I am fond of saying that the individual will change the course of human events. It is, at its essence, the very basis of my work. When people say, "what can I do?" I always say, "SPEAK!" Here is a brilliant example of such activism in action.
Below is a speech from one of the leading fighters who triumphed on Tuesday: Victory: Fethullah Gulen Charter School application defeated in Virginia. Rachel Shraddha Sargent is the daughter of Indian parents who came to the US in the 1960s. Most of her family is still in India. Both her grandfathers were ministers serving in the Methodist and Irish Prebyterian churches.
Gulenist History Repeats Itself
We have learned as students of History to take careful note of events, especially tragic or overwhelming ones so we do not repeat them. From the Stock Market Crash, World Wars I and II, the Holocaust and many other recent genocides to the events of September 11, we are saddened by these events. But there are individuals who do not take heed of history’s warnings. In fact those warnings are completely ignored. When we look at the LMITA application, we must carefully research not only the contents of the application but also the track record of the applicants.
Mr. Fatih Kandil was Director of Wisconsin Career Academy from 2000 on, and the Horizon Science Academy, Dayton, Ohio from 2005-2007, Kandil was also Principal at Chesapeake Science Point from 2006- 2011, though was removed to an office position due to allegations of misconduct for a period of time. Currently he is Principal at the Baltimore IT Academy (2012-13) while maintaining a residence in Chantilly, VA, which can be a 1.5 hour drive during rush hour.
Kandil is also traveling around the mid-Atlantic states with related charter school applications. The Loudoun Science Academy application in 2006, had Ali Gokce’s parent survey, at the time his children were in diapers. So the parent based decision to submit the LMITA application starts to deteriorate. In 2010-2011 both the Richmond Science Academy and the First State Math and Science Academy were denied. It is interesting that after three failed attempts, they still cannot get their application polished enough both academically and financially to be given serious consideration. A switch to a pre-fabricated curriculum like Pearson reveals their inability to develop a strong curriculum.
Mr. Kandil can be perceived as a serial school principal and charter school applicant, traveling from state to state. And much like the Beach Boys song, he does “Get Around.” Can we count on Mr. Kandil to leave the proposed Loudoun Math and IT Academy in good hands once he has finished setting up this school should it be approved?
Chesapeake Science Point is not the only school to which we can refer to for a baseline of any future LMITA performance. There is a long string of Gulen affiliated schools with the same laundry list of financial and academic troubles in various states; from the Fulton Science Academy slated to close this year after defaulting on an 18.5 million dollar bond, to the Beehive Academy in UT shut down in April of 2012, to the Harmony Schools in Texas with H1B visa problems and teacher certifications and also the Abramson Science and Technology School in Lousiana, to the Magnolia Schools in CA and the Sonoran schools in AZ.
We must be careful to heed lessons of history or be doomed to repeat those failures again.
