, including volunteer hours. OnTECH Charter High School was also up for approval during this round of authorizations. The proposed school would focus on agricultural studies and would specifically target the refugee population in Syracuse. OnTECH's application is still under consideration. OnTECH is working with State Education Department officials on a number of small, technical modifications. Its application is expected to move forward in December, according to the department. Reporter Julie McMahon covers Syracuse University and Syracuse city schools. She can be reached anytime: Email | Twitter | 315-412-1992 http://www.syracuse.com/schools/index.ssf/2016/11/syracuse_charter_school_gets_ok_from_state_to_open_a_second_location.html

Sonoran Science Academy part of Gulen operated charter schools

Sonoran Science Academy Charter School named in lawsuit. School employees connected to the Gulen Movement now named terrorists by the Turkish Government . Robert Amsterdam is the attorney representing the Turkish Government. http://guleninvestigation.com/gulens-az-schools-raise-eyebrows/

An article in the Arizona Daily Star from 2010 discusses the visa fraud scheme being carried out by Tucson’s Sonoran Science Academy and its sister schools around the state, all affiliated with the Gülen Movement:

The five Sonoran Science Academy charter schools and their parent company, Daisy Education Corp., received U.S. Labor Department certification to fill 39 teaching and administrative jobs with foreigners last year, federal data show. From 2002 through 2009, the schools have received certifications for 120 H-1B visas.

That’s more certifications than any comparable school in Arizona received in that eight-year period – and more than the six biggest school districts in Southern Arizona combined.

“I don’t understand why we’re not hiring teachers from our areas here. I’m sure our teachers are just as qualified,” said Sonoran Science parent Julie Festerling, who works as a substitute teacher at other schools.

Some experts point to a different possible explanation: that Sonoran Science Academy is part of a loose global network of Turkish-run schools – 100 or more in the United States – inspired by Fethullah Gülen, who lives in exile in Pennsylvania. Worldwide, “Gülen schools” tend to hire teachers from Turkey and the broader “Turkic” world, including Central Asia

Gulen Charter Schools in Florida - Americans push back

Florida you have a problem and it's called Gulen Terrorist Movement

Gulen Terrorist Charter School River City Science Academy

RIVER CITY SCIENCE ACADEMY after audit showed serious signs of financial mismanagement
http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2016-07-06/story/more-florida-charter-school-audits-show-signs-financial-stress#.V350za1nfCg.twitter

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Leaders of a Jacksonville charter school that has come under scrutiny after some people tied it to a man wanted by the Turkish government have sent a letter to the city asserting they have no connection with the man.

A letter from the Turkish Consulate in Miami warned Jacksonville city leaders about Turkish rebel Fetullah Gulen, a man who has been linked to 130 charter schools across the country, including River City Science Academy on Beach Boulevard.

More Investigations Headlines

• Jacksonville school with ties to Turkey coup attempt?

The growing Duval County charter school, which is on track to open a fourth campus in Mandarin, opened in Duval County in 2007 and was founded in part by a Turkish American, Dogan Tozoglu, who is now the school's executive director.

The BBC is reporting that Turkey's president is now pushing for all of Gulen's schools to be shut down globally as the nation continues to pressure President Barack Obama to extradite him to Turkey.

But River City Science Academy's founders told the city in a letter that they have no ties to Gulen, and parents are showing their support.

David Meyer put his four children at River City Science Academy, moving them from private school several years ago.

“It has been very positive,” Meyer said. “They're doing great. All my kids are doing well, so I am very happy.”

Meyer contacted the I-TEAM after seeing our story Friday that highlighted the letter from the Turkish Consulate in Miami that was sent to Jacksonville City Council President Lori Boyer and Mayor Lenny Curry, warning them about Imam Fetullah Gulen and his possible local ties.

READ: Letter to City Council President Lori Boyer from the Turkish Consulate in Miami |
Letter from RCSA founders to mayor and Boyer

Gulen is a Turkish-born activist who came to the U.S. for refuge.

Turkey’s president claims Gulen helped organize last month’s failed coup that left 241 people dead and nearly 1,500 injured.

The concerns over any possible ties between Gulen and River City Science Academy were enough for the City Council to hold two pending resolutions involving the school.

"We were surprised to receive the letter and are trying to understand the involvement, if any, locally,” Boyer said.

In a letter to Mayor Lenny Curry and Boyer, the executive Tozoglu wrote, “We ask for your support in denouncing such baseless and hateful allegations.” He said the school “is not owned, affiliated with or governed by any other organization.”

The academy’s leader said rumors had been swirling for years, and that “as soon as RCSA became aware of these allegations, it shared them with school district staff who determined they had no merit.”

“Trust me, at first I was a little bit concerned, so me and my wife, we did our homework,” Meyer said.

Meyer said after reading up on the allegations, he’s comfortable with the school’s leaders and doesn’t think they’ve done anything wrong. He said he doesn’t want the school to be shut down, no matter what Turkey’s president says.

“It would be a real disservice for the kids who live here and have the opportunity to attend this school,” Meyer said.

The mayor's office deferred comment to Duval County Public Schools. Superintendent Dr. Nikolai Vitti released this statement:

The school itself has been well run, supported by parents and the greater community, and enjoys a strong reputation in Jacksonville. Previous reviews have not generated any red flags. However, we are reviewing the matter closely to determine if an investigation will be conducted, as some of the possible financial connections are concerning."

The owners of the academy have invited News4Jax to their school to speak with parents, teachers and students.

Copyright 2016 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.

http://www.news4jax.com/news/investigations/jacksonville-school-with-ties-to-turkey-coup-attempt_

Gülen Terrorist Movement, an Existential Threat to the Turkish State, So...

An unnamed “senior U.S. State Department official” told reporters Tuesday that American law enforcement evidence suggests that Turkish Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen operates his charter schools like an “organized crime” syndicate, not a religious group, and that Turkey’s demands to extradite Gulen for criminal activity “may have some merit.”

The government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused Gulen of orchestrating the failed coup d’etat defeated on July 15 and infiltrating the nation’s military, civilian law enforcement, and educational infrastructure to establish a “cult” to Gulen within Turkey.

The Turkish newspaper Hurriyet cites the unnamed official as saying that Gulen’s Hizmet Islamic organization operates “a lot like the ways in which organized crime sets itself up by folks who are trying to hide money for money laundering,” rather than what it presents itself as: “a benign religious movement.” He added that Turkey’s claims that Gulen, who lives in Pennsylvania, should be extradited for his role in the failed coup “may have some merit,” though he did not elaborate.

Hizmet supporters describe the movement as “a ‘faith-inspired collectivity’ with millions of followers and sympathizers who draw on Islamic spirituality and teaching, constituting one of the largest civil movements.” The movement operates more than 1,000 schools worldwide, including 150 in the United States, which operate on taxpayer subsidies. Gulen himself argues that Hizmet (“service”) is a moderate Islamic alternative that has a role to play in the eradication of radical Islam.

Gulen opponents, including the government of Turkey, argue that, instead, Hizmet is a cult centered around Gulen in which adherents are encouraged to aid in the overthrow of the Turkish government to establish Gulen as the nation’s leader.

The U.S. government has not weighed in officially on these accusations, though America’s Hizmet schools have run into problems of their own. The FBI raided 19 of the schools in 2014, citing discrepancies in the group’s finances.

Autoplay: On | Off

The Turkish government has made multiple official requests for Gulen’s extradition, citing the July 15 coup attempt and comparing the Hizmet movement to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, calling them both “CIA projects.” Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag visited Washington last week to personally encourage his American counterpart Loretta Lynch to begin the extradition process.

In public comments, Bozdag compared Gulen to Osama bin Laden, citing him as an equivalent danger to the stability of the Turkish government. “Whatever Osama bin Laden means for the United States and the American people, Fethullah Gulen means the same for Turkey and the Turkish people,” he said, comparing the coup attempt to “an assassination attempt on President Obama and his family, where the White House was bombed [and] … tanks were marching the streets [and] … 241 U.S. civilians were killed and around 3,000 were wounded.”

While Turkey has sent thousands of files to Washington related to the Gulen case, by late August, American officials confirmed that none of those documents appeared to have anything to do with the failed coup. “The evidence is crystal clear. We know the terrorist cult responsible for the vicious attacks against us and the Turkish people. We simply cannot understand why the U.S. cannot just hand over this individual,” Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım said at the time, shortly before U.S. officials – and Turkish government spokespeople – confirmed that they had not yet compiled evidence linking Gulen to the coup.

Last week, Turkish officials said they finally handed over the relevant evidence regarding Gulen and the failed coup.

Meanwhile, the Turkish government has continued to crack down on individuals and media organizations it claims has an affiliation to Gulen. This week, Turkish police shut down 15 media outlets and arrested multiple senior staffers at the newspaper Cumhuriyet, the nation’s premier secularist opposition newspaper. Cumhuriyet grew to international recognition after facing government suppression for agreeing to publish a Turkish-language inset of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo following a jihadist attack on its headquarters. Cumhuriyet later published a report accusing Turkey’s intelligence agency, the MIT, of supplying weapons to Syrian rebels. For that, the newspaper’s editor-in-chief, Can Dündar, received a five-year prison sentence. Dündar eventually escaped to Germany.

Turkey has arrested, detained, or fired from state jobs more than 100,000 people in relation to Gulen and the July 15 coup attempt.

http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2016/11/01/u-s-gulen-islamist-schools-organized-crime-not-benign-religious-movement/

Gulen Organizational Markers

Gulen Movement Organizational Markers from Gulen Cemaat

Gulen-affiliated charter schools are bad apples?

by Dr. Julian Vasquez Heilig in Charter Schools 

The Gulen-affiliated charter schools are finally getting the negative attention they deserve from law enforcement, the media and others. The Gulen-affiliated charter schools are the second largest charter chain in the United States, second only to the KIPP network of charter schools. If you want to understand depth, breadth and shocking nature of the alleged malfeasance against Gulen-affiliated charter schools, check out the film Killing Ed. According to the film, the Gulen-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. They use their charter lobbying associations in California, Texas and elsewhere to fervently protect these bad apples regardless of alleged illegal activity.

This came today from the Arnold public relations firm.

Texas is not the only state where Gulen-affiliated charter schools are under investigation by state or federal agencies for misuse of public funds.  In Texas, the Harmony Schools are part of the Gulen network.  In other states, Gulen-affiliated schools go by different names. Here’s a quick summary of just some of the investigations that raise serious concerns about how these schools are spending taxpayer dollars.  The patterns in each of these states, including Texas, are remarkably similar.

OHIO, ILLINOIS, AND INDIANA – FBI RAIDS CONCEPT SCHOOLS

• The FBI raided the headquarters of Concept Schools and 18 sites in three states in 2014 as part of an ongoing investigation into a “white-collar-crime matter” in which Concept Schools is accused of defrauding the federal government by violating competitive bidding rules related to a federally funded program for low-income students (E-RATE program).
• Court documents released in 2015 show that Concept is suspected of funneling over $5 million in federal funds to insider vendors through a rigged bidding process.
• The whistle-blower who provided documents to the FBI stated that Concept has routinely used taxpayer money to hire contractors who are involved in Gulen’s worldwide movement.

For more information:

http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/the-watchdogs-charter-firm-suspected-of-cheating-federal-grant-program/

NEW YORK – STATE COMPTROLLER FINDS INSIDER REAL ESTATE TRANSACTION

• The New York State Comptroller audited the Buffalo Academy of Science in 2013 and found that the School had leased a building from an unlikely company with little real estate experience.
• The company that leased the building to the school, Apple Educational Services, is a Turkish-run business with ties to other Turkish vendors and organizations.
• The audit included the following findings: The lease agreement would pay the owners $4.4 million more than their cost- a 200% return on investment – and benefited the owners more than the school.

The process used to select the lessor was not transparent and did not evaluate available options; the audit also questioned whether it was an “arm’s length transaction.”

For more information:

http://www.osc.state.ny.us/localgov/audits/schools/2013/buffaloacademycharter.pdf

OKLAHOMA – AUDIT DOCUMENTS EXCESSIVE RENTAL PAYMENTS

• The Oklahoma State Auditor (2016) documented excessive rental payments made by the Dove Science Academies to its managing nonprofit organization, the Sky Foundation.
• The audit found that the Sky Foundation collected almost $3.2 million more in lease payments for rental of a school site than it paid to originally purchase the property.
• Essentially the schools were redirecting school funds to themselves since the Dove schools and the Sky Foundation are the same entity.
• The audit also found a $175,000 transfer of funds from Sky to Harmony Public School for a science competition – but no Oklahoma students even attended the event.

For more information:

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/education/state-audit-of-dove-science-academy-charter-schools-questions-operating/article_e5fe06bc-86e0-5aad-82fc-0cea89666a7b.html