And so the story goes...
On, and on, and on.
Here's another first hand account from an American teacher that worked at one of the boys' schools.
We will not use his/her name because the teacher fears retaliatory action (boy does that sound familiar). If we only had a dollar for every time someone told us that. Or better yet, if we only had a dollar of our tax payer money that is going into Gulen's pockets....
Of course the boys will come back with their standard response -- "a disgruntled employee" -- which is most likely -- considering that this employee had every reason to be disgruntled.
This email was sent to us on September 21, 2010, and is unedited. It speaks for itself.
Date: Tuesday, September 21, 2010, 6:40 PM
"I was a teacher at PCSST a few years back. From the first days of my hire as a "replacement" Spanish teacher, I noticed quite a bit of things going on that seemed kind of "fishy".
1. The school had my credentials and previous salaries, promised the same, and then undercut the salaries of anyone who was not Turkish. In fact, teachers were invited to participate in a school reform initiative, whose proposals were categorically rejected by the "lead person" Emrah Ayhan; and his then "advisor", Merachnik.
2. Extreme violations of education rules were rampant, especially as to teachers' responsibilities and working hours. It seems ludicrous that, although charter schools receive public funding and get children "allegedly" from the school district they serve, that teachers are intimidated when they question the reasons for such flagrant actions of the administration.
3. In my own personal experience, the administration took a child's words and lies as the "Gospel" in a disciplinary action, and denied me of all "due process". Such an action would never have occurred in a public school with any teacher, be it tenured or untenured.
4. Teachers without credentials were teaching and earning higher salaries than fully certified teachers. Friends of the "Gulen Movement" just happened to "pop" in off the plane and given teaching jobs--some who couldn't even explain correctly in English a concise sentence.
5. Other teachers were from the local area, but definitely without credentials. I es- pecially remember an English teacher who was using such poor English, as "He ain't gonna do dat because I's be learning him good!" And--that is the way she spoke!
6. All preferential treatment went to the Turkish friends of the administration. An administrator's wife became a guidance counselor without any experience either in education or in guidance. One math teacher came over midyear from Turkey- limited English skills, no certifications, and was given an "under the table" salary of $75,000 (while on the books it stated only $40,000). There was also talk that Mr. Ayhan had also a "sweetheart deal" earning over $120,000 .
7. I witnessed a strange conference among the Trustees and a State Examiner, whereby all left for a luncheon afterwards. Shortly afterwards, the charter was renewed for 5 years, and all "deficiencies" mysteriously disappeared!.
Here's another first hand account from an American teacher that worked at one of the boys' schools.
We will not use his/her name because the teacher fears retaliatory action (boy does that sound familiar). If we only had a dollar for every time someone told us that. Or better yet, if we only had a dollar of our tax payer money that is going into Gulen's pockets....
Of course the boys will come back with their standard response -- "a disgruntled employee" -- which is most likely -- considering that this employee had every reason to be disgruntled.
This email was sent to us on September 21, 2010, and is unedited. It speaks for itself.
Date: Tuesday, September 21, 2010, 6:40 PM
"I was a teacher at PCSST a few years back. From the first days of my hire as a "replacement" Spanish teacher, I noticed quite a bit of things going on that seemed kind of "fishy".
1. The school had my credentials and previous salaries, promised the same, and then undercut the salaries of anyone who was not Turkish. In fact, teachers were invited to participate in a school reform initiative, whose proposals were categorically rejected by the "lead person" Emrah Ayhan; and his then "advisor", Merachnik.
2. Extreme violations of education rules were rampant, especially as to teachers' responsibilities and working hours. It seems ludicrous that, although charter schools receive public funding and get children "allegedly" from the school district they serve, that teachers are intimidated when they question the reasons for such flagrant actions of the administration.
3. In my own personal experience, the administration took a child's words and lies as the "Gospel" in a disciplinary action, and denied me of all "due process". Such an action would never have occurred in a public school with any teacher, be it tenured or untenured.
4. Teachers without credentials were teaching and earning higher salaries than fully certified teachers. Friends of the "Gulen Movement" just happened to "pop" in off the plane and given teaching jobs--some who couldn't even explain correctly in English a concise sentence.
5. Other teachers were from the local area, but definitely without credentials. I es- pecially remember an English teacher who was using such poor English, as "He ain't gonna do dat because I's be learning him good!" And--that is the way she spoke!
6. All preferential treatment went to the Turkish friends of the administration. An administrator's wife became a guidance counselor without any experience either in education or in guidance. One math teacher came over midyear from Turkey- limited English skills, no certifications, and was given an "under the table" salary of $75,000 (while on the books it stated only $40,000). There was also talk that Mr. Ayhan had also a "sweetheart deal" earning over $120,000 .
7. I witnessed a strange conference among the Trustees and a State Examiner, whereby all left for a luncheon afterwards. Shortly afterwards, the charter was renewed for 5 years, and all "deficiencies" mysteriously disappeared!.
