Wednesday, June 12, 2013

NY Ed Commissioner John King to speak at crooked Gulen Syracuse charter school graduation

Gulen schools are also known for their abusing the H 1B visa program; hiring uncertified teachers mostly from Turkey, and allegedly demanding that they kickback 40% of their salary. The program was designed to bring in foreigners in “shortage areas”; Gulen schools have used this program more than Google. This Syracuse school submitted 28 H-1B visa applications from 2003-2010.

Why would anyone be surprised that State Ed Comm John King is speaking at a charter that requires its teachers to kick back 40% of their salaries? But one think I can bet-- they are not subject to the same rules he just imposed on NYC public school teachers.

Want to know more about Gulen? Follow Leonie's trail as she follows the trail:

gulen-school-characteristics.html

and http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/09/new-york-state-board-of-r_n_2101333.html

http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2013/06/new_york_education_commissione_1.html

And the Gulen exposer, Sharon Higgins, Perimeter Primate:
http://perimeterprimate.blogspot.com

Inform yourself about the Gulen movement!

Inform yourself about the Gulen movement!

1. LISTEN to my interview with At The Chalk Face , slide marker to 32:00 min. (5/19/2013)
2. WATCH the 60 Minutes segment "U.S. charter schools tied to powerful Turkish imam" broadcast. (5/13/2012)
3. READ my response to the 60 Minutes piece.
4. READ my guest article about Gulen charter schools published by The Washington Post. (3/27/2012)
5. WATCH my interview talking about Gulen charter schools, or my presentation at LaborFest (segment between 49:18 min. & 1:07:36 min.)
6. READ my postings labeled "Gulen movement" HERE.

As one observer tweeted, "U.S. media have focused too much on the Islamic nature of the Gulen movement. Real concern is its shady dealings and improprieties."

Please be aware that Gulenists have created a large number of anonymously-operated damage control websites. They started to appear a few months after publication of Greg Toppo's article in USA Today (August 2010).

UPDATED from Leonie:

More info about the school that John King has agreed to speak at its graduation: the Gulen-linked Syracuse Academy of Science Charter School. http://gulencharterschools.weebly.com/syracuse-academy-of-science.html

More on Gulen here: Turkey Feels Sway of Fethullah Gulen, a Reclusive Cleric - NYTimes.com http://shar.es/wPilM

Gulen schools are also known for their abusing the H 1B visa program; hiring uncertified teachers mostly from Turkey, and allegedly demanding that they kickback 40% of their salary. The program was designed to bring in foreigners in “shortage areas”; Gulen schools have used this program more than Google. This Syracuse school submitted 28 H-1B visa applications from 2003-2010.

The school is also the lead agency in a $500,000 grant application to the state, “from a program that seeks to disseminate the successful practices of charter schools to traditional public schools.”

A comment from a Gulen expert:

It is so incredibly inappropriate for SASCS to have taught some of its students how to do the Mevlevi whirling dervish "dance," a.k.a. the Sema ceremony, an Islamic Sufi ritual. Doesn't anyone understand that?! This is NOT a folk dance.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L87AHciZSoM

Syracuse Academy of Science Charter School: Evidence of Affiliation with the Gulen Movement

Page created August 2010; last updated Mar 3, 2013
by C.A.S.I.L.I.P.S. - Citizens Against Special Interest Lobbying in Public Schools

Syracuse Academy of Science Charter School is a publicly-funded charter school in Syracuse NY.

In common with all other Gulen charter schools, SASCS uses H-1B visas to hire staff from other countries, primarily Turkey. The website myvisajobs.com, which tracks H-1B visas, shows that this school submitted 28 H-1B visa applications from 2003-2010.

Syracuse Academy of Science students participated in the Turkish Language Olympiads, an event run by the Gulen Movement.

A Youtube user named "GulenMovement" has uploaded a video of some of these students at the Turkish Olympiads. The accompanying text says “Kyla Tailor from Syracuse Academy of Science came in first with Yunus Emre poem. And Ahsan Khan from the same school was third with the song called 'My Turkiye'." Note that Yunus Emre is a Sufi poet of great significance to Fethullah Gulen and his followers. [Note added Mar 3, 2013: Since this was first written, the original link for the video has been made private. It can now be viewed at the ebrutv everest youtube channel] In another video, from the 4th New York Turkish Olympiads, the announcer enthuses "And here they are...the Whirling Dervishes of Syracuse Academy of Science" after briefly explaining the religious significance of this Sufi ritual.

SASCS students participated in ISWEEEP, a science fair in Houston, and in the GENIUS Olympiad in Oswego; both competitions are run by the Gulen Movement and are heavily biased towards Gulen schools.

In April 2011, the SASCS wrestling team participated in a camp at Yamanlar College in Izmir, Turkey. The visit was reported by Cihan News Agency, a Gulenist media outlet. Yamanlar College (Yamanlar Koleji) is a college-prep high school run by the Gulen Movement.

In 2011, Mehmet Ozhabes submitted an application for the Westchester Academy of Science Charter School. This proposed Gulen charter school never materialized, but the application stated that it was to be a replication of Syracuse Academy of Science. Mehmet Ozhabes has other connections to the Gulen Movement; he was on the board of Truebright Science Academy, a Gulen charter school in Philadelphia, and was a founder of Central Jersey College Prep, a Gulen charter school in New Jersey. In 2012, Tolga Hayali ran an apparently successful effort to replicate Syracuse Academy of Science in Utica with the proposed Utica Academy of Science, scheduled to open in fall 2013.

Four members of SASCS' class of 2011 were accepted at North American College, a Gulen institution located in Houston TX.

Lotus Media Productions, a Gulenist corporation that has done website development and graphics design for a number of Gulen charter schools, Gulenist businesses and Gulenist organizations, also contracted to Syracuse Academy of Science.

In 2011, Syracuse Academy of Science applied to the E-Rate program (a federal subsidy program for telecommunications and internet) for the amounts of $193,932.00 and $23,228.10. The vendor in both cases was Technotime Business Solutions LLC, a New Jersey-based Gulenist corporation that has done business with other Gulen charter schools.

Further connections to the Gulen Movement and nationwide network of Gulen charter schools are shown by the multiple affiliations, both past and present, of the following individuals:

Mustafa Coban

Operations Manager, Syracuse Academy of Science
Husband of Syracuse Academy of Science board member and teacher Patricia Coban
Terra Science and Education Foundation (Gulenist organization) - as of 2011, owner of building that SASCS rents; this is a conflict of interest.

Fehmi Damkaci

Board President, Syracuse Academy of Science
Terra Science and Education Foundation (Gulenist organization) - as of 2011, owner of building that SASCS rents; this is a conflict of interest.
Founding board member, Pioneer Charter School of Science (Gulen charter school in Massachusetts)
President, Turkish Cultural Center of Syracuse (Gulenist organization)
Founder, organizer, GENIUS competition (Gulenist)

Ehat Ercanli

Founder, Syracuse Academy of Science
Speaker at event at Turkish Cultural Center of Syracuse (Gulenist)
Involved in formation of Concept Schools and development of Horizon Science Academy network of Gulen charter schools in Ohio
Horizon Educational Services of Columbus

Note: Horizon Science Academy is the name of a network of Gulen charter schools in Ohio. Concept Schools now oversees most of the Horizon schools, and Horizon Educational Services is another corporation in charge of some Horizon schools; both companies are Gulenist.

Ertugrul Gerdan

College Counselor, Syracuse Academy of Science
Coached several Syracuse Academy of Science students to be Whirling Dervishes (as per video of the Gulen-run Turkish Olympiads)
Terra Science and Education Foundation (Gulenist organization)

Tolga Hayali

School director, Syracuse Academy of Science
Principal of Pioneer Academy of Science (private Gulen school in New Jersey)
Participated, along with Levent Koc, Director of the Interfaith Dialog Center and Mevlut Kirazli, Program Coordinator of the Interfaith Dialog Center, in Assemblyman Thomas Giblin’s tour of Pioneer Academy of Science
Teacher, Horizon Science Academy Cleveland Middle School, Ohio
Horizon Science Academy Denison, Ohio
Superintendent at Horizon Educational Services, Cleveland, Ohio
Participated in events at Interfaith Dialog Center, New Jersey
Speaker at HUTACA (Hudson Turkish American Cultural Association) events
Co-applicant, Capital Academy of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (proposed Gulen charter school; application denied)
Co-applicant, Lancaster Academy of Science, Pennsylvania (proposed Gulen charter school; application denied)

Note: The Interfaith Dialog Center, now renamed the Peace Islands Institute, and HUTACA are Gulenist non-profits. Horizon Science Academy is the name of a network of Gulen charter schools in Ohio.

Hakki Karaman

Principal, Syracuse Academy of Science
Principal, Magnolia Science Academy 3, California

Note: Magnolia Science Academy is the name of a network of Gulen charter schools in southern California.

Gurkan Kose

Math teacher, Syracuse Academy of Science
Director of Mathematics Instruction, Apple Educational Services (Gulenist corporation and vendor to many Gulen charter schools in the northeastern US)

Akin Ozturk

College Guide, Syracuse Academy of Science
Teacher, Putnam Science Academy (private Gulen school in Connecticut)
Staff, Rochester Academy Charter School (Gulen charter school)

Birol Ozturk

Board Secretary, Syracuse Academy of Science, per IRS Form 990 2008
Turkish Cultural Center Syracuse (Gulenist)
Dove Science Academy (Gulen charter school in Oklahoma)
involved with Institute of Interfaith Dialog (Gulenist organization)

Kamil Toprak

System Administrator, Lotus Media Productions (Gulenist corporation and vendor to Gulen charter schools)
IT Manager / Computer Teacher, Hampden Charter School Of Science (Gulen charter school in MA)
IT Manager / Computer Teacher, Truebright Science Academy Charter School (Gulen charter school in PA)
IT Manager / Computer Teacher, Syracuse Academy of Science Charter School

Taha Uzumcu

computer science teacher, Syracuse Academy of Science
involved with Turkish Cultural Center Syracuse (Gulenist organization)

Halil Yavuz

Syracuse Academy of Science
Turkish Cultural Center Syracuse (Gulenist)
Shown on 2007 IRS Form 990 as Director, High Way Education (Gulenist corporation)

Yildiray Yildirim

Syracuse Academy of Science
Editorial Board, Eurasian Journal of Business and Economics (Gulenist publication)
Editorial Board, Journal of Economic and Social Studies (Gulenist publication)

No comments:

"A Black Agenda Radio commentary by Glen Ford

What media call "philanthropy" for the public schools are actually seed monies to establish a private "market" in publicly-financed education - an enterprise worth trillions if successfully penetrated by corporate America. Cory Booker, one of the "New Black Leaders" financed by the filthy rich, is key to creating a "nationwide corporate-managed schools network paid for by public funds but run by private managers.

"Ed Reformers" want to cash in on public education and to control its content and outcome, not improve it. Provide great education? Baby boomers had as close as this country has ever gotten to it when we were growing up. The Ed Reform Movement has no interest in seeing such a well-educated, democratically astute population ever again.

http://blackagendareport.com/content/cory-booker-clear-and-present-threat-public-education

History of the UFT Pre-Weingarten Years

This award-winning series of articles by Jack Schierenbeck originally appeared in the New York Teacher in 1996 and 1997.

Naturally, from a certain point of view. But, despite certain biases, Schierenbeck, a great guy, was one of the best NY Teacher reporters so this is worth reading. Jack suffered a debilitating stroke many years ago (I used to get secret donations to ed notes from him through a 3rd source.)

This chapter looks interesting:

Class struggles: The UFT story, part 3

“The schism in the union over radical politics [is] a major reason for stalling the growth of a teacher union for decades.” Revolutionary politics and ideology take center stage, as the original Teachers Union becomes a battlefield, pitting leftist against leftist and splitting the union.

Clarence Taylor's "Reds at the Blackboard" focused on the old Teachers Union which disbanded in 1964 after suffering from anti-left attacks.

Of course for another view, check out the review at New Politics of the Kahlenberg Bio on Shanker by Vera Pavone and me: Albert Shanker: Ruthless Neocon

Effective Union Organizing

A video series put together by Jason Mann from the British Columbia Federation of Teachers about social media and how to use it for effective union organizing.

The first series was called New Media For Union Activists Roadmap and it's still available on-line at:
http://www.newmediabootcamp.ca/welcome/
I watched some of them and need to rewatch as they are loaded with information.

The second series started last week and it's called "Online Campaigning for Union Activists"

You can sign up for this free series at :
http://act.bcfed.ca/online-campaigning-for-union-activists/

You Don't Have A Choice - Join the Revolt

Ex-Harlem Success Teacher Comments on Eva the Diva

Ex-HSA Teacher has left a new comment on your post "Fear and Loathing at Evil's Harlem Success Empire ...":

I am a former Harlem Success teacher. Not many people who work/worked for her like her very much. I once made the comment that she is very nice when I first was hired. Two of her closest colleague responded immediately almost in unison, "Eve is not nice!" Over time I realized that there was a lot of political games going on. Another colleague once said to me that he was tired of "being part of a political campaign." Sending out 15,000 applications for only 400 seats in a school is reprehensible. The money that paid for those mass mailings could have paid the yearly salary of another teacher not to mention the heartache of all those parents who applied but did not get a spot. She does good work trying to give disadvantaged students a quality public school education but at a great cost to staff AND the school's educational budget! school budget.

Davis Guggenheim Compared to Riefenstahl

“Waiting for Superman" is the second most intellectually dishonest piece of documentary work I have seen. It is surpassed only by Leni Riefenstahl's "Triumph of the Will," the pro-Hitler propaganda classic, in that regard. Uses personal narratives of adorable children to create narrative suspense that overrides public policy discussion with pure emotion in unscrupulous attack on teachers and their unions, among others

Timothy Tyson
Professor of African American Studies and History
Duke University

How Teaching Experience Makes a Difference

Even as New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Michelle Rhee and others around the nation are arguing for experienced teachers to be laid off regardless of seniority, every single study shows teaching experience matters. In fact, the only two observable factors that have been found consistently to lead to higher student achievement are class size and teacher experience, so that it’s ironic that these same individuals are trying to undermine both.
- Leonie Haimson on Parents Across America web site

Full article with charts here.

Weingarten/Gates Foundation announce drone-driven teacher evaluation

According to a press release issued by the Gates Foundation, the AFT and the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, these three have entered a ground-breaking partnership to evaluate teachers utilizing the drone technology that has revolutionized warfare in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. A bird-size device floats up to 400 feet above a classroom and instantly beams live video of teachers in action to agents at desks at Teacher Quality Inspection Stations established by the AFT and the Thomas B. Fordham Institute.

When asked if the drones were authorized to drop bombs on teachers who exhibit inadequacy, Chester E. Finn, Jr., president of the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, replied, "Don't be ridiculous. Gates money puts other methods at our disposal."

Randi Weingarten, president of the 1.5-million-member American Federation of Teachers said the powerful union has signed on to the drone project...

More at Substance

The Real Reason Behind Push for Standardized Tests: It's All About the Adults

On standardized testing in our schools

A must read article about the standardized test industry.
Written by an insider who has worked as a test scorer, the article outlines a multinational industry based on an army of temporary workers paid by the piece at $0.30 to $0.70 per test, translated in the need to grade 40 tests per hour to make a $12 salary. The article goes on to show how the companies gauge the grading "results" based on the need to ensure new contracts to continue profiting off of our youth. The original article is from Monthly Review. Here it is on Schools Matter blog.

http://www.schoolsmatter.info/2010/12/on-growing-use-of-corporate-test.html

Parallels between America today and Germany in the 1920's and early 30's

"Resentment and obstruction are all the right wing in America have to peddle. Their policies are utterly discredited. Their ideology - even by its own standards - is a sham. They are so bereft of leaders, their de facto leader is a former drug addicted, thrice-divorced radio talk show host. That is literally the best they can muster. But they have built a national franchise inciting the downwardly mobile to blame the government, not the right, for their problems, exactly as Hitler did in the 1920s."

The US Is Facing a Weimar Moment

Published on Sunday, March 15, 2009 by CommonDreams.org

Chicago View of Unity/UFT on Charters

After many meetings and debates, the Chicago delegation succeeded in working with the New York United Federation of Teachers, Local 2 (UFT) to push the AFT to take stronger stands on charter school accountability and school closings — though many delegates from Chicago would have liked the language to have been even stronger.

Generally speaking, the New York delegation represented organizing charters as the best model for handling their role in reshaping unions, despite the fact that according to many reports few charter schools in New York have been organized as is the case in Chicago. This logic is the same touted by the Progressive Caucus of the AFT. The few that have been organized are a part of the UFT local though they have separate contracts negotiated with the help of UFT. The Chicago delegation reflection the mindset that allowing new charters to continue to proliferate while attempting to organize existing charters is an end game in which public schools and the union lose.

Jen Johnson, CTU, Local 1 in Substance

Ed Notes Greatest Hits: HSA Rally and Founding of GEM

SEE MY VIDEO ON HARLEM SUCCESS RALLY 2009:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEp7rg_L5JI

Angel Gonzalez and I attended that rally and used the footage to promote our conference on Mar. 28, 2009, which is where the concept of a group like GEM emerged. Until then we had basically been a committee of ICE working with the NYCORE high stakes testing group. The actions of Eva and crew helped spawn GEM. Mommie Dearest!!

I have more video somewhere. I was hoping to get Leni Riefenstahl to edit it but she died. We would have called it "Triumph of the Hedge Fund Operators."

Ed Notes Online

Ed Notes Extended