Perhaps you know better than me why I am a critic of Gulen network of schools. But I believe Gulen network raises questions, not because it is linked to followers of Imam Gulen, but because its 136 charter schools in America are not transparent. American tradition has been local schools authorized by each state and the 10th amendment makes education a subject of the individual states.

As an American Dad you also know the American tradition of separate of church and state. The largest non-profit network of charter schools in America is Gulen linked network of charter schools managed by males that speak Turkish. Should in America Turks have Turk cultural schools? Most Americans could care less. But, most would also say, I believe, such cultural schools should not be financed by the public. Remember the American public includes taxpaying Armenians that have a history that doesn’t favor financing Turkish anything.

But, I acknowledge that Gulen schools if they are followers of Gulen, and true to his published word, educate students for service to the community from which children come. Oakland even has a charter school with Catholic followers the private managers of that Oakland charter school. And, in time its Catholic managers will likely be networked like Gulen schools. If Catholic followers grow enough charter schools maybe they can compete with Catholic managed charter secular schools for converts, I mean students.

But, this particular Gulen/Bay Technology School has not kept the promise it made from a show of engineers and scientists to provide a program that dynamically boost math and science test scores. If you look at the STAR test scores for Chemistry, the school students never took the test. A STEM advertised school and students never take the end of course STAR Chemistry test? And, with a school emphasizing math, how come there is little difference between English Language Scores and Math scores across the grades? Shouldn’t the program outcome be consistently higher math scores?

Perhaps the school followers of Gulen at Bay Tech follow the Imam and make education about community and service, but the School Board didn’t see that as the outcome priority. And, why the followers of the Imam and Jesus value service to the community, the rules of the charter school game is American Indian charter type of score worship and outcome.

As an American Dad You know: community in America is subordinate to individual achievement. American Mom says: Cut that apple away from yourself little one so that you don’t cut yourself!

Oh, one possible difference between potential Catholic followers’ charter school network and current 136 charter school Imam Gulen network is that schools in the Catholic charter network won’t likely be requesting as many Green Cards.

Jim Mordecai

http://www.gulencharterschools.tk , http://www.gulenschools.org

Charles Weil Says:
April 4th, 2012 at 3:18 pm

Ms. Caroline,

Are you insinuating that all high performing charter schools are abusers and badly managed?

No. After many, many years of following the charter sector and the education “reform” sector closely (as a parent volunteer advocate) I believe that most if not all high-performing charter schools engage in practices that would drive up any school’s performance (such as quietly picking and choosing students and pushing out the low performers without replacing them).

But I believe that a school with sky-high test scores whose operator has engaged in dishonest and fraudulent financial practices is highly likely (if not guaranteed) to be engaging in dishonest and fraudulent testing and reporting practices too. Frankly, anyone who doesn’t see that is hopelessly naive.

Up or down renewal vote is the basic concept of the charter school as being based on a market decision. The idea is that the high achieving charter schools survive and the low achieving schools are discarded based on performance.

If test scores is the be all, then unless cheating is found, as little regulation as possible is what the market model demands.

I don’t believe that test scores should be the only value because public school children and the public’s money are involved.

The involvement of the public in how its public schools are run should be open and transparent. But, because charter schools are corporations, that transparency is not enforceable.

The School Board majority voted to do the opposite of what the staff had recommended regarding a conditional approval. From the staff report page 7 of 39.

“A conditional renewal of the charter has been considered, but is not recommended for the following reasons:
“The violations of the charter and applicable law and regulation identified by the staff and the extraordinary audit are serious and far-ranging. They involve the safety of students and staff, as well as millions of dollars of public funds. To authorize a conditional renewal would undermine the ability of the District to hold charter schools accountable to their legal and ethical obligations.”

In other words governance of the AIPCS II will not be held accountable for the next five years.

Jim Mordecai

I agree that the high scores are inspiring. But the financial management is not. And the Board members who voted for approval essentially said one is more important than the other. Is this a campaign platform, for higher office?

BOTH are important. When a Charter is denied by the Board, can they reapply after they work to address concerns? (Regardless of what the County Board does…).

Congrats AIPCS 2 – A very well orchestrated show (except for the board pres) wow- he is not the sharpest tool in the shed!