Magnolia Science Academy is without a doubt a Gulen Managed charter school

The Gulen Movement is fantastic at advertising, PR, and bestwowing fake honors on their students, politicians, local media and academia. The Parents4Magnolia blog is NOT American parents it is members of the Gulen Movement in damage control mode. Magnolia Science Academy, Pacific Technology School and Bay Area Technology is the name of their California schools. They are under several Gulen NGOs: Pacifica Institute, Willow Education, Magnolia Educaiton Foundation, Accord Institute, Bay Area Cultural Connection. Hizmet aka Gulen Movement will shamelessly act like satisifed American parents or students. They will lie, cajole, manipulate, bribe, blackmail, threaten, intimidate to get their way which is to expand the Gulen charter schools. If this doesn't work they play victim and cry "islamophobia". Beware of the Gulen propagandists and Gulen owned media outlets. DISCLAIMER: if you find some videos are disabled this is the work of the Gulen censorship which has filed fake copyright infringement complaints to Utube



Thursday, February 24, 2011

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Gulen Charter Schools- Federal Investigation "Somebody's Watching Me"


An article exposing a federal investigation into the Gulen Movement's involvement in charter schools (>30,000 students) has just been published in Il Sole 24 Ore (considered to be The Wall Street Journal of Italian newspapers): Un imam alla conquista degli Usa.

Yet still, the U.S. public remains uninformed about this whole situation because the American press has revealed very little to them.


------
Here is the translation.

An imam in the conquest of the United States -
by Claudio Gatti  -  Il Sole 24 Ore (Italy)
February 20, 2011

NEW YORK -  A Muslim religious movement wants to conquer America. In fact, in a sense it has already conquered and no one has yet noticed.  Nothing to do with al-Qaeda, terrorism or Islamic fundamentalism. We speak of a sect that is rather mysterious - so much so that it has been called the Muslim Opus Dei - founded in Turkey in the 1970s by an imam named Fethullah Gülen. And noted rather for its moderation.

After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, Gulen’s followers opened dozens of schools in Central Asia. From there, the network of “Gulenist” schools has spread across all of Asia and in many African countries with the aim of forming a new ruling class tied to Turkey and the Gulen movement. Eleven years ago, to escape the military, Gulen relocated from Turkey to a spiritual center in Pennsylvania that is two hours from New York. Since then, his movement, known among followers simply as "the Service" - Hizmet in Turkish – have opened a flurry of schools in the U.S.. The difference is that it is being done at the expense of American taxpayers.

Il Sole 24 Ore has been able to determine that for months, the FBI, Department of Justice and Department of Education have been investigating the possible illegal use of these education funds, a criminal conspiracy, extortion, and violation of immigration laws. "The suspicion is that, behind an educational effort, there is a giant conspiracy" a federal officer, requesting anonymity, explained to our newspaper. "The plan is as simple as it is brilliant: to use public funding for schools to educate a new generation of Americans favorably inclined to Turkey and thus indirectly to the Gulen movement, and also to spend some of that money to fund foundations and cultural centers."

Federal authorities have identified at least 120 schools opened in recent years by the movement in some twenty U.S. states, all charter schools, which are outside the loop of public education but financed by states and the federal government. Since each of these schools receives from 1.5 to 3 million dollars each year in public funds, it is a matter of hundreds of millions of dollars a year.

Those funds also serve to give employment to thousands of followers of the movement brought in specially from Turkey to teach scientific subjects. An analysis of work permits for teachers reveals that between just 2007 and 2009,  the "Gulen" schools requested and were granted 1,851 visas in three years, more than some major American corporations such as Motorola and Google.

Part of the public funds also ends up in the coffers of companies founded by Gulen to provide services to schools. Il Sole 24 Ore has identified two such companies, Concept Schools and Breeze Inc., which in various documents appear to have contracted for over 100 thousand dollars a month with each of six schools in Ohio suspected of being affiliated to Hizmet.

Gulen declined to answer our questions, but when Il Sole 24 Ore asked Beksir [sic- should read Bekir] Aksoy, chairman of the spiritual center of Pennsylvania where the onetime imam lives, if the founder has any relationship with these schools, the response was an emphatic no. And the school administrators themselves have always denied any formal relationship with the movement.

But federal authorities have documents and emails that prove the link. Not only that, they show that the Hizmet would split the U.S. territory into five regions, assigning each of these to a single responsible individual, and that each teacher "imported" from Turkey would be required to return a percentage of their salary to the movement.

The region including Ohio was to be entrusted to a Turkish imam named Veli Aslan, better known as "brother Veli.”  An email sent in June 2008 with regard to teachers who were late in making the paybacks reads: "Brother Veli wants to have all the “salary returns."  And he says to withhold future salaries from those who have not made them."

More incriminating still is an email dated June 13, 2007 and sent to the principal of a school in Ohio and copied to the CEO of Concept Schools, a board member of Breeze, and the Executive Director of the Niagara Foundation, a foundation personally headed by Fethullah Gulen. The email recommends "increasing the number of teachers from Turkey ... to acquire more money."

Federal investigators believe that proves the involvement of all the various branches of Hizmet - schools, service organizations, and the most important Gulenist foundation in the U.S. - in what they call "the Tuzuk conspiracy", namely the illegal financing of the movement at the expense of taxpayers.


The man
From Izmir to Washington


Fethullah Gulen, born in 1941 in Erzurum, Turkey, was in his youth a disciple of the Muslim leader Said Nursi. In 1966 he moved to Izmir, where the audience of faithful who attended his sermons began to widen.  In the 70s he founded the Gulen Movement, which takes its name, known to his followers as Hizmet, "the service:" an organization in no time very active in establishing schools, first in Asia and Africa, and today in the United States, with  the goal of creating a ruling class tied to Turkey and the movement.
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Friday, February 11, 2011

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

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


Monday, February 7, 2011

Magnolia Science Academy and the Gulen Turkish Olympiads


Magnolia Science Academy FAMILY (as you are lovingly called by Hizmet)
Did you think your local Turkish Olympiad was unique?  It is a clone of Gulen's
Turkish Olympiad in Turkey representing 115 countries.  Blessed by the AKP
party (Gulen's party) and President Gul of Turkey.  They are pleased that
the children of the world are learning Turkish, dancing Turkish, becoming Turkish
Moslems.

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Magnolia Science Academy- article by Steve Elwart

02/05/2011

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Magnolia Science Academy - Kerry Mazzoni on so-called "Gulen Charter Sch...


This is why Kerry is a 'FORMER' secretary of education and assemblywoman.
Kerry has no current knowledge of Magnolia Science Academy or any other
educational insitute.  Kerry Mazzoni is a paid speaker and did a speaking engagement
for Magnolia for $$$.  Maybe we can find the campaign contributions Pacifica, etc.,
donated to Kerry's failed campaign.  Note to who filmed this PR video....you will
have to do better than Kerry's word which means nothing to anyone that matter.  Kerry has been
out of office since 2000 BEFORE the first Gulen Charter School opened in California.  Hizmet, keep
craming a video or camera infront of your paid visitors or candidates running for office. 
Here is her unimpressive bio.

Kerry Mazzoni is a former California State Assemblywoman who represented the 6th District, consisting of Marin County and part of Sonoma County, from 1994 to 2000.
Mazzoni was a member of the Novato School Board. She defeated incumbent Vivien Bronshvag in the 1994 primary. She defeated Petaluma City Councilman Brian Sobel in the general election. Mazzoni was term limited out of office in 2000.
She later served as State Education Secretary in the administration of Governor Gray Davis. Mazzoni served as secretary until Davis was recalled in 2003. Mazzoni subsequently worked as a lobbyist and campaign consultant.[1]
On March 8, 2010, the Marin Independent Journal reported Mazzoni would run for the District One seat on the Marin County Board of Supervisors against incumbent Susan Adams, and was quoted as saying she wanted to "offer a different perspective" on Marin County political issues, including a controversial local energy authority alternative to service provided by Pacific Gas and Electric.[1]
Mazzoni is an alumna of the University of California at Davis.\

UPDATE:  it seems Ms. Mazzoni works as a treasurer for a newly formed lobbying group in Sacramento called "Government Strategies"  http://www.teamgsi.net/index-2.html
Magnolia Science Academy is Kerry Mazzoni's client.
So much for unbiased information, Kerry was paid for this appearance AND the Gulen Movement has posted this silly video 10 times on UTube as if posting it 10 times will make them any more credible.