Hey batter -- batter...
The Loudon County School Board rendered its long- awaited decision on the Loudon Math and IT charter application, and in an 8-1 vote denied the application, citing a host of concerns.
Prior to the vote and during the public input session, 28 speakers – with the majority opposing the charter application – rallied the board in a final attempt to send the boys packing.
A few speakers from the Muslims 4 Liberty organization denounced the opposition, throwing Islamophobia denouncements into the mix. Although the guys had never before appeared at the Board meetings to discuss the proposed charter school, and were clueless about the mechanics and execution of the application, they felt the need to advance their own agenda by making baseless and absurd accusations of racism, nationalism, and of course – the never-ending claims of Islamophobia.
But the real deal is and always has been – the boys came to the plate with nothing more than the proverbial field of dreams – a baseball diamond absent a game plan, team, and a fan- base.
Simply put – they had more than enough walks (almost a year to prepare), favored bunting and stealing bases (short-cuts without substance or advantage) and never made a home-run -- making it way too easy for the board to call three strikes and declare “you’re out.”
Game over – or is it?
The Gulenists hate to be told no – and so it’s likely that they'll appeal the decision or reapply. And the next time around they might just come back swinging with a few more corked bats, clean-up hitters, and curveball maneuvers.
Could the failure of the LMIT application be contributed to the “Curse of the Bambino,” or to something more straightforward – like the inability of the applicants to take the Loudon County School Board and community concerns seriously; or perhaps it was the applicants’ sense of entitlement, self-importance and pretentiousness?
Sure it’s worked before, but this time the boys faced a “defensive indifference,” an opposing team that refused to host this group of “cup of coffee drinkers” (as in baseball not refreshments) to the tune of 8.5 million tax dollars, citing lack of experience, qualifications, financial stability, and hasty and incomplete curriculum planning. No indeed, the Loudon County community wants seasoned players, not minor leaguers – there’s way too much at stake in this game.
Below is an article on the Board’s decision from The Washington Post:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/loudoun-county-appears-poised-to-turn-down-charter-school-application/2013/02/26/276eb4c6-7f81-11e2-b99e-6baf4ebe42df_story.htm By Michael Alison Chandler, Feb 27, 2013 03:55 AM EST
The Washington Post Loudoun County School Board members, many of whom campaigned to expand school choice, turned down their only pending charter school application Tuesday night after months of scrutiny and a storm of allegations that the applicants have hidden ties to a Muslim preacher.
Board members had raised questions about significant gaps in the academic and operational plans for the Loudoun Math & IT Academy, which hoped to become Northern Virginia’s first charter school. They criticized its loosely formed curriculum, shaky financial assumptions and an inadequate transportation plan before voting 8 to 1 to reject the application.
“As much as I wanted to support this effort, I am resigned that it is not of the caliber that Loudoun students deserve,” said board member Jeff Morse (Dulles).
Board members were also concerned that they had not heard more community support for the school among local parents. Just three people spoke in favor of the proposal during a three-hour hearing Feb. 19. The schools’ governing board had pushed for a longer review period, hoping to have more time to work with the school system on concerns.
On Tuesday, Mindy Carlin, a spokeswoman for the applicants, urged the school board to help them continue developing a promising plan. “Are there still details and questions to be resolved? Of course,” she said. “But has enough of a case been made to warrant further work?”
Opponents urged the board to drop the application, claiming that the school’s organizers are connected to a Turkish Islamic leader named Fethullah Gulen who oversees a worldwide religious and nationalistic movement from a retreat in Pennsylvania.
A loose network of Gulen’s followers have opened more than 130 schools in two dozen states, according to researchers. State and federal investigators have probed some schools for their practices of hiring foreign nationals and allegations that they require staff to donate a portion of their salary to the movement.
The Loudoun applicants, several of whom are of Turkish origin, have denied any connection to the controversial figure. They insisted that their proposal represents a grass-roots effort by a small group of mainly local parents and IT professionals who saw a need for more specialized training.
Board members said their primary concern was the quality of the application. “There is nothing in state code that prohibits us from looking at a school that may have ties to any organization, Gulen or otherwise,” said school board member Jill Turgeon (Blue Ridge). “My focus should be the educational impact of the charter.”
The proposed school, planned to eventually serve 700 students in grades six through 12, was modeled after Chesapeake Science Point Public Charter School in Anne Arundel County, which is an academic success story. But in recent years, the school’s operators have sparred with the local school board. Their hiring practices, lottery system and financial operations have come under scrutiny, and last year they sued Anne Arundel’s school board for more than $700,000.
The Loudoun applicants began garnering support for their vision of a similar school in 2011, and they submitted more than two dozen letters of support with their initial application.
Last fall, a school system review of the application identified deficiencies in the proposed curriculum and management plan. A school board subcommittee subsequently recommended that the full board reject the application.
Many board members said they were disappointed that the application was not stronger.
Bill Fox (Leesburg) said that as someone who is “extremely enthusiastic about school choice” and who believes decisions should never be made based on people’s real or alleged religious beliefs, it was the hardest decision he had faced on the school board. He was the only member who did not vote to reject the application outright, saying he wanted to give it more time to improve. As it was, he conceded, the plan was “problematic at best.”
Prior to the vote and during the public input session, 28 speakers – with the majority opposing the charter application – rallied the board in a final attempt to send the boys packing.
A few speakers from the Muslims 4 Liberty organization denounced the opposition, throwing Islamophobia denouncements into the mix. Although the guys had never before appeared at the Board meetings to discuss the proposed charter school, and were clueless about the mechanics and execution of the application, they felt the need to advance their own agenda by making baseless and absurd accusations of racism, nationalism, and of course – the never-ending claims of Islamophobia.
But the real deal is and always has been – the boys came to the plate with nothing more than the proverbial field of dreams – a baseball diamond absent a game plan, team, and a fan- base.
Simply put – they had more than enough walks (almost a year to prepare), favored bunting and stealing bases (short-cuts without substance or advantage) and never made a home-run -- making it way too easy for the board to call three strikes and declare “you’re out.”
Game over – or is it?
The Gulenists hate to be told no – and so it’s likely that they'll appeal the decision or reapply. And the next time around they might just come back swinging with a few more corked bats, clean-up hitters, and curveball maneuvers.
Could the failure of the LMIT application be contributed to the “Curse of the Bambino,” or to something more straightforward – like the inability of the applicants to take the Loudon County School Board and community concerns seriously; or perhaps it was the applicants’ sense of entitlement, self-importance and pretentiousness?
Sure it’s worked before, but this time the boys faced a “defensive indifference,” an opposing team that refused to host this group of “cup of coffee drinkers” (as in baseball not refreshments) to the tune of 8.5 million tax dollars, citing lack of experience, qualifications, financial stability, and hasty and incomplete curriculum planning. No indeed, the Loudon County community wants seasoned players, not minor leaguers – there’s way too much at stake in this game.
Below is an article on the Board’s decision from The Washington Post:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/loudoun-county-appears-poised-to-turn-down-charter-school-application/2013/02/26/276eb4c6-7f81-11e2-b99e-6baf4ebe42df_story.htm By Michael Alison Chandler, Feb 27, 2013 03:55 AM EST
The Washington Post Loudoun County School Board members, many of whom campaigned to expand school choice, turned down their only pending charter school application Tuesday night after months of scrutiny and a storm of allegations that the applicants have hidden ties to a Muslim preacher.
Board members had raised questions about significant gaps in the academic and operational plans for the Loudoun Math & IT Academy, which hoped to become Northern Virginia’s first charter school. They criticized its loosely formed curriculum, shaky financial assumptions and an inadequate transportation plan before voting 8 to 1 to reject the application.
“As much as I wanted to support this effort, I am resigned that it is not of the caliber that Loudoun students deserve,” said board member Jeff Morse (Dulles).
Board members were also concerned that they had not heard more community support for the school among local parents. Just three people spoke in favor of the proposal during a three-hour hearing Feb. 19. The schools’ governing board had pushed for a longer review period, hoping to have more time to work with the school system on concerns.
On Tuesday, Mindy Carlin, a spokeswoman for the applicants, urged the school board to help them continue developing a promising plan. “Are there still details and questions to be resolved? Of course,” she said. “But has enough of a case been made to warrant further work?”
Opponents urged the board to drop the application, claiming that the school’s organizers are connected to a Turkish Islamic leader named Fethullah Gulen who oversees a worldwide religious and nationalistic movement from a retreat in Pennsylvania.
A loose network of Gulen’s followers have opened more than 130 schools in two dozen states, according to researchers. State and federal investigators have probed some schools for their practices of hiring foreign nationals and allegations that they require staff to donate a portion of their salary to the movement.
The Loudoun applicants, several of whom are of Turkish origin, have denied any connection to the controversial figure. They insisted that their proposal represents a grass-roots effort by a small group of mainly local parents and IT professionals who saw a need for more specialized training.
Board members said their primary concern was the quality of the application. “There is nothing in state code that prohibits us from looking at a school that may have ties to any organization, Gulen or otherwise,” said school board member Jill Turgeon (Blue Ridge). “My focus should be the educational impact of the charter.”
The proposed school, planned to eventually serve 700 students in grades six through 12, was modeled after Chesapeake Science Point Public Charter School in Anne Arundel County, which is an academic success story. But in recent years, the school’s operators have sparred with the local school board. Their hiring practices, lottery system and financial operations have come under scrutiny, and last year they sued Anne Arundel’s school board for more than $700,000.
The Loudoun applicants began garnering support for their vision of a similar school in 2011, and they submitted more than two dozen letters of support with their initial application.
Last fall, a school system review of the application identified deficiencies in the proposed curriculum and management plan. A school board subcommittee subsequently recommended that the full board reject the application.
Many board members said they were disappointed that the application was not stronger.
Bill Fox (Leesburg) said that as someone who is “extremely enthusiastic about school choice” and who believes decisions should never be made based on people’s real or alleged religious beliefs, it was the hardest decision he had faced on the school board. He was the only member who did not vote to reject the application outright, saying he wanted to give it more time to improve. As it was, he conceded, the plan was “problematic at best.”
