Why is there Turkish Language teachers at Magnolia?

Magnolia Science Academy on state statistics shows its over 70% Hispanic and ESL

So we beg to ask.............why is Caprice Young wasting our tax dollars on Turkish Language teachers?

NAACP calls for investigation of all Gulen Charter Schools

Did you know that Muhammed Fethullah Gülen Hocaefendi (pictured), an Imam who exited Turkey and is sequestered in rural Pennsylvania, is operating the second largest affiliated network of charter schools in the United States? (Yes, this is the same Gülen that Michael Flynn allegedly was trying to have extradited from the United States)

In the past I have blogged about the Gülen-affiliated charter schools in the posts Bad Charters, Bad Charters, “Whatcha gonna do when they come for you” and Gulen-affiliated charter schools are bad apples? and Empire of Deceit says charters squandering taxes and violating immigration laws.

When I watched the film Killing Ed, I was skeptical, as I am paid to be. So when I was in Houston to give a talk at Rice University, I ran into a former Gülen Harmony student and asked a few questions.

Q: Was it true that the Gülen schools were populated with many teachers from Turkey who had difficulty speaking English

A: Yes

Q: Was it true that some students didn’t actually do their own science projects as alleged in the film Killing Ed.

A: Yes

I spent more time confirming with the student some of the other allegations about lack of playgrounds, self-dealing, and aberrant behavior from administrators. I was shocked their behavior was being allowed in Texas.

So, I am announcing today, in addition to getting the negative attention they deserve from law enforcement and the media, the California NAACP has now stepped up to the plate with a resolution to call for an investigation of ALL the Gülen charter schools.

RESOLUTION #16 CONCERNING THE IMPACT OF GÜLEN CHARTER SCHOOLS

WHEREAS, there exists over 200 schools in the United States operated by the Gülen Organization, teaching over 80,000 American students. This organization operates under the names Magnolia Science Academy (CA), Horizon Science Academy (OH , IL), Harmony Science Academy (TX), Sonoran Science Academy (AR), Coral Academy of Science (NV), Dove Science Academy (OK), as well as others.

WHEREAS, audits having been conducted in LAUSD, the State of Oklahoma, the State of Georgia (resulting in their closure), the State of New York, have resulted in a pattern of massive accounting irregularities involving without limitation the use of Gülen related landlords such as Terra (NY, NJ), the Sky Foundation (OK), Harmony Public Schools (TX), Concept Schools (IL, OH), the use of Gülen Related Management Companies such as Accord (CA), Concept Education Services (OH), Apple Education (NJ), Terra Science and Education (NY), as well as others.

WHEREAS, Gülen schools; such as Magnolia (CA) have targeted the African American and Hispanic communities as shown in the documentary film Killing Ed.

WHEREAS, all 200 Gülen schools recruit teachers from Turkey under the H – 1B Visa program thereby replacing fully qualified American teachers.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, the California NAACP urges federal, state and local authorities to conduct forensic audits of both the schools, and the management organizations operating them.

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the California NAACP further urges that these investigations be conducted by state and federal auditors as opposed to state boards of education, as well as other relevant investigations necessary to evaluate fully the apparent, suspect financial dealings, visa misuse, and highly suspicious conduct.

If you want to understand depth, breadth and shocking nature of the alleged malfeasance against Gülen-affiliated charter schools, I highly recommend you check out the film Killing Ed. (Also, check out the Empire of Deceit website) As shown in the film, the Gülen-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 no matter the malfeasance shown to them. They use their charter lobbying associations in California, Texas and elsewhere to fervently protect these bad apples regardless of alleged illegal activity. While charter schools, their leaders, and supporters say vehemently in public that they support transparency and accountability, the $$$$$$$ that they spend in legislatures says loudly otherwise.

Incidentally, one of the Gülen-affiliated Magnolia schools petitioning for re-authorization was rejected recently by the LA school board. Although, the LAUSD board did broker a political deal to allow many, many other charters through. However, in the past the LA County board has overruled LAUSD’s local-control to keep the “embattled” Magnolia.

Please stay tuned to Cloaking Inequity for the other education resolutions passed by the California NAACP. Also, here is another controversial resolution we passed at the convention— but right and important. California NAACP seeks to remove ‘Banner’ as anthem, supports Kaepernick

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Democracy Under Attack: Fethullah Gülen School and Magnolia Bag Man

@9:00 Yunus Avcu is interviewed as being the Cash Man for 2 years that moved money

via cash from 1 charter school to another as described in LA Weekly Article

http://www.laweekly.com/news/did-a-california-charter-school-group-fund-an-effort-to-overthrow-the-turkish-government-7666698


EXCERPT HERE:  

Recommendation for Denial of Magnolia Science Academy #4 and #5, slated for Nov 7, 2017

An unprecedented number of charter school petitions could be denied next week because Los Angeles charter leaders are standing up against district policies they say require increasing amounts of time and money to satisfy and take away resources from the classroom.

While the district says the policies are needed to hold charter schools accountable, a coalition of charter leaders say the rules unduly limit the autonomy afforded charter schools under state law and their ability to offer a high-quality education.

The district’s charter schools division has recommended that 14 schools’ petitions be denied, including three new schools that could have accommodated 2,000 students. The existing schools recommended for denial, many of them high-achieving and serving low-income and minority students, have nearly 4,600 students.

While the schools could appeal any rejections to the Los Angeles County Board of Education, they must first go before LA Unified’s school board, and board member Nick Melvoin is hoping the district will reach a compromise with the charter leaders before Tuesday’s meeting.

http://www.killinged.com

In an interview, Melvoin said he wants to move from a “compliance-driven mindset to one of creativity and collaboration,” so that charters will be held accountable but also will have room to innovate.

“It’s been a problem that’s been exacerbated over the course of a decade as that mistrust and division have grown. We’re trying to heal it,” he said.

“My hope would be that district and charter partners can reach an agreement that puts kids first.”

PREPARING PARENTS

Already, schools throughout the district are preparing parents, teachers, and students for the news on Tuesday that their schools may be denied, and explaining that the schools won’t be closing and can be authorized by the county or the state after LA Unified rejects their petitions.

Meanwhile, a coalition of charter groups continues to work behind the scenes with the school district’s charter division to figure out ways to simplify the procedures and language for the largest charter authorizer in the country. Independent charter schools are publicly funded but are authorized by their local school districts, counties, or the state. Each entity has its own required policies for charter schools it authorizes.

“The district is working on a list of policies that could relate to charter schools that is non-exhaustive,” said Emilio Pack, founder and CEO of Stem Preparatory Schools, who has helped lead efforts since April to work with district officials to change the charter language. “I am hopeful, and we are still working on it, and we want to get to a ‘yes’ to approve all the schools.”

Pack found out this week that a new school he is seeking to open in South LA, STEM Prep Elementary School, had been recommended for denial by the school district’s charter division staff because he wasn’t including language that the district requires — including agreeing to the district’s ability to change the rules at any time.

“It would be irresponsible for me to include language in our school charter that would include policies that the district hasn’t even invented yet,” Pack said Thursday in a media call.

In a statement signed by the charter schools, they said, “After working for many months with LAUSD to solve these issues, we stand by the reasonable policy updates we’ve proposed that are simply necessary for us to keep providing a high-quality education to our kids. We are committed to running schools that put student and teacher needs ahead of bureaucratic demands.”

Four of the seven members of the school board were elected with the support of charters, and they form a majority that could reject the staff’s recommendations and approve the schools, even without the required language.

But last month the board unanimously voted to turn down a renewal petition for Lashon Academy, a high-performing charter school that offers the only Hebrew-language dual immersion program in the city. The district staff had recommended denial because Lashon’s petition didn’t have the district-required language. Lashon has appealed the decision to the county Board of Education, which is seen as having less stringent requirements than LA Unified.

Magnolia CEO Caprice Young has two schools facing denial on Tuesday, which could affect nearly 600 students.

‘BIG DISRUPTION’

“Having something like this happen to our schools is a big disruption, and there’s a lot of concern, but the parents know we are doing something right with the students,” Young said.

Pack’s STEM Prep and the two Magnolia schools are among the schools working to change the district’s language for charters, along with Equitas, Alliance, and KIPP schools. Eight Alliance schools are recommended for denial, as is a new Equitas school.

Empire Of Deceit click here

Six KIPP schools are up for a vote Tuesday, and they all have been recommended for approval, as well as KIPP’s proposal for a new school planned for more than 1,000 students in District 5 in East Los Angeles. It is one of only two new charter schools that the district staff has recommended approving. The other is for PRIME School, to serve grades 6-12 in Local District South.

“We have 14 charters in LA Unified and we want to continue to stay within LA Unified,” Marcia Aaron, CEO of KIPP LA Schools, said on a media call Thursday. “I would not be spending hours and days and weekends and evenings trying to negotiate if I didn’t want to be.”

Aaron said KIPP has three full-time staff members just to focus on LA Unified, and 10 who work on compliance issues.

Aaron’s schools are being approved with the caveat that they meet “benchmarks,” which are changes they have to make to their petition and re-submit it in a month, but she said the district has still not made those clear.

“There are things that we don’t understand,” Aaron said. For example, the district asked to include language that KIPP schools would form school site councils, which they already have.

School site councils include equal numbers of teachers and parents to help decide how to spend discretionary money coming to the school. “We’ve been doing that all along, so I’m confused about that. We don’t understand many of the benchmarks they have put forward.”

The school district, in anticipation of Tuesday’s meeting and questions for the charter division, issued a statement saying, “As the nation’s largest authorizer of charter schools, LA Unified has established positive and collaborative relationships with our charter operators. At the same time, we must ensure that the independent charters we oversee are safe, publically accountable and provide learning environments that support student success. While we cannot speculate on what will happen at Tuesday’s board meeting, we remain committed to providing options for our students and families.”

Cassy Horton, managing director for regional advocacy for the California Charter Schools Association, said the whole process remains murky with the district.

“We are looking for a stable authorizing environment,” Horton said. “No matter what happens on Tuesday, folks are committed to making improvements to policies that we believe are reasonable and straightforward.”

So far, those discussions have not included filing a lawsuit, as the charter group has had to do in the past with LA Unified.

‘A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY’

One of the requests the charters are seeking, Pack said, is allowing an approved charter school to co-locate on a district school’s campus for the duration of its five-year approval, rather than having to apply every year for available space on district property.

“It causes a lot of uncertainty not knowing how many classrooms we’re going to have,” said Pack, who said the current policy keeps charters from working collaboratively with district schools or applying for grant money to improve facilities.

Pack said the charters and the district have been able to reach compromises in language involving health and safety, transitional kindergarten, special education, and insurance issues.

One sticking point is an increased authority that the district gives its own Office of Inspector General, which helps the charter division investigate charters when they are up for renewal.

The charter schools want the OIG office to stay within state and federal guidelines. Some of the charter groups said they feel that the district’s OIG office has investigative overreach comparable to the FBI, and that is unnecessary.

Aaron said that KIPP is not pushing back on the OIG issue and that it could be a reason for the recommendation for approval for all the KIPP petitions.

In the statement signed by the charter schools, they said, “We have known that seeking better policies could cause complications for our petitions — this is a risk we have been willing to take.”

http://laschoolreport.com/la-charter-schools-risk-denials-by-lausd-rather-than-accept-bureaucratic-demands/

LA Weekly Article Did Magnolia fund Turkish Coup

Magnolia Science Academy #4, Statement of Facts for Denial from Gulen Cemaat