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, May 14, 2015

Magnolia Science Academy Caprice Young claims victory over LAUSD for Bond funding





The girl works hard for her money, re spinning the Gulen cult
into a blame on the "recession" but no mention of $6 million in facility grant
obtained July 2014.  Caprice - Where's the money?
 
 
http://www.bondbuyer.com/news/regionalnews/california-charter-school-claims-win-over-la-school-district-1073199-1.html

LOS ANGELES — California charter school chain Magnolia Public Schools will rekindle its growth plans after settling a lawsuit against the Los Angeles Unified School District, which had tried to shut down Magnolia's schools there.
The charter operator, which has $6 million in debt, is now working closely with underwriter RBC Capital Markets for a market return to price bonds to support its plans, said Caprice Young, the education turnaround expert Magnolia hired as chief executive officer in January.
Magnolia wants to be able to grow enrollment in each of its schools from 200 to 450 or 750, which Young said is a much sounder financial model.
Magnolia, a network of 11 public charter schools in Los Angeles, San Diego, Santa Clara and Orange counties, provides a college preparatory educational program emphasizing science, technology, engineering and math.
Its Los Angeles schools triggered the charter operator's legal battle with the massive Los Angeles Unified School District, the nation's second largest with more than 660,000 students.
"About a year ago, it was clear that Magnolia was getting really beat up," Young said.
Magnolia had received conditional approval for two of its charter schools in Los Angeles.
"Then the school district took the very drastic step of not renewing their charters on the last Friday in June - and had them closed as of July 1," Young said.
The schools LAUSD moved to close are in Northridge in the San Fernando Valley and the Palms neighborhood on L.A.'s Westside. In November, LAUSD tried to close a third school located on a LAUSD campus in Bell.
"In all three cases, the courts sided with us to keep the schools open," Young said.
The settlement document between LAUSD and the charter operator allows Magnolia to transfer money between schools, which LAUSD had challenged as a practice, she said.
"It is really important, because our ability to grow is based on our ability to loan money to schools when they are in the early stage and have them repay loans to the larger organization when they grow," she said.
In the settlement, Magnolia agreed to sever ties with a non-profit that had provided educational services to the district at its LA schools, the Accord Institute for Education Research.
The charter school chain brought in a seasoned chief financial officer and contracted its back office work to Ed Tech, a respected back-office charter school provider, Young said.
In the settlement, Magnolia also agreed to restructure its governing board, hire a new auditor, and agreed to fiscal oversight by Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team, an organization created by the state's Education Code to provide fiscal advice, management assistance and training to school organizations that need it.
The settlement agreement also notes Magnolia's hiring of Young's new management team.
The conflict between LAUSD and Magnolia led to a state audit of the charter operator, formally requested by state Assemblyman Adrin Nazarian, D-Van Nuys, in July 2014 and approved by the Joint Legislative Audit Committee.
The audit was released earlier this month. Magnolia officials trumpeted the result as a vindication, though the auditor's language was more nuanced.
The California state auditor concluded there was no misappropriation of state funds, though it found Magnolia's "financial controls still need to be strengthened."
Magnolia's new leadership says it is already implementing the auditor's recommendations.
"We started to implement changes to strengthen and improve our processes while the audit was taking place to reinforce our ongoing commitment to high educational outcomes," Young said.
She said Magnolia's woes are a microcosm of what happened in California during the recession.
The state, because of budget problems, began deferring scheduled payments to schools starting in 2008, delaying them as much as six months, she said.
Charter schools lacked the access to public markets traditional school districts enjoyed to issue short-term notes while they awaited funding from the state.
Magnolia's inter-school loans were appropriate and necessary given the state's deferral of $10 million in funding to Magnolia, Young said.
The auditor found that it was legal for the foundation to temporarily loan state apportionment funds between schools, so long as the loan does not adversely affect the public school purposes of the charter school that loans the funds.
The state auditor found that LAUSD acted prematurely when it moved to close three of Magnolia's Los Angeles-area schools based on a preliminary audit conducted by the school district's Office of the Inspector General.
The auditing team had just completed the field work and the document was in draft form.
"The school district took the step based on preliminary information that was inaccurate," Young said.
LAUSD "acknowledges the actions on the part of the new leadership of Magnolia Public Schools to address the substantive concerns that the district raised in fulfillment of its oversight responsibilities," said Shannon Haber, an LAUSD spokeswoman.
"The District will follow through on its stated responses to the auditor's recommendations as part of our ongoing commitment to high quality charter school authorizing, as well as monitor Magnolia's implementation of its action steps," Haber said. "As noted in the audit, the District and Magnolia Public Schools were able to reach a settlement that allows both parties to move forward together in the best interest of students and in protection of taxpayers' trust."
The report notes that Magnolia is a high-performing network of schools that generally outperforms other neighborhood schools.
Magnolia sued in Los Angeles Superior Court in July 2014 to keep the schools open.
LAUSD didn't release the inspector general's report until October, which didn't give the charter school the opportunity to see the facts and findings or refute them prior to the release of the report, Young said.
"All of the charter schools that were not renewed are serving very high poverty students," Young said. "I was outraged; and when they asked if I would help. I said, 'yes."
The auditor said Magnolia's expenditures to hire skilled math and science teachers from abroad were "lawful and appropriate."
However, in the LAUSD settlement, Magnolia agreed to cease spending money on immigration fees for employees, other than renewal fees for those already hired, and to consult with LAUSD before embarking on any new foreign recruitment program.
Young said Magnolia has made significant improvements to the key areas of fiscal controls, compliance and accountability since it put in place her new management team.
Magnolia also implemented expenditure controls as well as payroll controls, training and oversight that were previously lacking.
The charter school operator also said it has instituted a new, transparent fiscal structure to ensure accurate accounting of revenues and expenditures in schools as part of a larger effort to strengthen its financial operations.
In addition, the board created a finance committee and an audit committee to involve all stakeholders in the accountability and oversight of Magnolia's finances.
"We are confident the progress we have made and our continuing commitment to improving financial, reporting and other internal controls will be apparent when the California State Auditor reviews our efforts moving forward," Young said. "Our goal is to be recognized as a model charter school leader in California and to continue to provide a high-quality, STEM-focused public education to our students."
Young said the audit is "really vindication of the work that Magnolia has done."
"It shows that when LAUSD was announced in the press that Magnolia was insolvent that it really wasn't true," she said. "This audit shows in July 2014 that Magnolia schools were financially sound."


Friday, May 8, 2015

Magnolia Science Academy - Wolf logo has symbolic meaning to the neo fascist Grey Wolves of Turkey

Grey wolf is a radical political party based out of Turkey, they are neo-fascist in nature and
military.  Mehmet Ali Acga who shot the late Pope John Paul was a Grey Wolf
Grey Wolf logo of Turkish Neo-Fascist party-
Logo of Magnolia Science Academy #5 resembles the Turkish Grey Wolf logo political party









 

Caprice Young new CEO of Magnolia Schools wastes no time having a Town Hall meeting with SC Magnolia parents

Dr. Michele Ryan saw the light

Caprice Young wastes no time had a Town Hall meeting with the parents of the Magnolia -Santa Clara on
Friday May 8, 2015 - Caprice is working her "magic"
Principal of Magnolia School-Santa Clara since he is a Gulenist Turk
will his head be on Caprice's chopping block?
Memories of the past Turkish Dancers at the 2013 Magnolia Science Academy -Multicultural Faire.
Actually the appearance of the jumps and costumes is probably more Greek in it's origin which was
the indigenous people of what today is known as republic of Turkey. 

State audit reveals severe shortfalls in truancy reporting from Magnolia Schools, financial and other issues resolved

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-magnolia-charter-20150507-story.html

California state audit has found that a charter school organization accused of financial mismanagement by the Los Angeles Unified School District has improved its bottom line but still needs stronger controls over spending.
The audit, released Thursday by State Auditor Elaine M. Howle, also found that the expenditure of $127,000 by the Magnolia Educational and Research Foundation to process immigration papers for foreign staff was lawful and reasonable.
In addition, the audit criticized L.A. Unified for trying to shut down three campuses in Palms, Northridge and Bell using limited information and without giving Magnolia officials adequate time to respond to charges of mismanagement. It said the district "may have acted prematurely."
Caprice Young, chief executive officer of Magnolia Public Schools, hailed the report.
"What's important about this report is not just that we're being vindicated, but that LAUSD has been called to task for its unfairness and lack of professional practices," she said.
Board of Education member Bennett Kayser, Magnolia's most vocal critic, said the district's scrutiny helped drive the charter organization's financial reform measures.
"I am glad this charter chain is fixing up its act. It is too bad it took this much effort to force them to do so," he said in a statement. "Charters in California live by very few rules but one is that they need to keep clean books."
In a statement, the district said it "acknowledges the actions on the part of the new leadership of Magnolia Public Schools to address the substantive concerns" and said it would continue to monitor the organization as legally required.
L.A. Unified sought to close the campuses after an outside audit performed last year alleged that the organization was $1.66 million in the red, owed $2.8 million to the schools it oversees and met the federal definition of insolvency. The Palms academy also was insolvent, the audit said.
In addition, the review alleged fiscal mismanagement, including a lack of debt disclosure, weak fiscal controls over the principals’ use of debit cards and questionable payments for immigration fees and services.
The statewide charter organization, which enrolls 4,000 students in 11 academies focused on science and math, denied the allegations and sued the district last year to overturn the decision to close the campuses. In March, the district agreed to keep the schools open under a legal settlement.
Charters are independent, publicly funded campuses; most are nonunion.
The audit found that some of L.A. Unified's concerns had merit. It confirmed that some of the academies were insolvent at points in the last three fiscal years, in part because of delays in state funding, but that all were back in the black. It also questioned 52 of 225 transactions reviewed, the financial relationship with one vendor and controls over fundraisers.
Young, who was hired in January, said her new leadership team has moved swiftly to address the concerns. Magnolia's improvements, she said, include a new chief financial officer and controller, stronger controls over spending and staff training. Under the legal settlement with L.A. Unified, the charter chain also agreed to submit to fiscal oversight by a state financial management organization.

Was part of the deal that Caprice Young cut with LAUSD the separation of "certain" Magnolia staff largely attached to the Gulen movement like this idiot who spent more time in Sacramento, CA trying to sway government opinion that he knew nothing about


http://www.scpr.org/news/2015/05/07/51523/state-auditors-find-la-s-magnolia-charters-grossly/
LA's Magnolia charters 'grossly' underreported truancies, state auditors find

The California state auditors found all four Magnolia Public Schools reviewed "grossly" underreported truancies – errors the charter network said it is addressing.
One Magnolia school, Academy 5, reported no truancies in the 2012-2013 school year, but in a report released Thursday, the auditors discovered the rate was more than 30 percent.
State auditors said the errors "could mislead parents of potential students and other interested stakeholders regarding the school environment."
Auditors also found issues with payroll and vendor payments, but concluded the once-struggling charter network was solvent as of July 2014
Magnolia's CEO Caprice Young said her staff didn't fully understand the state's truancy definition and are making corrections. Young said the truancy errors did not impact the organization's public school funding tied to average daily attendance, which she said is calculated separately.
The Los Angeles Unified School District moved to close two Magnolia Public Schools' eight campuses last year after the district's inspector general found missing and misused funds.
Magnolia disagreed with many of the findings and fought the closures in court with the help of the California Charter Schools Association.
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Luis A. Lavin sided with the charter network, and the schools remain open.
State auditors agreed "LAUSD may have acted prematurely when it rescinded its conditional approval of two academies," because it did not give Magnolia "sufficient time to respond to its criticisms."
"Was this vindicating? Absolutely!" Young said. "Do we have a lot of work to do? Yes."
Late Thursday, LAUSD issued a statement, saying it “acknowledges the actions on the part of the new leadership of Magnolia Public Schools to address the substantive concerns that the District raised in fulfillment of its oversight responsibilities.”
It added:
The District will follow through on its stated responses to the Auditor’s recommendations as part of our ongoing commitment to high quality charter school authorizing, as well as monitor Magnolia’s implementation of its action steps. As noted in the Audit, the District and Magnolia Public Schools were able to reach a settlement that allows both parties to move forward together in the best interest of students and in protection of taxpayers’ trust.

Did Caprice Young know that Magnolia Schools are modeled after Yamalar College in Turkey? 
 
 
A state audit of Magnolia Public Schools, a charter network operating in LA Unified, has found that the group’s financial controls need improvement but that the district acted too hastily in its attempts to close three of the chain’s eight campuses.
The report, issued today, brings to a close a long running episode involving Magnolia’s parent company and LA Unified efforts last year to revoke the charter renewal applications for three Magnolia Science Academy schools — in Palms, Van Nuys and Bell — over fiscal mismanagement and other financial irregularities.
The audit confirmed that the schools were insolvent at points during the past three fiscal years, but said that was due to a delay in state funding. As a result, the cash-strapped academies borrowed from schools with surplus revenues to pay off debts. While the district was critical of Magnolia for engaging in these types of inter-agency loans, the state audit concluded that “these loans served a useful purpose because they enabled the struggling academies to continue to serve their students.”
As of July, all but one of the loans was repaid, and eight academies are operating in the black with sufficient reserve funds.
However, despite an overall clean fiscal bill of health auditors say Magnolia must strengthen its financial and management processes, especially with respect to fundraising and documenting expenditures.
Another failing by Magnolia identified in the report is that it “grossly underreported truancy data to the California Department of Education.”

About 2,300 students attend Magnolia academies. Complaints of fiscal mismanagement and low enrollment have plagued nearly all of the campuses since the first charter was founded in 2002.
Still, Magnolia officials put a positive spin on the report.
Caprice Young, a former LA Unified school board president and the newly hired CEO, told LA School Report that the audit was long-awaited good news and proves that the organization is fiscally stable.
“It is a real vindication for us,” she said, adding that, “it is very, very critical of the way that LAUSD treated Magnolia.”
Young explained that Magnolia has implemented more stringent policies allowing for more transparency, including the manner in which schools report student truancies. “The problem there was that the staff was not counting all of the tardies as truancies,” she said. “But it didn’t have any impact on test scores or the amount of money we received for funding.”
“What the auditor came up with is a fix-it ticket. What LAUSD came up with was a death sentence,” Young said.
Ultimately, the report determined that “LAUSD may have acted prematurely when it rescinded the charter renewal petitions of two academies.”
Further, it said, the district did not provide sufficient time for the charter school company to respond to criticisms.The audit also said the district failed to share the complete results of an independent audit commissioned by the district with Magnolia until after it had rescinded the academies’ charter petitions.
The two sides reached reached a settlement agreement in March, resulting in the renewal of all three academies’ charters.

http://laschoolreport.com/state-audit-criticizes-magnolia-charters-and-also-la-unified/#.VUv7ccEq94A.twitter

NOTE TO CAPRICE;   A known fact around political and academic circles that you are working very hard to remove the Turks from the charter ownership.  You have pushed them into the background and put new faces "Hispanics" and other non-Turks to the front.  Until the members of the Gulen Movement are entirely removed from this charter school, it's all show for now.  You have retained some of their models for education and they should be removed as all the Turkish teachers remaining should be removed.  Hire American teachers that are not affiliated with the Gulen Movement, it isn't necessary to "target" the support of one particular ethnic group.   They as you know, have their own private schools and will never trust you or your motives. 
Keep waving the money around and making improvements, hopefully you can keep up the show long enough to push the Gulen Movement completely out of California.  Then the money can 100% go into your pockets.