Magnolia Science Academy - Evidence of Affiliation with Gulen Movement

Magnolia Science Academy: Evidence of affiliation with the Gulen Movement

Magnolia Science Academy is a chain of publicly-funded charter schools in California run by MERF (Magnolia Education and Research Foundation), which was formerly Dialog Cultural, Scientific and Educational Foundation (often abbreviated as "Dialog Foundation") in Reseda Callifornia.

Attempted replications have included the two branches of Pacific Technology Schools, as well as the failed attempts of Orange Science Academy and Sequoia Science Academy (two proposed charter schools in California) and Pioneer Technology Charter School in Oregon.

On November 16, 2007, the Committee on Charter Schools of the Board of Education, Portland Public School District 1J, Multnomah County, Oregon, had a hearing on the proposed Pioneer Technology Public Charter School.  Several key individuals from Magnolia were present, and the school was openly presented as being modeled after the Magnolia Science Academy schools in California.  One of the most revealing lines of the meeting minutes was (our boldface): "There was discussion of the replication of the program throughout the US."

In an unsuccessful application for a new branch of the Lotus School for Excellence, Magnolia was said to be part of a "coalition" of charter schools including Coral Academy of Science, Lotus School for Excellence, and Sonoran Science Academy.  Data on the Magnolia schools were used to support the application, a further indication that all these schools follow the same model.

The Magnolia schools have purchased services from the Accord Institute for Education Research and Apex Educational Services (e.g. for MagnoXP, Magnolia's online information system), both of which are or were at one time housed in the same building as the Pacifica Institute (a Gulenist dialog organization) in Irvine California.

Kismet Investment Properties, Inc., a commercial real estate corporation, has been involved in real estate lease deals for Magnolia charter schools, and is/was located near Accord, Pacifica and Apex in Irvine, California.  

Further connections with the Gulen Movement are shown by the multiple affiliations (both past and present) of the following individuals:

Buket Aktas

• Board member, Magnolia Science Academy
• ESL teacher, Safiye Sultan Lisesi (Gulenist high school in Turkey)
• ESL teacher, Fatih University  (Gulenist institution)

Murat “Brad” Akbas

• Petitioner, Pioneer Technology School, Oregon (proposed Gulen charter)
• CEO - Accord Institute (Gulenist)
• Turkish Language Institute, Inc. (organization that runs the Turkish Language and Performing Arts Contest in Phoenix, which is one of the branches of the Turkish Language Olympics, a Gulenist competition active worldwide)
• Gave 5-star review of Jill Carroll’s book Dialogue of Civilizations at Academic Superstore online bookstore
• Bought home from Ahmet G Idil

Al Ataizi a.k.a. Alp Ataizi

• Apex Educational Services, MagnoXP
• Wife Nichole Ataizi works for Magnolia schools, is board member of MERF
• Pacifica Institute
• Likes Ebru TV on Facebook

Suat Utku Ay

• Magnolia Science Academy board member
• Dialog Cultural, Scientific and Educational Foundation, Reseda, California
• Board of Directors, Accord Institute for Educational Research
• Author, Fountain Magazine

Suleyman Bahceci

• CEO Magnolia schools, Magnolia Education and Research Foundation
• Treasurer, Willow Education Foundation (charter holder of Bay Area Technology School, a Gulen charter school)
• Personal loan of $30000 to Beehive Science and Technology Academy (Gulen charter school) while working at the Accord Institute
• Board member, Accord Institute (Gulenist)
• Follows/followed Alptekin Kavi (see Lotus School page) on Twitter

Yavuz Bayam

• Board of Directors, Magnolia Science Academy 5, 6, 7
• Magnolia Educational and Research Foundation, Secretary
• Board member, Dialog Cultural, Scientific and Educational Foundation
• Principal, Pacific Technology School Orangevale
• In Nov 2009 newspaper article, says he “hails from India”
• Guide on Marty Stortz’s Gulenist Turkey trip
• In briefings of the Charter Schools Division of the Los Angeles School Board in connection with applications for Magnolia Science Academy 5, 6 and 7, board member Bayam is described only as a “visiting Scholar at UC Davis”

Murat Biyik (sometimes misspelled Morat Biyik)

• Principal, Magnolia Science Academy 5
• Sonoran Science Academy
• Beehive Science and Techonology Academy
• Personal loan of $61,000 to Beehive Science and Techonology Academy

Suleyman Bulut

• Board member, Dialog Cultural and Scientific Educational Foundation
• Apex Educational Services (Gulenist business)

Adnan Doyuran

• Momentum Middle School (now Magnolia Science Academy)
• Lotus School for Excellence (Gulen charter school in Colorado)
• Orange Science Academy (proposed Gulen charter school in California)
• Sequoia Science Academy (proposed Gulen charter school in California)

Bahtiyar Erdogan

• CEO, Kismet Investment Property
• Vice President, California Turkish American Chamber of Commerce (Gulenist)
• Interfaith Dialog Center, New Jersey  (Gulenist)
• E & M Light Construction Limited Company, along with Mehmet F Taskan, who has been involved with Gulen charter schools and charter holder companies in Florida

Erdem Ersoz

• Magnolia Science Academy
• Pacific Technology School

Engin Eryilmaz

• Magnolia Science Academy
• Isik College, Australia  (Gulenist school)

Nuh Gedik

• Board of Directors, Magnolia Science Academy 6
• Magnolia Educational and Research Foundation
• Board of Directors, Dialog Cultural, Scientific and Educational Foundation
• Author of 2 articles in Fountain Magazine  (Gulenist publication; Fethullah Gulen writes lead article of each issue)
• Guest speaker, Accord Institute AMSP summer camp
• Trustee, Board Member, Pioneer Charter School of Science

Andy Gokce

• Petitioner, Magnolia Science Academy—Santa Clara Charter School
• Petitioner, Pioneer Technology Charter School, Portland  (proposed Gulen charter school)

Hakan Golbasi

• Spoke at 2009 Santa Clara Board of Education meeting as "parent" in favor of Magnolia Science Academy – Santa Clara
• Gave 5-star review on amazon.com to Jill Carroll’s book on Fethullah Gulen, “Dialogue of Civilizations”

Ali Gurel

• Accord Institute math coach
• Petitioner, Orange Science Academy, proposed Gulen charter school in CA

Varol Gurler

• Magnolia Science Academy Reseda
• Sonoran Science Academy, Arizona
• Lotus School for Excellence, Colorado

Alper Halbutogullari

• Spoke at 2009 Santa Clara Board of Education meeting as "parent" in favor of Magnolia Science Academy – Santa Clara
• Accord Institute for Education Research

Huseyin "Joseph" Hurmali

• Board President - Magnolia Educational and Research Foundation
• Bought home from Ahmet G Idil

Ahmet G Idil

• Magnolia Science Academy 
• Agent for Kismet Investment Property, Inc.  (Gulenist company)
• Tughra Books  (Gulenist publisher of many books by Fethullah Gulen or other members of the Gulen Movement)

Davut Karabay, a.k.a. Davud Karabay

• Treasurer, Financial Advisor, Rose Education Center, charter company for Pioneer Technology School, proposed Gulen charter school in Oregon
• Development Team, Pioneer Technology Charter School, as per application
• Acacia Foundation (Gulenist organization in state of Washington)
• Connected to Ali Ozmez on Facebook; Ozmez' wife Senay Ozmez was affiliated with Daisy Education Corporation in Arizona

Hakki Karaman

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

Fatih Karatas

• Magnolia Science Academy 1 Reseda
• Principal, Sonoran Science Academy

Nazmi M Kaynak a.k.a. Mustafa Nazmi Kaynak

• Magnolia Science Academy
• Pacific Technology School

Mustafa Keskin

• Magnolia Science Academy
• Rose Education Center, charter holder company for Pioneer Technology School (proposed Gulen charter school in Oregon)

Selcuk "Steven" Keskinturk

• Pacific Technology School Santa Ana
• Vice Prinicpal, Teacher, Bay Area Technology School

Ozgur Koca

• Pacifica Institute
• Magnolia Science Academy, Reseda

Ertugrul Kostereli, a.k.a. Ertugrul Kosterelli

• Petitioner, Pioneer Technology School (proposed Gulen charter school in Portland, Oregon)
• Rose Education Center (charter holder company for proposed Pioneer school)
• Foundation for Intercultural Dialog, Arizona  (Gulenist)
• Advertised Anatolian Cultures and Food Festival (Gulenist event) as “must-see event” on TASCA's Facebook page 
• Gave talk entitled "Gulen Movement" at Interfaith Council of Greater Portland, 2008

Adem Kutlug

• Agent for Kismet Investment Property, Inc.
• Secretary, Tolerance Foundation, which shares/shared the same address as Pacifica Institute

Metin Oguzmert

• Magnolia Education and Research Foundation
• Magnolia Science Academy
• Spoke about Whirling Dervishes event in Syracuse, NY newspaper article; Gulenists actively promote such events nationwide, as the Whirling Dervishes have religious significance for them
• Received $5000 award in 2003, along with Bulent Cetinkaya and Huseyin Polat for "Science Academy Schools" template business plan in Entrepreneurship Competition organized by Whitman School of Business at Syracuse University.  Note that by 2003, a number of Gulen "science academy" schools had already been in existence for several years.

Omer Oralkan

• Lead petitioner, Magnolia Science Academy-Santa Clara
• Technology advisor, Bay Area Technology School (Gulen charter school)
• Pacifica Institute  (Gulenist)

Fevzi Oten

• Kismet Investment Properties, Inc.
• Tolerance Foundation  (Gulenist)
• Brother of Remzi Oten

Remzi “Ramsey” Oten

• Dialog Cultural, Scientific and Educational Foundation(original charter holder of Magnolia Science Academy schools)
• California Turkish American Chamber of Commerce  (Gulenist)
• TUSKON  (Gulenist trade organization)
• Brother of Fevzi Oten

Ismail “Ike” Ozis

• Magnolia Science Academy 6 Palms
• Magnolia Science Academy Bell
• Pacifica Institute  (Gulenist)

Orhan Ozis

• Apex Educational Services  (Gulenist company associated with Magnolia Science Academy)
• Likes CATA Chamber on Facebook
• Likes Anatolian Cultures and Food Festival on Facebook

Timur “Tim” Saka

• Magnolia Science Academy Reseda
• Beehive Science and Technology Academy  (Gulen charter school)
• Lotus School for Excellence  (Gulen charter school)

Ridvan Sahan

• Spoke at 2009 Santa Clara Board of Education meeting as "parent" in favor of Magnolia Science Academy – Santa Clara
• Pacifica Institute  (Gulenist)

Ertan Salik

• President, Magnolia Science Academy
• Dialog Cultural, Scientific and Educational Foundation
• Accord Institute for Education Research
• Author, Fountain Magazine (Gulenist publication; Fethullah Gulen writes lead article of each issue)
• Petitioner, Orange Science Academy (proposed Gulen charter school in CA)
• President, Vice President, Dialog Cultural, Scientific & Educational Foundation

Fatih Sarigoz

• Magnolia Science Academy
• President, Silicon Valley branch of the Pacifica Institute  (Gulenist)
• Lehigh Mosaica Foundation  (Gulenist)
• Wife Serap Sarigoz likes Bay Area Cultural Connections (Gulenist) on Facebook
• Follows/followed Alptekin Kavi (see Lotus School page) on Twitter
• Spoke at 2009 Santa Clara Board of Education meeting as "engineer" in favor of Magnolia Science Academy – Santa Clara

Osman Sen

• Magnolia Science Academy
• Board member, Accord Institute for Education Research

Saken Sherkhanov

• Vice President, Magnolia Education and Research Foundation
• Author, Fountain Magazine (Gulenist publication; Fethullah Gulen writes lead article of each issue)
• Facebook friend of Fatih Karatas
• Petitioner, Orange Science Academy, Gulen charter school proposed in 2006

Dean Sumer

• Magnolia Science Academy
• VATAN, Ventura County American Turkish Association  (Gulenist)

Duygu Ustun

• Pacific Technology School
• Magnolia Science Academy
• Board member, Magnolia Education and Research Foundation
• CATA Chamber, California Turkish-American Chamber of Commerce (Gulenist)

Tugrul Yanik a.k.a. Yanik Tygryl

• Rose Education Center, Oregon (charter holder company for Pioneer Technology School, proposed replication of Magnolia Science Academy in Oregon)
• Fatih University (Gulenist institution)
• Author, Fountain Magazine  (Gulenist publication; Fethullah Gulen writes lead article of each issue)

Joseph Vural

• Kismet Investment Property, Inc.
• Commented online on Anatolian Cultures and Food Festival

Bayram Yenikaya

• Board member, Magnolia Education and Research Foundation
• Wrote chapter for book Islamic Perspectives on Science: Knowledge and Responsibility, published by The Light (Gulenist publisher)
• Yamanlar College (Gulenist institution)
• Mentioned in 2009 Santa Clara Board of Education meeting minutes as "proposed mathematics tutor" speaking in favor of Magnolia Science Academy – Santa Clara application

David Yilmaz

• Principal, Dean of Academics, Math/Science/Computer Teacher, Magnolia Science Academy San Diego
• Math/Science/Computer Teacher, Magnolia Science Academy 1 Reseda
• Petitioner, Pioneer Technology School (proposed Gulen charter school in Oregon)
• Chief Academic Officer, Magnolia Public Schools

Erhan “Ed” Yilmaz

• Magnolia Science Academy
• Richmond Science Academy (proposed Gulen charter school in Virginia)

Tevfik Yucek

• Mentioned in 2009 Santa Clara Board of Education meeting as "parent" speaking in favor of Magnolia Science Academy – Santa Clara application
• New Springs, Inc. - Florida company that is charter holder of Gulen charter school