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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LA County BOE Conditionally approves Magnolia Science Academy after 3 hours deliberation

It was the COUNTY of Santa Clara BOE that held Caprice Young and Magnolia Schools accountable.  Eventually the Magnolia Science Academy in Santa Clara closed they failed to meet many standards including a location.  Better the county overseeing than the State.

"The county’s Board of Education, which is now the authorizer of these charter schools, acted against the recommendation of the L.A. County Superintendent of Schools and her staff as well as LAUSD on Tuesday." 

"“Overturning the superintendent and staff is not something that I take lightly, but here we had a situation where the admittedly serious fiscal problems were under resolution under (Magnolia Public Schools’ CEO and Superintendent) Caprice Young,”

"County staff recommended denying the petitions for a series of reasons, including “potential civil liability for the county board” as a result of Magnolia Public Schools’ “clear pattern of poor fiscal management” and a “pattern of failing to respond in a timely manner to its (previous) authorizer,” which was LAUSD."

"not all student subgroups at the schools have shown increases in academic achievement over the past two years, according to the L.A. County Office of Education staff. County staff also noted at Tuesday’s meeting that enrollment has been declining at the three schools and called the attrition rate of African-American students at the Magnolia Science Academy 3 in Carson “alarming.”

3 Magnolia charter schools facing closure ‘vindicated’ after winning appeal

A sign at the Magnolia Science Academy 2 campus in Van Nuys on Thursday, December 22, 2016. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los AngelesDaily News/SCNG) 

By Brenda Gazzar, Los Angeles Daily News

POSTED: 12/22/16, 8:31 PM PST | UPDATED: 3 MINS AGO

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A man rides his bicycle past Magnolia Science Academy 1in Reseda on Thursday, December 22, 2016. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los AngelesDaily News/SCNG) 

Three Magnolia Public Schools, including two in the San Fernando Valley, were spared from potential closure after a county board voted this week to renew their charter school petitions on appeal.

The Los Angeles County Board of Education voted 4-1 Tuesday to renew the charters of Magnolia Science Academies 1, 2 and 3, located respectively in Reseda, the Lake Balboa area and Carson through June 2022. Two months ago, the Los Angeles Unified School District’s Board of Education denied their renewal. The three college preparatory schools, which are part of a network of 10 public charter schools in Southern California that emphasize math and science, serve about 1,400 sixth- through 12th-grade students in economically disadvantaged communities.

The county’s Board of Education, which is now the authorizer of these charter schools, acted against the recommendation of the L.A. County Superintendent of Schools and her staff as well as LAUSD on Tuesday.

“Overturning the superintendent and staff is not something that I take lightly, but here we had a situation where the admittedly serious fiscal problems were under resolution under (Magnolia Public Schools’ CEO and Superintendent) Caprice Young,” said Doug Boyd, president of the county board who voted in favor of renewal, on Thursday. “Since she got here in January 2015, we’ve seen major improvement in every single area questioned or the problem has been completely resolved.”

• RELATED STORY: Magnolia charter schools fight to stay open after LAUSD ‘death sentence’

Boyd said he was impressed by the “very strong” academic performance of the schools’ students, including high graduation and college-readiness rates.

County staff recommended denying the petitions for a series of reasons, including “potential civil liability for the county board” as a result of Magnolia Public Schools’ “clear pattern of poor fiscal management” and a “pattern of failing to respond in a timely manner to its (previous) authorizer,” which was LAUSD.

In addition, not all student subgroups at the schools have shown increases in academic achievement over the past two years, according to the L.A. County Office of Education staff. County staff also noted at Tuesday’s meeting that enrollment has been declining at the three schools and called the attrition rate of African-American students at the Magnolia Science Academy 3 in Carson “alarming.”

In October, LAUSD’s Charter Schools Division cited the Magnolia schools’ “failure to timely respond” to document requests from LAUSD’s Office of Inspector General, which has been investigating Magnolia Public Schools since September 2014, and the Fiscal Crisis Management Assistance Team, an external state agency that provides financial oversight. District staffers said that Magnolia Public Schools’ “repeated failure” to respond in a reasonable time frame to information requests “limited the district’s ability to fully oversee the fiscal and business operations” of the nonprofit.

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Had the L.A. County Board of Education rejected renewal of the schools this week, the nonprofit charter school group could have appealed the decision to the state. The state appeal would have been its last recourse to avoid closure other than pursuing litigation, Young said.

“We were given a real opportunity to refute the misstatements and to add in the facts that were in our favor that had been left out, such as the fact that we have a near 100 percent graduation rate and our students graduate college ready,” Young said Thursday.

Each of the three schools has at least a 98 percent graduation rate and among the students who do graduate, more than 80 percent meet University of California and Cal State University eligibility requirements, according to the national nonprofit GreatSchools.org.

Young, a former LAUSD school board president, called the concerns of the county’s Office of Education and LAUSD staff “unfounded” but said the group will “continue to provide information to any oversight bodies and overseers that they request.”

The governing board of Magnolia Public Schools currently has three vacancies that it hopes to fill with community members, Young said.

The affected Magnolia schools in Reseda and Van Nuys were in the top 3 percent of all high schools in the nation, according to an April issue of U.S. News & World Report. The Magnolia school in the Lake Balboa area was also identified at the time as the top-ranked charter high school within LAUSD boundaries.

The government of Turkey has alleged that Magnolia Public Schools has inappropriate ties to a Turkish national Fethullah Gulen, who has been charged in absentia there for allegedly trying to destabilize the Turkish government. Young, who called Turkey’s allegation a “frivolous political vendetta” that has nothing to do with the local students, said the L.A. County Office of Education staff and its board “were smart enough” to realize that was not a real issue.

“We feel vindicated and just happy to be able to educate our kids,” Young said of Tuesday’s decision. “The county recognized that we’re doing a great job in collaboration with our families.”

Magnolia Science Academy Conditional Approval from County     <----CLICK HERE

MSA 1, 2, & 3 All Renewed by LACOE Thank you MSA 3 Family! The holiday season is a little more bright with our recent news of the Los Angeles County Office of Education voting 4 to 1 to renew our school for five more years! 2017-2022 is solid and we say thank you for al of the parent, student, faculty/staff and the community. A big shout out to Carson City Council Juwane Hilton for speaking on our behalf! We are asking him to serve on our MPS Board! More details tomorrow but please visit our website for the updated academic calendar for the spring semester! Gracias MSA 3 Familia! La temporada navideña es un poco más brillante con nuestras recientes noticias de la Oficina de Educación del Condado de Los Angeles votando 4 a 1 para renovar nuestra escuela por cinco años más! 2017-2022 es sólido y decimos gracias por todos los padres, estudiantes, profesores / personal y la comunidad. Un gran grito a Carson City Council Juwane Hilton para hablar en nuestro nombre! Le estamos pidiendo que sirva en nuestra Junta de MPS! Más detalles mañana, pero por favor visite nuestro sitio web para el calendario académico actualizado para el semestre de primavera! MSA 3 Vipers

Magnolia Science Academy 3 1254 E. Helmick St. Carson, CA 90746 USA  THE SCHOOL THAT HAS AN  "Alarming" attrition rate of African American students. http://us13.campaign-archive1.com/?u=0d77908cc700f77c0469ede0d&id=943704748a A little-known county board overruled its own staff and the powerful Los Angeles Unified School District this week to allow three embattled charter schools to remain open. The reprieve represents a full turnabout for Magnolia Public Schools, which faced the shutdown of its campuses after L.A. Unified moved against them in October.

READ LA TIMES ARTICLE HERE LA TIMES MAGNOLIA