CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS

A compilation of news articles about charter schools which have been charged with, or are highly suspected of, tampering with admissions, grades, attendance and testing; misuse of funds and embezzlement; engaging in nepotism and conflicts of interest; engaging in complicated and shady real estate deals; and/or have been engaging in other questionable, unethical, borderline-legal, or illegal activities. This is also a record of charter school instability and other unsavory tidbits.

Gulen charter schools in California

STATE	# ACTIVE	# PENDING	#INACTIVE*	TOTAL
CA	12	unknown	10+ (two closed)	37

* Denied, withdrawn, closed, or unknown status

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TOTAL ENROLLMENT

2010-2011 = 2804 students
2011-2012 = 3293 students
2012-2013 = 3875 students

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SCHOOLS

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MAGNOLIA SCIENCE ACADEMY – 1 RESEDA
Status	ACTIVE: opened 2002-2003
Management	Magnolia Public Schools, AKA Magnolia Educational and Research Foundation (formerly Dialog Foundation); see green and blue boxes below.
Authorizer	Los Angeles Unified School District
Location/District	18238 Sherman Way, Reseda / Los Angeles Unified School District
Website	http://msa1.magnoliascience.org/
Enrollment	Grades 6-12; 499 students in 2010-2011; 521 students in 2011-2012
Notes	Varol Gurler listed as principal (CDE accessed June 2011).

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BAY AREA TECHNOLOGY SCHOOL
Status	ACTIVE: opened 2004-2005
Management	Willow Education Foundation
Authorizer	Oakland Unified School District
Location/District	4521 Webster St., Oakland / Oakland Unified School District
Website	http://www.baytechschool.org/
Enrollment	Grades 6-12; 188 students in 2010-2011; 230 students in 2011-2012
Notes	Also called BayTech; the 2007 application for renewal was originally denied; Ercan Aydogdu listed as principal (CDE accessed June 2011)

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MAGNOLIA SCIENCE ACADEMY – SAN DIEGO
Status	ACTIVE: opened 2005-2006
Management	Magnolia Public Schools, AKA Magnolia Educational and Research Foundation (formerly Dialog Foundation)
Authorizer	San Diego Unified School District
Location/District	6365 Lake Atlin Ave., San Diego / San Diego Unified School District
Website	http://sandiego.magnoliascience.org/
Enrollment	Grades 6-8; 308 students in 2010-2011; 309 students in 2011-2012
Notes	Formerly called Momentum Middle Charter School; charter renewed July 2010; Hakki Karaman listed as principal (CDE accessed June 2011).

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MAGNOLIA SCIENCE ACADEMY – 2 VALLEY
Status	ACTIVE: opened 2007-2008
Management	Magnolia Public Schools, AKA Magnolia Educational and Research Foundation (formerly Dialog Foundation)
Authorizer	Los Angeles Unified School District
Location/District	17125 Victory Blvd., Van Nuys/ Los Angeles Unified School District
Website	http://msa2.magnoliascience.org/
Enrollment	Grades 6-10; 227 students in 2010-2011; 287 students in 2011-2012
Notes	Erdal Kocak listed as principal (CDE accessed June 2011)

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MAGNOLIA SCIENCE ACADEMY – 3 CARSON
Status	ACTIVE: opened 2008-2009
Management	Magnolia Public Schools, AKA Magnolia Educational and Research Foundation (formerly Dialog Foundation)
Authorizer	Los Angeles Unified School District
Location/District	1254 E. Helmick St., Carson / Los Angeles Unified School District
Website	http://msa3.magnoliascience.org/
Enrollment	Grades 6-9; 257 students in 2010-2011; 293 students in 2011-2012
Notes	Also called MSA - 3 Gardena; Erdinc Acar listed as principal (CDE accessed June 2011)

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MAGNOLIA SCIENCE ACADEMY – 4 VENICE
Status	ACTIVE: opened 2008-2009
Management	Magnolia Public Schools, AKA Magnolia Educational and Research Foundation (formerly Dialog Foundation)
Authorizer	Los Angeles Unified School District
Location/District	11330 W. Graham Place B-9, Los Angeles / Los Angeles Unified School District
Website	http://venice.magnoliascience.org/
Enrollment	Grades 6-9; 105 students in 2010-2011; 159 students in 2011-2012
Notes	Mustafa Sahin listed as principal (CDE accessed June 2011)

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MAGNOLIA SCIENCE ACADEMY – 5 HOLLYWOOD
Status	ACTIVE: opened 2008-2009
Management	Magnolia Public Schools, AKA Magnolia Educational and Research Foundation (formerly Dialog Foundation)
Authorizer	Los Angeles Unified School District
Location/District	5616 Carleton Way, Hollywood (sometimes as 1530 N. Wilton Place=same location) / Los Angeles Unified School District
Website	http://msa5.magnoliascience.org/
Enrollment	Grades 6-9; 156 students in 2010-2011; 211 students in 2011-2012
Notes	Suleyman Karaman listed as principal (CDE accessed June 2011)

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MAGNOLIA SCIENCE ACADEMY – 6 PALMS
Status	ACTIVE: opened 2009-2010
Management	Magnolia Public Schools, AKA Magnolia Educational And Research Foundation (Formerly Dialog Foundation)
Authorizer	Los Angeles Unified School District
Location/District	3754 Dunn Drive, Los Angeles / Los Angeles Unified School District
Website	Http://Palms.Magnoliascience.Org/
Enrollment	Grades 6-8; 168 students in 2010-2011; 154 students in 2011-2012
Notes	Joseph Compagno listed as principal (CDE accessed June 2011)

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PACIFIC TECHNOLOGY SCHOOL – SANTA ANA
Status	ACTIVE: opened 2009-2010
Management	Magnolia Public Schools, AKA Magnolia Educational and Research Foundation (formerly Dialog Foundation)
Authorizer	California State Board of Education
Location/District	102 Baker St. East, Costa Mesa / Santa Ana Unified School District
Website	http://santaana.ptscharter.org/
Enrollment	Grades 6-9; 98 students in 2010-2011; 145 students in 2011-2012
Notes	Sometimes called Pacific Technology School – Orange County; Statewide Benefit Charter granted to new charter LEA (local educational agency) called “Pacific Technology,” a separate school district created under El Dorado County Charter SELPA; this school is barely identifiable from the street, it is behind another building and its entrance is not visible; David [poss. Durmas] Yilmaz listed as Chief Academic Officer (CDE accessed June 2011)

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MAGNOLIA SCIENCE ACADEMY – 7 VAN NUYS
Status	ACTIVE: opened 2010-2011
Management	Magnolia Public Schools, AKA Magnolia Educational and Research Foundation (formerly Dialog Foundation)
Authorizer	Los Angeles Unified School District
Location/District	18425 Kittridge St., Reseda / Los Angeles Unified School District
Website	http://msa7.magnoliascience.org/
Enrollment	Grades K-5; 96 students in 2010-2011; 121 students in 2011-2012
Notes	Irena Erangey-Millard listed as lead instructor (CDE accessed June 2011)

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MAGNOLIA SCIENCE ACADEMY – BELL
Status	ACTIVE: opened 2010-2011
Management	Magnolia Public Schools, AKA Magnolia Educational and Research Foundation (formerly Dialog Foundation)
Authorizer	Los Angeles Unified School District
Location/District	6411 Orchard Ave., Bell / / Los Angeles Unified School District
Enrollment	Grades 6-8; 441 students in 2010-2011; 481 students in 2011-2012
Website	http://msa8.magnoliascience.org/
Notes	under LAUSD’s Public School Choice (PSC) initiative; Ike [Ismail] Ozis listed as principal (CDE accessed June 2011)

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MAGNOLIA SCIENCE ACADEMY – SANTA CLARA
Status	ACTIVE: opened 2010-2011
Management	Magnolia Public Schools, AKA Magnolia Educational and Research Foundation (formerly Dialog Foundation)
Authorizer	Santa Clara County Office of Education
Location/District	2720 Sonoma Place, Santa Clara (2nd location; now occupying the former Milliken Elementary School)
Website	http://santaclara.magnoliascience.org/
Enrollment	Grades 6-12; 102 students in 2010-2011; 230 students in 2011-2012
Notes	This is the first of three Magnolia Science Academy county-wide charter schools granted by the Santa Clara County Board of Education in March 2009. This school did not open in fall 2009 as planned, SCCOE sent out a Notice of Violations in February 2010, material revisions of the charter were approved and the school opened in fall 2010; Tim [Timur] Saka listed as principal (CDE accessed June 2011). It was first located at 1095 Dunford Way, Sunnyvale.

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MAGNOLIA SCIENCE ACADEMY – MILPITAS
Status	PENDING: the second of three Santa Clara County-approved charter schools
Management	Magnolia Public Schools, AKA Magnolia Educational and Research Foundation (formerly Dialog Foundation)
Authorizer	Santa Clara County Office of Education
Notes	To be a 6-12 school. In March 2009, the Santa Clara County Board of Education approved the charter petition for Magnolia Science Academy-Santa Clara, a countywide charter permitting three new schools. MSA-Milpitas is the second of those schools and was originally slated to open in fall 2011. The petitioners requested and were granted a Material Revision of the charter to extend the opening to fall 2012. Both the second and third schools were slated to open in fall 2012 but were unable to find sites. MERF requested a revision to its charter on 7/25/2012, asking permission to open the two remaining SCCOE-approved schools in 2013. The BOE considered the request on 8/8/2012.

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MAGNOLIA SCIENCE ACADEMY (third Santa Clara County site, likely San Jose)
Status	PENDING: the third of three Santa Clara County-approved charter schools
Management	Magnolia Public Schools, AKA Magnolia Educational and Research Foundation (formerly Dialog Foundation)
Authorizer	Santa Clara County Office of Education
Notes	To be a 6-12 school. In March 2009, the Santa Clara County Board of Education approved the charter petition for Magnolia Science Academy-Santa Clara, a countywide charter permitting three new schools. MSA-Milpitas is the second of those schools and was originally slated to open in fall 2011. The petitioners requested and were granted a Material Revision of the charter to extend the opening to fall 2012. Both the second and third schools were slated to open in fall 2012 but were unable to find sites. MERF requested a revision to its charter on 7/25/2012, asking permission to open the two remaining SCCOE-approved schools in 2013. The BOE considered the request on 8/8/2012.

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PACIFIC TECHNOLOGY SCHOOL DISTRICT (eight remaining schools)

Status

PENDING: eight more Statewide Benefit Charter schools

Management

Magnolia Public Schools, AKA Magnolia Educational and Research Foundation (formerly Dialog Foundation)

Authorizer

California State Board of Education

Notes

Also called “PacTech.” In 2009, a Statewide Benefit Charter was granted to a new charter LEA (local educational agency) called “Pacific Technology,” a separate school district created under El Dorado County Charter SELPA. Lead petitioner was Joseph Hurmali (AKA Huseyin Hurmali). Approval of this charter permits PacTech to open 10 schools in five years. So far, only two schools have opened. From the petition (pg. 82): http://ov.ptscharter.org/index2.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_view&gid=21&Itemid=76

List of Sites to be operated under the PacTech Statewide Charter School*	Location (District)**	Proposed Opening***
PacTech-1	Santa Ana or Costa Mesa (Santa Ana Unified)	2009 or 2010
PacTech-2	Sacramento (San Juan Unified)	2009 or 2010
PacTech-3	East Palo Alto (Sequoia Union High, Ravenswood Elem.)	2009 or 2010
PacTech-4	Oceanside (Oceanside Unified)	2010 or 2011
PacTech-5	Merced (Merced Union High)	2010 or 2011
PacTech-6	Hayward (Hayward Unified)	2011 or 2012
PacTech-7	Bakersfield (Kern Union High)	2011 or 2012
PacTech-8	Chula Vista (Sweetwater Union High)	2011 or 2012
PacTech-9	El Cajon (Grossmont Union High)	2012 or 2013
PacTech-10	Oxnard (Oxnard Unified)	2012 or 2013

* PacTech reserves the right to adjust the name of affiliate sites based upon input from local communities.

**PacTech will open sites within identified counties but reserves the right to open sites in school districts adjacent to the identified school districts if PacTech determines that the most suitable facilities are found to be located in those adjacent school districts.

***PacTech reserves the right to adjust the sequence and timeline of school openings as necessary to respond to circumstances at a local level, including the availability of suitable facilities.

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CENTRAL REGION ES #22
Status	PENDING
Management	Magnolia Public Schools, AKA Magnolia Educational and Research Foundation (formerly Dialog Foundation); applicant team members are Suleyman Bahceci, David Yilmaz, Erdinc Acar, and Mekan Muhammedov.
Authorizer	Los Angeles Unified School District
Notes	Letter of intent submitted March 31, 2011 to operate a newly constructed elementary school in Los Angeles. See additional information in yellow section below (“LAUSD’s PSC Schools”). http://www.laschools.org/project-status/one-project?project_id=3736085

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COCHRAN MIDDLE SCHOOL
Status	PENDING
Management	Magnolia Public Schools, AKA Magnolia Educational and Research Foundation (formerly Dialog Foundation); applicant team members are Suleyman Bahceci, David Yilmaz, Erdinc Acar, and Mekan Muhammedov.
Authorizer	Los Angeles Unified School District
Notes	Letter of intent submitted March 31, 2011 to take over an existing middle school. See additional information in yellow section below (“LAUSD’s PSC Schools”).

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SOUTH REGION ES #5
Status	PENDING
Management	Magnolia Public Schools, AKA Magnolia Educational and Research Foundation (formerly Dialog Foundation); applicant team members are Suleyman Bahceci, David Yilmaz, Erdinc Acar, and Mekan Muhammedov.
Authorizer	Los Angeles Unified School District
Notes	Letter of intent submitted March 31, 2011 to operate a newly constructed elementary school in Huntington Beach. See additional information in yellow section below (“LAUSD’s PSC Schools”). http://www.laschools.org/project-status/one-project?project_number=56.40057

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SOUTH REGION MS #3
Status	PENDING
Management	Magnolia Public Schools, AKA Magnolia Educational and Research Foundation (formerly Dialog Foundation); applicant team members are Suleyman Bahceci, David Yilmaz, Erdinc Acar, and Mekan Muhammedov.
Authorizer	Los Angeles Unified School District
Notes	Letter of intent submitted March 31, 2011 to operate a newly constructed middle school in Walnut Park area. See additional information in yellow section below (“LAUSD’s PSC Schools”). http://california.construction.com/california_construction_news/2010/0225_SuffolkWins.asp

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SOUTH REGION HS #8
Status	PENDING
Management	Magnolia Public Schools, AKA Magnolia Educational and Research Foundation (formerly Dialog Foundation); applicant team members are Suleyman Bahceci, David Yilmaz, Erdinc Acar, and Mekan Muhammedov.
Authorizer	Los Angeles Unified School District
Notes	Letter of intent submitted March 31, 2011 to operate a newly constructed high school in Maywood. See additional information in yellow section below (“LAUSD’s PSC Schools”). http://www.laschools.org/project-status/one-project?project_number=56.40058

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BAY AREA TECHNOLOGY SCHOOL – RICHMOND
Status	INACTIVE: 2005 attempt
Management	Willow Education Foundation
History	Lead petitioner Suleyman Bahceci; in Nov. 2005, WEF received a $405,000 state planning grant, the application was submitting one month later to WCCSD, and in February 2006 the petition was denied.
Authorizer	West Contra Costa School District

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SEQUOIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE
Status	INACTIVE: 2005 attempt
Management	Dialog Foundation (later called Magnolia Educational and Research Foundation, then Magnolia Public Schools)
History	Petitioner: Adnan Doyuran; unknown if petition was withdrawn or denied. In 2007, this school also appeared on a California Department of Education list of schools to receive a grant award of $402,120 under the federal Public Charter Schools Grant Program, pending the availability of funding.
Authorizer	Long Beach Unified School District

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BAY AREA TECHNOLOGY SCHOOL – SAN FRANCISCO
Status	INACTIVE: 2006 attempt
Management	Willow Education Foundation
History	Petition submitted November 2006; denied in January 2007. “Staff members did not feel the charter had adequate community support, and many of those who signed its petition for a charter were not San Francisco residents.”
Authorizer	San Francisco Unified School District

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ORANGE SCIENCE ACADEMY CHARTER SCHOOL
Status	INACTIVE: 2006 attempt
Management	Dialog Foundation (later called Magnolia Educational and Research Foundation, then Magnolia Public Schools)
History	Petitioners: Ertan Salik, Saken Sherkhanov, Ali Gurel, Adnan Doyuran, Sasha Camacho; proposal withdrawn
Authorizer	Newport-Mesa Unified School District

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BAY AREA TECHNOLOGY SCHOOL – SAN JOSE
Status	INACTIVE: 2007 attempt
Management	Willow Education Foundation
History	Submitted January 2007; denied April 2007 http://www.esuhsd.org/documents/Administration/Board_Meetings_2006_2007/BA_20070405/5_02.pdf
Authorizer	East Side Union High School District

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MAGNOLIA SCIENCE ACADEMY – FOSTER CITY
Status	INACTIVE: 2008 attempt
Management	Dialog Foundation (later called Magnolia Educational and Research Foundation, then Magnolia Public Schools)
History	Application submitted to the San Mateo Union High School District in spring 2008, denied October 2008. “...many questions arose about facility plans, finances, diversity and whether the school would offer a truly unique program.”
Authorizer	San Mateo Union High School District

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MAGNOLIA SCIENCE ACADEMY – NATOMAS
Status	INACTIVE: 2008 attempt
Management	Magnolia “Math and Science Academy” AKA Magnolia Educational and Research Foundation (formerly Dialog Foundation, currently Magnolia Public Schools)
History	Proposed to the Natomas Unified School District Board of Education in November 2008 by Metin Oguzmert and Yavuz Bayam; challenged and denied by multiple board members. Also presented to the Sacramento County Board of Education in September 2009. School never materialized. http://natomas.csbaagendaonline.net/cgi-bin/WebObjects/natomas-eAgenda.woa/wo/11.1.7.3.1.1

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PACIFIC KNOWLEDGE SCHOOL
Status	INACTIVE: 2009 attempt
Management	Magnolia Educational and Research Foundation (formerly Dialog Foundation, currently Magnolia Public Schools)
History	To be located in East Palo Alto
Authorizer	One of the schools under Statewide Benefit Charter granted to new charter LEA (local educational agency) called “Pacific Technology,” a separate school district created under El Dorado County Charter SELPA

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MAGNOLIA SCIENCE ACADEMY – SAN DIEGO 2
Status	CHARTER SURRENDERED: opened in fall 2010, charter surrendered in 2011
Management	Magnolia Public Schools, AKA Magnolia Educational and Research Foundation (formerly Dialog Foundation)
History	Approved by the San Diego Unified School District; opened in 2010 at 6365 Lake Atlin Ave., San Diego; charter terminated in March 2011 after voluntary surrender because of low enrollment http://www.boarddocs.com/ca/sandi/Board.nsf/files/8E7UC37B4FF3/$file/Resolution-%20MSA%20SD%202%20Surrender%2C%203-1-11.pdf
Enrollment	Grades 9; 8 students in 2010-2011
Notes	Also called Magnolia Science Academy San Diego High School; Ismail Ozkay listed as principal (CDE accessed June 2011)

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PACIFIC TECHNOLOGY SCHOOL – ORANGEVALE
Status	CLOSED IN JUNE 2013. Was opened in 2009-2010
Management	Magnolia Public Schools, AKA Magnolia Educational and Research Foundation (formerly Dialog Foundation)
Authorizer	California State Board of Education
Location/District	6550 Filbert Ave., Orangevale (near Sacramento) / San Juan Unified School District
Website	http://www.ov.ptscharter.org/
Enrollment	Grades 5-8; 151 students in 2010-2011; 152 students in 2011-2012; 138 students in 2012-2013
Notes	Statewide Benefit Charter granted to new charter LEA (local educational agency) called “Pacific Technology,” a separate school district created under El Dorado County Charter SELPA. Past principals: Yavuz Bayam (returned to Turkey; note how his LinkedIn page omits his years spent in California at UC Davis and at this PTS school) and Mahmut Altun (became director at the Gulenist Pacifica Institute - Silicon Valley).

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ABOUT LAUSD’s PSC SCHOOLS

In August 2009, the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education adopted the Public School Choice (PSC) Resolution, an initiative that allows charter school operators, LAUSD teacher teams, and other organizations to apply for the ability to run the district’s new and low-performing schools (“focus schools”).

In the first round of this process for schools opening in fall 2010, Magnolia submitted letters of intent for eight schools, but did not ultimately submit any proposals. http://notebook.lausd.net/portal/page?_pageid=33,1139388&_dad=ptl&_schema=PTL_EP

For the second round of this process for schools opening in fall 2011 (“Public School Choice 2.0”), LAUSD received approximately 200 Letters of Intent which express applicants’ interest in submitting a full proposal for operating one of that year’s 13 designated PSC sites. http://publicschoolchoice.lausd.net/Letters_of_Intent

Magnolia submitted letters of intent for two new schools (South Region High School #2 and South Region High School #4) but was not among the final 48 proposals which were submitted. http://publicschoolchoice.lausd.net/psc_2.0_proposal_submissions

Public School Choice 3.0, the third round for schools opening in fall 2012, is currently underway. More than 200 letters of intent have been submitted for 22 “focus schools” and 15 new campuses. Of the 37 schools in this third cycle, Magnolia Public Schools has submitted letters of intent for one focus school and four new schools. They are listed in the pink section above.

Final applications will be due October 14, 2011. Once they are submitted, they are evaluated and the LAUSD superintendent makes a recommendation. The final decision is determined by a vote by the LAUSD board members.

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MANAGEMENT

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MAGNOLIA PUBLIC SCHOOLS (AKA MAGNOLIA EDUCATIONAL AND RESEARCH FOUNDATION, FORMERLY DIALOG CULTURAL, SCIENTIFIC & EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION)
Federal Tax ID	EIN 954649884
Website	http://magnoliapublicschools.org/
History	began in 1997 as a nonprofit in Los Angeles. The group began offering volunteer tutors in 1998. In 2002, the foundation opened the first Magnolia Science Academy in San Fernando Valley.
Location	13950 Milton Ave. Suite 200B, Westminster, CA (same as their service provider, the Accord Institute for Education Research, see below)
Individuals involved	Ali Emre Uyar, Bayam Yenikaya, Buket Aktas, Dean Sumer, Duygu Ustun, Engin Eryilmaz, Erdem Ersoz, Ertan Salik, Greg Sotzing, Irfan Erol [AKA Ahmet Irfan Erol], Joseph [AKA Huseyin] Hurmali, Kelly Hourigan, Mekan Muhammedov, Metin Oguzmert, Mustafa Keskin, Nichole Ataizi, Nuh Gedik, Patricia Lane, Pauline Galeano, Remzi Oten, Saken Sherkanov, Sean H. Senturk [prob. Huseyin S. Senturk], Suat Ay, Suleyman Bahceci, Susan Bakshian, Sylvia Ayala, Varol Gurler, Yavuz Bayam, and Yusef Ateskan (source: IRS Form 990s for 2002 to 2009).
Notes	“...began in 1997 as a nonprofit in Los Angeles. The group began offering volunteer tutors in 1998. In 2002, the foundation opened the first Magnolia Science Academy in San Fernando Valley.” The Gulen charter schools in UT, AZ, NV, CA, and CO are all “members” of the Accord Institute for Educational Research.

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MAGNOLIA SCIENCE ACADEMY
Federal Tax ID	EIN 710880721
Individuals involved	Bayram Yenikaya, Dean Sumer, Duygu Ustun, Engine [Engin] Eryilmaz, Erdem Ersoz, Ertan Salik, Metin Oguzmert, Mustafa Keskin, Nicole Ataizi, Pauline Galeano, Saken Sherkanov, Suat Ay, Susan Bakshian, and Varol Gurler (source: IRS Form 990s for 2005 to 2009).
Notes	The role of this non-profit is unknown. Its rule date is 2006 and its address is the same as MSA-1 in Reseda.

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WILLOW EDUCATION FOUNDATION dba BAY AREA TECHNOLOGY SCHOOL
Federal Tax ID	EIN 061708283
Website	http://we-team.org/
History	“...founded in 2003 by a group of scientists dedicated to contribute to our society by means of science education.” “The Willow Education team was awarded a Public Charter School Start-Up Grant of $450,000 by the California Department of Education in June 2003.” In December 2005, one month after month after receiving a $405,000 state grant to plan a charter school, Willow Education submitted an application for Bay Area Technology School - Richmond to WCCSB. The Gulen charter schools in UT, AZ, NV, CA, and CO are all “members” of the Accord Institute for Educational Research.
Individuals involved	Ayhan Mutlu, Ahmet Avsaroglu (Matt A. Avsaroglu), Irfan Polat, Mark Donnelly, Marlyn LNU, Mehmet Sen, Melikhan Tanyeri, Metin Demir, Necati Sarisahin (Nick Sarisahin), Ozkur Yildiz, Regina McFarlane, Scott Roosevelt, Sefa Isik, Selcuk Keskinturk, Ercan Aydogdu, Stephanie Ali, Suleyman Bahceci, and Valerie Pugh (source: IRS Form 990s for 2003 to 2008). Only Individuals wTurkish surnames are board officers.

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SERVICE PROVIDER

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ACCORD INSTITUTE FOR EDUCATION RESEARCH
Federal Tax ID	EIN 260658913
Website	http//www.accordeducation.org/
Location	13950 Milton Ave. Suite 200A, Westminster, CA (same address as the Magnolia Educational and Research Foundation, operator of Magnolia Public Schools in CA).
Services	The schools purchase program development, curriculum, professional development, and financial services from AIER. The fee is not known.
Individuals involved	Adem Oksuz, Ali Korkmaz, Ertan Salik, Faruk Taban, Hasan Deniz, Murat Arbas, Osman Sen, Suat Utku Ay, Carol Barkley, Suleyman Bahceci, and Yasin Cetindilin (source: IRS Form 990s for 2007 and 2008, and website accessed May 2011)

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Figures below obtained from DataQuest at the California Department of Education.
http://dq.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/dataquest.asp

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NOTE: Learn more about Magnolia Science Academy HERE.

NOTE: Learn more about the Accord Institute HERE.

4 comments:

The Perimeter Primate said...: "L.A. district officials propose changes to Public School Choice program." Daily Breeze, 712/11

"...On Tuesday, district officials proposed altering the way that parents and students select their preferred bidder for a campus, after the school board eliminated a nonbinding community vote criticized for being too open to manipulation. Also Tuesday, a school board member proposed giving in-district educators first choice when applying to run new schools..."

http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/ci_18464394

Stay tuned.; July 14, 2011 at 9:44 AM
The Perimeter Primate said...: CA State BOE member Yvonne Chan was the member who seconded the motion to grant Pacific Technology School's SBC in March 2009.

Yvonne Chan had been on a free, Gulenist-guided trip to Turkey courtesy of the Pacifica Institute in one of the years just prior.

Yavuz Bayam, who became principal of the Sacramento area PacTech school, has been a leader on the Pacifica Institute's trips. So has Huseyin Hurmali of Magnolia.

Bayam was also a speaker at the SBOE meeting mentioned above as a "visiting scholar at UC Davis."

Who led Y. Chan's trip? Who had access to become best friends w/her for those 10 days? http://www.plts.edu/stortz_turkey_archive.html; November 9, 2011 at 10:27 PM
The Perimeter Primate said...: Robert Skeels presents ties between the Gulen movement and LAUSD Board President Monica Garcia:
http://www.dailycensored.com/2012/08/05/monica-garcia-champions-the-gulenist-charter-movement-in-lausd/; August 5, 2012 at 9:34 AM
The Perimeter Primate said...: The link breaks from time to time, but you can Google this phrase to view an article which appeared in Milliyet on 8/27/2010:

> Walmart’tan Gülen okullarına bağış <

Dünyanın perakande devi Walmart’ın kurucusu Walton ailesinin ABD’de Gülen cemaati ile ilişkili olduğu söylenen okullara milyonlarca dolar bağış yaptığı ortaya çıktı

Walton Vakfı’nın 2007-2008 yıllarına ait vergi beyannamelerinde altı ayrı okula en az 2 milyon dolar bağışta bulunduğu görülüyor. Vakfın resmi sitesindeki raporlar da okullara yapılan 150-250 bin dolar arasındaki bağışları doğruluyor. Vakfın en çok yardım yaptığı okulların başında California’daki Magnolia Bilim Akademisi geliyor. Vakıf belgelerine göre okulun farklı şubelerine 2007-2008 yılları arasında her defasında 250 bin dolar verilmek suretiyle yaklaşık 1 milyon dolar bağışta bulunuldu. Magnolia Bilim Akademisi’nin internet sitesine Türk öğretmenlerin isimleri görülüyor.

Özgün ders programı
ABD’de “charter” okullar devletten fon alıyor ancak yetkili kurumlarla yapılan anlaşma çerçevesinde kalmak şartıyla kendilerine özgü bir ders programı uygulayabiliyorlar.

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English translation:

Walmart donates to Gülen’s schools

The Walton family, founder of Wal-mart, the worldwide retail giant, has donated millions of dollars to schools considered to be associated with the Gülen community.

The 2007-2008 tax statements of the Walton Foundation revealed that at least 2 million dollars had been donated to six separate schools. Reports published on the official website of the Foundation also confirm the donations to these schools, which range between 150,000 and 250,000 dollars. The school that has benefited the most from the donations of the foundation is the Magnolia Science Academy in California. According to the documents of the foundation, a total of 1 million dollars was donated to different branches of the school in 2007-2008, in separate installments of 250 thousand dollars each. Turkish teachers’ names appear on the website of the Magnolia Science Academy.

Distinctive curriculum

In the U.S., charter schools receive funding from the government, but they can offer distinctive curriculum remaining within the framework of the agreements made with the authorities.

---
At the current moment this link is functional:
http://gundem.milliyet.com.tr/walmart-tan-gulen-okullarina-bagis/guncel/gundemdetay/27.08.2010/1281603/default.htm; September 5, 2012 at 12:25 PM

Inform yourself about the Gulen movement!

1. WATCH KILLING ED, Mark Hall's feature-length documentary about charter schools, corruption and the rise of the Gulen Movement in America
2. READ the "Expose the Gulen Movement" report.
3. WATCH the Gulen Movement 101: Session One webinar presentation (1/22/2014)
4. WATCH the 60 Minutes segment "U.S. charter schools tied to powerful Turkish imam" broadcast. (5/13/2012)
5. READ my response to the 60 Minutes piece.
6. READ my guest article about Gulen charter schools published by The Washington Post. (3/27/2012)
7. WATCH my interview talking about Gulen charter schools, or my presentation at LaborFest (segment between 49:18 min. & 1:07:36 min.)
8. READ my postings labeled "Gulen movement" HERE.

As one observer tweeted, "U.S. media have focused too much on the Islamic nature of the Gulen movement. Real concern is its shady dealings and improprieties."

Please be aware that Gulenists have created a large number of anonymously-operated damage control websites. They started to appear a few months after publication of Greg Toppo's article in USA Today (August 2010).

Remainders

1. Bruce Baker's excellent analysis of whether charter schools are public or private.

2. Jim Horn's Top 10 reasons for why 1%ers support urban charter schools.

3. What reporters covering charter schools need to know about miracle schools, vouchers and all that educational flim-flam (i.e. be skeptical and always follow the money).

4. As of May 2013, only eight states do not have a charter school law: Alabama, Kentucky, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, and West Virginia.

5. Balkanize: "to break up (as a region or group) into smaller and often hostile units" (Merriam-Webster dictionary)

6. *Phrase coined by John Thompson: "educational civil war"

7. "A system that allows school operators to donate to the officials that regulate them is pretty sorry." h/t "X"

8. Re the Gulen movement. Two important psychological principals of which to be aware: the Backfire Effect and the Black Swan Theory.

Pleas for charter school oversight

AS U.S. AID GROWS, OVERSIGHT IS URGED FOR CHARTER SCHOOLS; February 24, 2010; New York Times

…The president of one influential charter group told the House Education and Labor Committee that the federal government had spent $2 billion since the mid-1990s to finance new charter schools but less than $2 million, about one-tenth of 1 percent, to ensure that they were held to high standards.
“It’s as if the federal government had spent billions for new highway construction, but nothing to put up guardrails along the sides of those highways,” said Greg Richmond, president of the National Association of Charter School Authorizers…

CHARTER BACKER SAYS HOUSE PROPOSAL WEAKENS OVERSIGHT; April 30, 2011; Columbus Dispatch (OH)

A leading school-choice supporter says the sweeping changes proposed by House Republicans would weaken oversight of charter schools severely and threaten to turn Ohio into a "laughingstock of the nation's charter-school programs.

"It's hard for me to say that," said Terry Ryan, vice president of Ohio programs and policy for the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, which sponsors seven charter schools in the state, including two in Columbus...

It was just last year that Mr. Ryan said, "The charter movement must police itself."
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"The idea of regulating charter schools makes no sense because deregulation is the justification for the policy." -- Jim M., retired teacher

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Perhaps it's finally dawning on some charter school supporters that the whole business is a huge can of worms.

Message to readers

With the systematic privatization of public education being conducted via the rapid expansion of charter schools, I regularly receive messages from teachers and parents who have charter school horror stories they want to share, and/or are in need of advice about a charter school situation in their community (e.g., "The charter school I attended has been closed. Do you know how I can get a copy of my transcript?). I also hear from journalists who are seeking information.

Just so you know, this site is a one-woman volunteer operation. Sorry folks, I'm DEFINITELY NOT union-sponsored.

Welcome

Charter School Scandals (CSS) was launched on May 14, 2010 to provide the public with a source of independently collected information about U.S. charter schools.

For instance, compare what you learn from my entry for the 3,500 student CATO School of Reason to the information provided by the pro-charter Center for Education Reform in their compilation: "Closed Charter Schools by State: National Data 2009" (63 page pdf). In the CER's document, the closure reason is "Management" explained as "Inadequate record keeping, suspect relations with private and sectarian schools," but the true story is much bigger and dirtier than that.

CSS is a non-billionaire funded (and un-bought off!), non-union affiliated (!), one-person operation in the name of transparency and public service to our democracy. I post the information as quickly as I can, but have a massive backlog due to the sheer number of stories. Please check back periodically for new additions.

And as you scroll through these stories, be sure to keep a running tally of the estimated legal costs.

Gulen Movement MUST READS!

Under the radar of the American public, the Gulen movement has been quietly advancing its presence in the U.S. via the establishment of charter schools, "cultural centers", and "interfaith dialogue" centers. Politicians, reporters, academics, community leaders, and charter school families have been strategically targeted, influenced, and given gifts, as the Gulenists have steadily built up their political cover. But how many of these Americans have an understanding of the controversies which surround this secretive movement and its worldwide political ambitions? And how would the public respond to finding out that such a movement is opening more and more charter schools, supported by their tax dollars as part of the GM's primary global project, without being willing to admit the connection?

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LEARN MORE

1. Read about the federal investigation into the Gulen Movement's charter schools.

2. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: Islam, Secularism and the Battle for Turkey's Future, 23 August 2010, STRATFOR Global Intelligence

3. Video of Joshua Hendrick of the U. of OR and Y. Alp Aslandogan discussing the Gulen Movement. Here are the first 24 pages of Hendrick's 2009 thesis.

4. Charter School Watchdog

5. Gulen Charter Schools (don't miss the entry HERE.)

6. A Guide to the Gulen Movement's Activities in the U.S.

7. Gulen in the International Press

8. "Turkey's survival of the fittest: The Islamic anti-Darwinism movement in Turkey is being helped by an unlikely source - US Christian conservatives," 12 March 2008, ISN Security Watch)

9. "Religious movements in Turkey," 20 December 2010, OpenDemocracy

10. "First Class Revolution: From Medina to Mecca" and "Fethullah Gulen's Missionary Charter Schools Coming under Increasing Scrutiny in the United States and around the World," 24 January 2011 & 26 February 2011, Kurdish Aspect

11. "Turkey: Politics of Identity and Power," 13 August 2010, Congressional Research Service

12. "Turkey's pivotal role in the international drug trade," July 1998, Le Monde diplomatique (more background info)

13. EXTRA CREDIT: Check out the animated Imperial History of the Middle East and this Middle East geography game.

Bad apples, tips of icebergs, and cans of worms

In 2000, the Center for Education Reform wrote:
"A few bad apples shouldn't sour the public on the promising charter school movement, but when a bad apple does turn up, critics of charter schools pounce on it. Charter opponents are quick to claim that "more than a few" schools have closed and even quicker to characterize the movement as one that invites unscrupulous, fly-by-night operators to set up shop.Those mean ol' charter opponents. Isn't it curious how the reformers don't have any problem at all with building up a few negative public school stories into an anti-public teacher-bashing movement of national proportions in order to destroy teacher unions and public schools as a whole?"

But are charter schools really so innocent?

- In 2009, 83 percent of 145 Minnesota charter schools were found to have at least one financial irregularity in their audit.

- In February 2009, a New Mexico state audit found financial problems with 36 of the 44 charter schools in Albuquerque.

- Philadelphia City Controller Alan Butkovitz (April 2010): "The fact that there were significant issues at 13 out of 13 [schools] raises the likelihood you would see many of these same issues found in a much larger sampling of the schools.By May 2010, his probe had widened to 18 charter schools."

Relationships terminated

Charter school promoters live in an abstract world where it's perfectly fine to shutter a school when the "need" arises. This reveals a profound detachment and utter disregard for the emotional lives of the children and families who, as a result, end up being subjected to tremendous disruption, stress, termination of meaningful relationships, loss and grief. Kids need security and dependability.

A school going "out of business" takes a very different emotional toll on families and children than when their local gas station or Denny's restaurant does.

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The demise and death of our institutions of social support:

Family............check!
Church............check!
Neighborhoods............check!
Schools............check!

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"It comes down to what ultimately is in the best public interest here -- supporting the growth of charters or not. Does that support ultimately weaken the rest of the school district? You bet it does." (Fred LeBrun, Albany, NY)

Observations

There is no doubt but that an increasing number of inspectors, auditors, investigators, prosecutors and court rooms (and a lot of time and money) will be needed as more state charter caps are lifted.

Part of the problem is that too many people running charter schools see them as their own little fiefdoms. After all the effort and money put into setting up their schools -- and with political leaders and the mainstream media shining their bright spotlights on charter schools -- the stakes are inordinately high for them to be able to show "success."

Another problem I've discovered by doing this research is that the unmonitored access to millions of public education dollars is drawing unscrupulous people into the "business." At other times, new-found access to funds is proving to be too tempting for some people who were perhaps less criminally-minded.

Additionally, I've now discovered that, in this era of high-stakes testing, the education security business is booming. As one company put it, "Cheating on tests isn't the exception anymore; it has almost become the rule."

On competition

From "Deregulation and Charter School Swindles" by Gary Clabaugh (Educational Horizons, Winter 2009):

Two main ideas inform the charter school movement. The first is that competition is an essential ingredient in school improvement. Charters are said to provide that.

The trouble with this argument is that competition doesn't select the best, only the most popular. McDonald's doesn't produce the best-tasting or most-nutritious food, for instance, but its heart attack specials certainly are popular. A second-rate school might prove similarly competitive if it provides a tawdry but reassuring education to the children of the low-information crowd. Fearful your kids will discover you are an ignoramus? Send them to Alpha Charter where they will never learn to doubt.

Dedication

This Web site is dedicated to Eli Broad, Bill Gates, the Walton family, Arne Duncan, Whitney Tilson, Joe Williams, Reed Hastings, Ted Mitchell, Jack O'Connell, Tom Vander Ark, George Miller, Joanne Weiss, Randy Ward, Arnold Swarzenegger, all Milton Friedman-lovers, and any other free-market, pro-school choice, minimally-regulate-what-goes-on-in-charter school supporters who are also proud self-stated "DISRUPTORS" of public school communities, who have almost never, EVER been part of a public school community or local neighborhood, or who rejected being part of any public school community or local neighborhood long, long ago -- but have ended up deciding to help tear apart the tapestry of basic local human connections anyway.

Visitors

A variety of people have been looking at my blog, probably because of the great Gulen charter school information I've posted. This site is regularly visited by readers from Turkey. I get periodic visits from dhs.gov, doj.gov and ed.gov. I've had visits from house.gov and ed.gov, and at least one visit from someone at eop.gov (? Executive Office of the President). I've had a few visits from a couple of mystery IPs that are supposedly associated with the State Department, specifically the CIA. Hmmmmm...

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Gulen charter schools in California

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