Gulen schools and their booming H1B visa applications


Consider the following (based on the list Top 100 H1b Visa Sponsors In Secondary School Education Since 2008 appearing on 7/23/2010):
  • The Gulen schools and their related organizations account for 31.5% of all H1B visa applications requested by the top 100 secondary school education H1B visa sponsors. (Table 1)
  • Of the top 100 secondary school education H1B visa sponsors, 34 of the 100 sponsors were Gulen schools or their related organizations.
  • A total of 4277 visas were requested by the top 100 sponsors.
  • The Gulen schools, or their related organizations, submitted 1349 of the 4277 secondary school applications
  • There were fewer than 100 U.S. Gulen schools in operation during that year. Read about the characteristics of these schools here.
  • The Cosmos Foundation, which operates approximately 27 Gulen schools in Texas, ranked #1 with 521 visa applications. These schools are heavily, but not exclusively, staffed with Turkish and Turkic teachers. The administrators and founders are nearly exclusively Turkish males.
  • To contrast, Global Teachers Research Resources (a teacher headhunting organization) ranked #2 with 325 visa applications. GTRR’s newsletters reveal a wide range of teacher nationalities.
  • Further investigation is likely to reveal that close to 100% of the visa applications of the Gulen schools and their related organizations will be for individuals from Turkey.
  • Public school districts also applied for visas. In fact, seven of the top-20 largest school districts in the country were also top-100 sponsors for visa applications. These seven districts represent nearly 2,900,000 students attending approximately 3,831 schools. (Table 2)
  • When averaged, seven of the top-20 largest school districts in the country submitted one H1B visa application for every 6.2 schools.
  • The average number of visa applications for the Gulen schools was 13.5 H1B visa applications per school!
The hypothesis which has been presented elsewhere in the blogosphere is that the Gulenists operating the charter schools and their related organizations use “teacher shortage” as their rationale for bringing more and more fellow Hizmet volunteers (A.K.A. Gulen missionaries) into the U.S. It is important to note that – unlike a more typical teacher headhunting organization – these schools exclusively seek only those foreign teachers who are Turkish or Turkic, and primarily male. And as more and more Gulen schools are established, the number of Gulen missionaries working as Turkish charter school teachers -- courtesy of all those H1B visas -- can continue to grow. Ten more Gulen charter schools are scheduled to open this coming fall.*
GULEN SCHOOLS & THEIR RELATED ORGANIZATIONS ONLY
Visa
Rank
Company
EIN = Federal
Employer ID Number*
H1B Visa Applications
Notes
1
Cosmos Foundation dba Harmony Science Academy
760615245
521
~30 charter schools in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Tennessee
9
Cosmos Foundation [dba Harmony Public Schools
760615245
101
Same as above
10
Riverwalk Education Foundation
760615245
97
4 charter schools in Texas, dba School of Science & Technology
15
Pelican Educational Foundation [dba Abramson Science & Technology Charter School]
203801713
58
2 charter schools in Louisiana
16
Dove Science Academy [dba Sky Foundation]
731578930
57
3 Gulen charter schools in Oklahoma, plus one attempt in Arkansas
18
Lisa Academy
061665076
53
2 charter schools in Arkansas, under Little Scholars of Arkansas (LISA) Foundation
22
Dove Science Academy Oklahoma City
731578930
42
2 charter schools in Oklahoma
26
Sonoran Science Academy (also dba Daisy Education Corporation)
860990917
33
8 charter schools in Arizona
32
421692516
26
2, possibly 3, charter schools in Missouri
35
Horizon Science Academy Dayton High Sc
201849958
24
Single charter school in Ohio
41
Beehive Educational Services
200912672
20
Single charter school in Utah
45
Horizon Science Academy

19
Unspecified number of charter schools in Ohio
48
Fulton Science Academy
582512910
18
3 charter schools in Georgia
49
Magnolia Educational and Research Foundation
954649884
17
12 charter schools in California
53
Hampden Charter School Of Science
unknown
16
Single charter school in Massachusetts
53
Paterson Charter School For Sci&tech
223799763
16
Single charter school in New Jersey
58
Paragon Education
201634330
15
Single charter school in AZ; affiliated with Daisy Educational Corporation dba Sonoran Science Academy
58
223261282
15
Operates a private Gulen school in NJ (Pioneer Science Academy A.K.A. Pioneer Academy of Science); sometimes written “Milkyway”
58
421692516
15
See other “Millennium” organization above
58
River City Education Services (FL)
205773949
15
Involved with schools in FL; some sort of relationship to the Grace Institute.
64
Cosmos Foundation Inc, Dba Harmony School Of Innov
760615245
14
See Cosmos Foundation above
64
Horizon Educational Services Of Columbus
311657839
14
Single charter school in Ohio (?)

64
wellspring cultural educational foundation
061610852
14
This may be the organization which oversees Putnam Science Academy, a private boarding school in Connecticut. More notes below.
77
Brooklyn Amity School
113511046
12
A private Gulen school in NYC, described as a Turkish school by Today’s Zaman
77
Chicago Math. And Sci. Acdmy. Charter Sch
450532536
12
Single charter school in IL
77
Buffalo Academy of Science Charter School
200723492
12
Single charter school in NY
77
Horizon Science Academy Cleveland High School

12
Single charter school in OH
77
Burlington American Turkish Org
470947586
12
For teacher positions in NJ; unspecified school
77
Daisy Education [dba Sonoran Science Academy]
860990917
12
Daisy Education Corporation, see #26 above
77
Chicago Math. & Science Academy Char. School, Inc
450532536
12
Single charter school in IL (Chicago Mathematics and Science Academy Charter School Inc)
77
Sonoran Science Academy-davis Monthan
see SSA ranked #26
12
Single charter school in AZ;
87
Sonoran Science Academy Broadway
412263902
11
Sonoran Science Academy Broadway This SSA has its own EIN
87
Horizon Science Academy Elementary School
262061654
11
Single charter school in OH
87
Horizon Science Academy Toledo
200524037
11
Single charter school in OH
NOTES:
  • View 990s at http://nccsdataweb.urban.org/PubApps/990search.php/
  • The visa list features a Millennium Education Foundation as well as a Millenium [sic] Education Foundation; both organizations have the same address (5605 Troost Ave., Kansas City, MO).
  • Burlington American Turkish Organization sponsors teacher positions in New Jersey.
  • The Gulen schools in Ohio (Horizon Science and Noble Academies) are managed by Concept Schools, but they operate as independent non-profits.
  • The address on the 2008 Form 990 for Wellspring Cultural and Educational Foundation Inc is West Haven, CT, and its program is described as the following: “To establish, maintain and nourish Educational and Cultural programs for the benefit of turkish-americans and persons of turkish-american descent.” The form does not list a board of directors, but it does list the highest compensated employees who are school administrators for the only known Gulen school in Connecticut, the Putnam Science Academy, a private boarding school which was described as a “Turkish school” in Today’s Zaman. The principal who listed in 2007 is Ercan Tozan, who is now the principal of the Rochester Academy Science Charter School, a Gulen-identified school in New York.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG
At Fetullah Gulen.org is an article which explains the mission and experience of the Hizmet volunteers who are fanning out to schools across the globe to work as Gulen missionairies.
Pioneering Turkish Teachers Realize Long-sought Dream, May 31, 2009, Sunday’s Zaman (a Gulenist publication)

Marking the seventh year of this event [2009 Turkish Olympiads], the International Turkish Olympiads is just one of the fruits of the tireless work of self-sacrificing teachers who have moved to different parts of the world, being inspired by the well-known Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, widely considered to be one of the most influential thinkers alive today.
Having witnessed the harmony between the students of those 115 participating countries, despite the fact that they are competing against each other for first place in one of the 14 different categories all requiring mastery in Turkish, one cannot but agree that if global peace is going to be a reality one day, its existence will owe a great deal to those who incessantly communicate their transcendent love, which does not recognize borders or discriminate against anyone.
Walking among those students without even uttering a word, it is impossible not to see the beauty they form together. Students coming from Nigeria, the UK, Yemen, the US, Mexico, Tajikistan, Australia and 108 other countries around the world, hand-in-hand, are the perfect assurance for a better tomorrow… What about the friendship between Iraqi Sazgar Darabek from Sulaimaniya Girls College and American Denise Stacy Uraias from Texas Science Academy?
The fatigue and pain that needed to be contended with in order for these teachers to deliver a fruitful outcome cannot be underestimated. They made the sacrifice of moving to countries far from Turkey that most of their fellow countrymen have never even heard of and where the climates are not so pleasant…
…Each year, contestants are selected from every country where there is at least one Turkish school by a jury of teachers working at that particular institution…

This blogger, a Turkish teacher in Thailand, also lists some of the international Gulen schools.
Click to watch "HAYAL EDIN" a propaganda video about the event produced by Samonyolu TV, a known Gulenist Turkish TV station (hayal = n. dream, fantasy, etc., edin = v. obtain, acquire, etc.).
From the official Web site of the International Turkish Olympiad: "...from our land the power of the Turkish language would spread throughout the world.

Read more about the international aspect of this movement here.
SCHOOL DISTRICTS AMONG THE TOP-20 LARGEST SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN THE U.S.
Visa Rank
Company
H1B Visa Applications
Number of schools
Number of students
4
Prince George s County Public Schools (MD) #17
288
197
131,014
6
Los Angeles Unified School District (CA) #2
133
658
707,627
11
New York City Public Schools (NY) #1
82
1450
999,150
16
Houston ISD (TX) #7
57
300+
202,936
28
School District of Philadelphia (PA) # 10
28
291
178,241
41
Chicago Public Schools (IL) #3
20
675
413,694
64
School Board of Broward County (FL) #6
14
260
262,813

Total
622
3,831
2,895,475
----------
*Gulen schools scheduled to open Fall 2010

[None of this development is coincidental. Clearly, there is a business plan at work.]

8 comments:

The Perimeter Primate said...

Two visitors to my site this morning.

Referring URL: http://www.123people.com/s/ercan aydogdu
July 24, 2010 2:39 AM
IP: 88.228.232.63 (dsl88.228-59455.ttnet.net.tr) Windows Vista Windows Vista
Antalya, Turkey
Internet Explorer 7.0
Internet Explorer 7.0

["Ercan Aydogdu" (see above) has been principal at Sonoran Science Academy, & opened SSA Davis Monthan. Most recently he is principal at Bay Area Technology School.]


Direct Hit
July 23, 2010 7:54 PM IP: 78.176.85.27 (no reverse dns)
Mac OS X Mac OS X
Istanbul, Turkey
Firefox 3.6.6
Firefox 3.6.6

The Perimeter Primate said...

Someone at the Department of Education is reading, too.


Referring URL: http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CBIQFjAA&url=http://charterschoolscandals.blogsp

July 26, 2010 6:58 AM
IP: 160.109.63.190 (eduptcfwl01.ed.gov)
Windows Vista Windows Vista

Washington, DC, United States Firefox 3.5.7 Firefox 3.5.7

Anonymous said...

Let the Gulenites come to your page, and shamefully see they way they lie at tax payer expense. In their arrogant and ignorant attitude they feel they are entitled to raping the minds of American children to further promote the agenda of Turkish Nationalism. They don't have rights to our children.
It is excellent news that the Education systems in the USA are starting to examine the Gulen mis-Management more carefully, hopefully their attorneys take a look at their financials.

Anonymous said...

Lotus School for Excellence was denied.
I have not checked into it but have heard that NM denied an application to the Gulen people for a charter as well.
They are ambitious, moving quickly while the "Race to the Top" or should we say "Race to the Bank" is hot!
Now that there is an investigation in Turkey against Gulen's followers for their inflitration of Turkey's education, politics, media, military and police (sound familiar?)
It is a matter of time for Gulen and US Charter schools.

Unknown said...

simply i would like to ask a question to you,
have you visited the schools?
did you see the fruits of the schools?
Is there any complain from parents?
Do you know that the gulen movement does not teach nationalism even inside Turkey, and the neonationalists of Turkey are speaking againist the movement. how you blame them for propagating Turkish Nationalism in USA.
have a nice day...

The Perimeter Primate said...

Mehmet,

The main thing that bothers me is that the Gulen Movement is operating in a very sneaky way. Why do the followers who are running these schools do this if what they are doing is so honorable?

For instance, Waldorf philosophy schools are proud to announce their affiliation. Why aren't you guys doing the same with Gulen's educational philosopy?

Your lack of transparency and hiding under-the-rock business tells me that something isn't right.

And why have parents and teachers contacted me to tell me their stories of odd things happening at the schools, and to express their nervous concerns?

Have a nice day.

uha1 said...

I was researching the schools inspired by this movement; and came across to your blog. Obviously, you have randomly associated every slanderous information with the Gulen marked charter schools. Not sure how liable the information is but your bias is quite obvious.

Its perfectly normal that these schools will not operate perfect; may receive bad feedback from parents or teachers since they are quite fresh; but they are still an affordable great option for many states.

Blindly attaching these school will not assist any decision makers. Regards.

Anonymous said...

I'm researching our Frontier School of Innovation and found your blog. I'm not up to speed on all of the scandal you speak of but would like to comment about the quality of education our daughter is receiving from FSI. She is in the 2nd grade and has been with them since Kindergarten. The teachers are mostly local, but the administrators are all Turkish. She is thriving in school and is special needs. I credit the teachers and the administrators for having our daughters best interest in mind, and for the advancements she has made. Regarding any kind of religious or political propoganda... there has been absolutely NOTHING that has raised my radar. The school has my utmost respect. And since KCMO school district has finally officially lost it's accreditation, we as parents of a school age child are relieved to have a local accredited school to send our daughter to.