Gulen charter schools in Georgia

STATE	# ACTIVE	# PENDING	# INACTIVE*	TOTAL
GA	2	0	2	4

* Denied, withdrawn, closed, or unknown status

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SCHOOLS

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FULTON SCIENCE ACADEMY HIGH SCHOOL (FORMERLY T.E.A.C.H. School)
Status	ACTIVE, opened in 2006
Charter Holder	Fulton Educational Services
Authorizer	Fulton County School System
Location/District	4100 Old Milton Pkwy, Alpharetta / Fulton County School System
Website	http://fsahigh.org/
Enrollment	Grades 9-12; 233 students in 2010-2011
Notes	T.E.A.C.H. School = Technology Enriched Accelerated Charter High School; renamed FSA High School in 2010

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FULTON SUNSHINE ACADEMY (sometimes called Sunshine Fulton Academy)
Status	ACTIVE, opened 2010
Charter Holder	Fulton Sunshine Academy, Inc.
Authorizer	Fulton County School System
Location/District	1335 Northmeadow Pkwy, Suite 100, Roswell / Fulton County School System
Website	http://www.fultonsunshine.org/
Enrollment	Grades K-5; 408 students in 2010-2011
Notes	After two denials (2006, 2008), the third submission of the charter school petition was approved in 4/2009.

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FULTON SCIENCE ACADEMY MIDDLE SCHOOL (formerly Cosmos Science Academy)
Status	INACTIVE: CLOSED AT THE END OF THE 2011-12 SCHOOL YEAR AND CONVERTED INTO A PRIVATE SCHOOL. The charter was initially approved 5/2001 and the school opened in Fall 2002. The current 5-year term expires 6/30/2012. The charter was not not renewed, FSA appealed to the state, but was denied. For more history, see http://charterschoolscandals.blogspot.com/2011/05/fulton-science-academy-middle-school.html
Charter Holder	Fulton Science Academy, Inc.
Authorizer	Fulton County School System / Georgia State BOE
Location/District	1675 Hembree Rd., Alpharetta / Fulton County School System
Website	http://fsamiddle.org/
Enrollment	Grades 6-8; 506 students in 2010-2011
Notes	The application for Fulton Science Academy (d.b.a. Cosmos Science Academy) was approved in 2001. Founding board members on 2001 application: Bekir Ozcan, Yucel Altunbasak, Serdar Tunaboylu, Erdogan Dogdu, and Kemal Cem Gur. http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/_documents/schools/charterschools/Fulton%20Science%20Academy.pdf Governing board members on 2006 application: Ayhan Korucu, Cheri Garvin, Sherry Saylam, Mustafa Basgun, Feroz Fatehali, Cevdet Akbay, and Mustafa Kececi. Governing board members on 2011 application: Ayhan Korucu (president), Levent Bulut (vice president), Selma Aktas (secretary, parent member, wife of Florida Anatolian Cultural Center founder Elvan A. Aktas), Mustafa Kececi, and parent members, Maria Beug-Deeb, Angela Lassetter, Edith Wichser.

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OCONEE SCHOOL OF MATH AND SCIENCE
Status	DENIED; this was an attempt in 2008 for school to start in fall 2009 http://onlineathens.com/multimedia/pdfs/080608Oconee_BOE.pdf
Charter Holder	Oconee Science Academy, Inc.
Notes	Letter of intent to submit charter school petition sent by I. Budak Arpinar to Oconee County Schools on 1/23/2008 http://onlineathens.com/multimedia/pdfs/020708_Oconee-Charter.pdf News story here http://onlineathens.com/stories/051908/news_20080519036.shtml Denied by the Oconee County Board of Education for multiple reasons, i.e. planned preferential admissions, use of non-certified teachers, limited foreign language offerings (only Spanish and Turkish), etc. Board meeting w/explanation @ http://ebssp.eboardsolutions.com/sites/oconee/Documents/BOE%20Minutes%202007-2008/BOE%20Min.%2005.05.08.pdf

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CHARTER HOLDERS

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FULTON SCIENCE ACADEMY MIDDLE SCHOOL, INC. (formerly Cosmos Science Academy, Inc.)
Federal Tax ID	EIN 582512910
Website	None
History	Name Change Amendment from Cosmos Science Academy, Inc. to Fulton Science Academy, Inc. certified by state on 2/15/2002
Individuals involved	Names appearing on 990s (this is public information):  Ali Ozer, Ayhan Korucu (all years), Baybars Bakay, Cevdet Akbay,Cheri Garvin, Erdogan Dogdu, Feroz Fatehali, Fethi Goktepe, Gerald Baron, Kenan Sener, Levent Bulut, Mustafa Basgun, Mustafa Kececi, P.R. Subramanian, Russell Sumrall, Sabrina Moore, Selim Ozdemir (all years), Sherry Saylam (all years), Steven Greene, Tracy Hansen, Tuncay Kucuktas, and Wendy Murphy.

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FULTON EDUCATIONAL SERVICES
Federal Tax ID	EIN 202617285
Website	None
History	Received a $230,000 Walton Family Foundation grant in 2006
Individuals involved	Names appearing on 990s (this is public information):  Ayhan Korucu, Sherry Anne Saylam, Mustafa Basgun, Tahir Duzyol, Kemal Cem Gur; Names on Form 990s for 2005-2009 are Ahmet Ozarslan, Ali Ozer, Alyson Hancock, Anvi Cokavci, Ayhan Korucu, Cevdet Akbay, Levent Bulut, Lee Friedman, Mohammad Hamki, Mustafa Basgun, Rhonda Allenson, Rodney Brown, Selim Ozdemir, Sherry Saylam

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FULTON SUNSHINE ACADEMY, INC.
Federal Tax ID	EIN 205753698
Website	None
Individuals involved	Names appearing on 990s (this is public information): Board members Namik Sercan (President), Aladdin Akgul, Levent Bulut, Ayhan Korucu, and Sherry Saylam, w/books in care of Murat Cetin. Names on corporation wiki (accessed 12/2011) are Namik Sercan, CEO; Mert Gokkaya, CFO; Alaaddin Akgul, Secretary; Murat Cetin, Principal

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OCONEE SCIENCE ACADEMY, INC.
Federal Tax ID	Not known
Website	Website: www.oconeeacademy.org (no longer active)
History	The Georgia State BOE authorized a $5,000 start-up grant for Oconee Science Academy in Aug. 2008. http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/_documents/StateBoardMinutes/2007-2009/August%202008%20State%20Board%20Minutes.pdf
Individuals involved	Ismailcem Budak Arpinar, Caner Kazanci, Ibrahim Demir, Samir Trabelsi, Namik Sercan, Michelle Garfield Cook; Described as “a group including several University of Georgia instructors.”

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SERVICE PROVIDER

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GRACE INSTITUTE FOR EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH & RESOURCES (AKA GRACE SCHOOLS)
Federal Tax ID	EIN 262674420
Website/Address	http://graceschools.us/, 5755 Northpoint Pkwy, Suite 1, Alpharetta, GA
Services	From the 2010 brochure: “Membership is a contractual agreement where a candidate school Governing Board adopts the Grace Institute standards and pays a per-pupil fee to partake in the Institute’s activities and to benefit from membership services.” Services listed: “Professional development workshops for new administrator and faculty; Standards based teaching, assessment, and evaluation support; Budget development support; Marketing, recruitment, and enrollment support; Curriculum development research and support; Accreditation standards support; Operations support.”
Individuals involved	Names appearing on 990s (this is public information): Ali Ozer, Kenar Sener, Namik Sercan, Selim Ozdemir, and Yucel Aktas; w/books in care of Avni Cokavci and Ilbey Budak
Notes	All member schools are in the Gulen movement-identified charter school network. Previously appearing on website: “Current members include these two original schools [FSA Middle and High] as well as (in order of their opening years) Stars Middle School, River City Science Academy Middle and High School, Orlando Science Middle and High School, Sweetwater Branch Academy Middle and High School, New Springs Middle School, Fulton Sunshine Academy Elementary School, River City Science Academy Elementary School, and Sweetwater Branch Academy Elementary School.”

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

See these entries by C.A.S.I.L.I.P.S.

• Fulton Science Academy / TEACH / Fulton Sunshine Academy: Evidence of affiliation with Gulen Movement http://gulencharterschools.weebly.com/fulton-science-academy.html
•  Board Member of Fulton Science Academy and proposed Cape Fear STEM School: "Yes, I am a Fethullah follower" http://gulencharterschools.weebly.com/fulton-science-academy-cape-fear-board-member-yes-i-am-a-fethullah-follower.html
•  Fulton Science Academy students attended program at overtly Gulenist, religious school in Turkey http://gulencharterschools.weebly.com/fulton-students-at-gulenist-religious-school-in-turkey.html
•  Fulton Science Academy - letter from parent http://gulencharterschools.weebly.com/fulton-science-academy---letter-from-parent.html
•  Fulton Science Academy: Comparing college prep with district http://gulencharterschools.weebly.com/fulton-science-academy-comparing-college-prep-with-district.html
•  Fulton Science Academy: Charter Renewal 2011 http://gulencharterschools.weebly.com/fulton-science-academy-charter-renewal-2011.html

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Prime Prep Academy

“Former football player’s charter school raised questions.” Austin American-Statesman, 11/4/2011

Last month, the state Board of Education granted its approval for two charter schools affiliated with former professional football and baseball star Deion Sanders to open next fall, in Fort Worth and Dallas. A review of recently released public records shows that early versions of the charter’s application contained two business arrangements that appeared to be designed to give school executives opportunities to personally profit off the school.

A spokeswoman for the Texas Education Agency said the suspect deals have since been removed from Prime Prep Academy’s application, after state officials investigated and confronted the school’s executives. Prime Prep’s executive director, Damien L. Wallace, confirmed that the specific contract deals had been excised from the charter’s application.

TEA, the agency that vets new charter schools, says it has beefed up its scrutiny of applicants in recent years. Several of the publicly funded schools have been revealed to be paying executives generous salaries, often through not-exactly-arm’s-length deals with side companies controlled by school officials...

Although Sanders’ name does not appear as an official executive for the school, his name does show up in the application, with his fame promoted as a benefit to the new school. “Deion Sanders’ powerful media presence has been utilized to bring more attention to the plans of bringing a charter school of this type to the DFW area,” the school’s application states.

In newspaper accounts, Sanders said he began thinking about founding a charter school approximately three years ago. Wallace said Sanders has been a personal friend and business associate for many years...

The charter school’s application also contained a “sales/marketing” agreement with a company called PrimeTimePlayer. Primetimeplayer.com’s website promises students help with mentoring and recruiting, and features Sanders’ photo. Incorporation documents filed with the Texas Secretary of State’s office list the company’s managing members as Damien L. Wallace and Chazma Jones — both of whom are also listed as executives for Prime Prep Academy.

The marketing agreement called for PrimeTimePlayer to be paid either $1,000 or $7,500 a month (the contract’s wording is unclear) for its services, as well as a percentage of any money it raised for the school; a 5 percent commission on all “special fundraising events” and a 10 percent commission on “all monies derived from corporate, local business and private donor sponsorships.”

According to the January application, the charter had already lined up commitments for about $200,000 in such donations, including $50,000 from Wal-Mart, $25,000 from Bank of America, and $50,000 from the NFL Network, a channel operated by the National Football League.

The school’s application also stated that Prime Prep’s Fort Worth school would be entering into a lease/purchase agreement for the building the school will occupy. The contract included in the charter’s application called for Prime Prep to pay $5,000 a month the first year, $7,000 the second, and $9,500 a month the third year of its occupancy to a company called Pinnacle Commercial Property Group.

Secretary of State records show the company’s directors as of May 2011 to be Damien Wallace and Chazma Jones.

Ratcliffe said TEA’s review staff also noticed the same contracts in Prime Prep’s application and brought them to the attention of the school’s lawyer. “Our lawyer went to their lawyer and said, ‘We have a problem with them doing business with themselves,’” she recalled, adding: “They didn’t initially reveal all the connections there.”...

There is another claim that has raised questions about the finances of the school. In July 2010, seven plaintiffs filed a lawsuit in Tarrant County District Court, claiming Wallace and Sanders had promised to market high school athletes to college athletic departments, but never delivered.

In the same lawsuit, the plaintiffs, led by Lawrence Smith, assert that Wallace and Sanders “made fraudulent and deceptive misrepresentations to induce Mr. Smith into investing money in a Charter School venture.”

According to the lawsuit, Wallace told Smith and others that if they invested $25,000 in the school, a “revenue sharing agreement” would pay them back $174,600, based on rent collected on a building at 4400 Panola Ave., Fort Worth — the same building in which Prime Prep’s Forth Worth campus is to be located, according to the school’s application.

A lawyer representing Wallace and Sanders declined to comment on the case; Smith’s lawyer, Don Stewart, said in court filings the defendants had denied his client’s allegations and were contesting the claims.

Ratcliffe said Prime Prep most likely will receive its final approval from the Texas Education Agency in a couple of weeks.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

“Deion Sanders’ new charterschool drawing questions about financial, academic plans.” The Texas Independent, 11/16/2011 

...While the board gave its go-ahead in September, SBOE member Michael Soto (D-San Antonio) wasn’t impressed by what he saw in Sanders’ presentation. “I have no idea what the applicant plans to do in the classroom,” Soto said before the vote, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Since then, other questions have arisen about some of the school’s financial arrangements — deals that would help its top officials profit from the school’s fundraising and property rental...

The conflicts of interest were uncovered by TEA only after the SBOE approved Prime Prep’s charter, but Soto is concerned by the school’s “incredibly vague” academic plans, and told the Texas Independent he’s been getting concerned calls about the school.

Soto said he was unfamiliar, though, with another possible concern: that where Prime Prep’s plans do get specific about academics, the language is nearly identical to wording developed by some other schools.

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“The Strange Tale of Deion Sanders' Charter School; Coming soon in North Texas, a charter school built on star power.” The Texas Observer, 12/5/2011 

The State Board of Education approved eight new charter schools back in September, but only one of them came backed by the star power of Prime Prep Academy, with an emotional presentation by former Dallas Cowboys great Deion Sanders...

The most novel aspect of these charters, though, may be the private funding sources they'll depend on to round out their $10 million-a-year budget: not usual suspects like Bill and Melinda Gates or the Walton Family Foundation, but big brands Sanders has endorsed or worked with over the years, which he name-drops regularly when talking about the school.

Sanders says Prime Prep is a natural extension of TRUTH, a sports-and-study program he's run for the last few years, that has received money from many of these sponsors already. The school's leadership team told the state it had secured pledges from a few of those companies already, but when contacted, many said they hadn't, in fact, pledged money to the school—at least not yet...

What Prime Prep's leaders stress is unique about its plans are its emphasis on sports along with academics, its dedication to serving inner-city kids in low-scoring school districts, and, of course, the big money that Deion Sanders' friends at big brands will throw at the school...

The SBOE approved Prime Prep's application 8-4.

"We met with Direct TV, with Van Heusen, we met with Procter & Gamble, we met Under Armor, we met with the NFL on assisting us with in endeavors and they did a cartwheel," said Sanders.

In its charter application Prime Prep also listed $186,000 in donations that had already been pledged “upon approval of the charter school," including a pair from Walmart and the NFL Network worth $50,000 each.

But as enthusiastic as Sanders said they all were, most of the companies on the list told me this week that they never did pledge money to the school. The other three either didn't return calls or didn't have an answer ready...

Texas Education Agency spokeswoman Debbie Ratcliffe says Prime Prep’s list of pledges doesn't matter much to their application. “Even if a charter applicant says they have pledges for land or services from various corporations or entities, we don’t let them count that as revenue unless they have a signed letter from the donor.”

But while the SBOE grilled other applicants about where they'd be getting startup cash or grants to augment state funding, Prime Prep seems to be running entirely on star power. The only signed agreements in its application at first—a $1,000 loan from a Fort Worth real estate firm and a fundraising agreement with a group called PrimeTimePlayer—were dropped because Wallace and other school officials were aslo in leadership roles at the companies that stood to profit, as the Austin American-Statesman reported last month...

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The Pima Partnership School

“Former Tucson school principal given probation in theft case.” Arizona Daily Star, 10/13/2011

A former charter school principal was placed on three years probation and ordered to pay nearly $23,000 in restitution for attempted theft Thursday.

William Eddings Jr. was the principal at a charter school operated by the Pima Prevention Partnership when discrepancies were discovered during an audit by the Arizona Department of Education, according to court records.

The audit and subsequent investigation revealed that between June 16, 2006, and March 15, 2008, Eddings submitted inflated attendance records, awarded diplomas to 13 students who didn’t meet the state’s graduation requirements and signed invoices for services not provided to the school. Eddings received bonuses of $5,000 based on the information he provided.

Eddings was indicted in April on two counts of fraud and one count of theft; he pleaded guilty to attempted theft in August.

Under the terms of his plea agreement, Eddings could have received up to three years and nine months in prison.

On Thursday, Assistant Arizona Attorney General Michael Jette told Judge Howard Fell of Pima County Superior Court he is concerned Eddings has not accepted responsibility for his actions.

Eddings told a probation officer he didn’t do anything wrong and only pleaded guilty to end his legal problems.

In addition to the probationary sentence, Eddings was ordered to perform 300 hours of community service.

Eddings, who lives in Arizona City, hopes to have his probation transferred to Pinal County.

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Haliwa-Saponi Tribal School

“Tribal school test scores invalidated.” Warren Record (NC), 8/17/2011

As a result of an investigation into testing irregularities in the 2010-11 academic year at Haliwa-Saponi Tribal School, a public charter school, biology test scores for nine students have been invalidated.

The school board for the tribal school, which has been investigating the matter, held a special meeting earlier this month during which they voted to place Principal Chenoa Davis on a three-month probationary period and directed her to terminate the contract of Assistant Principal Thomas Buchanan in response to reports of testing irregularities...

The report states that during the 2009-10 school year, a teacher downloaded from a computer end-of-course test review questions and pasted them into topic groups for use during test preparation for that year.

According to the report, the teacher did not collect the review materials afterward, and a student kept a copy and shared it with others in the 2010-11 school year. A copy was also shared with a student at Rocky Mount Preparatory School, another charter school...

"DPI determined that (the study questions) were secure items," she said. "Once they were discovered, we had to backtrack and found that they came from Haliwa-Saponi (Tribal School)."

The Rev. Ronald Richardson, tribal chief, said that the tribe should work out its own problems without newspaper publicity...

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KIPP Sunshine Peak Academy

“Charter school football coach fired for sex comments, DPS says.” FOX31 (CO), 10/11/2011

DENVER – An assistant football coach at KIPP Sunshine Peak Academy has been fired after being accused of making an online sexual advance toward a student, FOX31 News has learned.

The coach, whose name has not been released, allegedly made the remarks on a student’s Facebook page.

A Denver Public Schools spokesperson says the coach is a part-time employee of the charter school and not a DPS employee.

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