And the same old script...
There are more than tornadoes swirling around in Oklahoma these days. A recent article by Megan Rolland of Newsok, pretty much summed up the same information that numerous other newspapers are parroting around the country about the boys’ activities in their “Gulen-inspired” charter schools.
But of course, it is also the same common theme – a scripted response from the boys, and in these particular examples, the “superintendents,” of the boys’ schools in Oklahoma (4 schools) and Texas (home to 36 – yes 36 of their schools), had this to say:
“People who criticize us, they don't really know anything about our schools,” said Superintendent Soner Tarim with the Harmony Schools in Texas run by the Cosmos Foundation.
“As opposed to them (the critics), isolated groups, we have 16,000 students and so many parents, thousands of parents. We had 21,000 students on our waiting list last year in Texas.”
Kaan Camuz, superintendent of the four Sky Foundation schools in Oklahoma, said they always look for qualified American teachers before they start searching for international teachers.”
We love the parts about how their critics are “isolated” and that they have 21,000 students waiting to get in. That’s a lot of American tax dollars to fund their illegal activities, so they better jump on a plan on how to get those 21,000 kids in – because it must be seriously cutting into the Tuzuk money fund.
And we beg to differ with Soner Tarim, in fact – we know too much about your schools, hence the reason this website and others like it exist.
Once again, the boys talk about how they simply cannot find American teachers, and instead have to employ 15% foreign (mostly Turkish) teachers in Oklahoma and a whopping 20% in Texas (because Texas always does it bigger and better...).
And just so that we get this straight, the American taxpayers do in fact pay for their immigration fees (but it's illegal to pay for their families). So think about how many hundreds of thousands of dollars are going towards that (including the immigration lawyer fees), monies that should be instead going into the schools’ operations (books, salaries, extra-curricular activities, special education services, advance placement classes, etc.).
Let’s also remember that in order to bring over an H1-B visa “teacher” or “administrator,” the boys have to pay the Department of Labor’s Prevailing Wage, which is always considerably higher than what they are paying their American teachers.
For example, the prevailing wage for an H1-B teacher is about $40,000, and it is safe to assume that majority of the American teachers employed in their schools are making far less than that. Likewise, the average prevailing wage for an administrator is about $90,000. Considering that the boys always have one of their own as Directors, Business Managers, and Dean of Academics, it's safe to assume that they are raking in big bucks – so what would be the incentive to hire American administrators?
Likewise, they bring over their own IT/Computer guys with an average prevailing wage of $46,000. Now it’s one load of baloney to cry that they cannot find math and science teachers – but it’s just not true that they cannot find any Americans to fill the IT/Computer positions. But you see – they like their own for that job so they can keep their little secrets safe and secure (well,at least they think so).
So a special shout out to all of the American teachers, parents, and students who want to continue to plug your ears and close your eyes to the truth about what is going on – just stop – open your eyes, remove the wax from your ears, and repeat after us – “This might be true – this might be true – this might be true.”
Hey, the brainwashing techniques worked for the Gulenites, so there’s hope for the American naysayers too.
http://www.newsok.com/oklahoma-charter-schools-hire-math-science-teachers-from-overseas/article/3570670
Oklahoma charter schools hire math, science teachers from overseas
Four Oklahoma charter schools recruited 22 teachers from overseas to fill a well-documented shortage of math and science teachers in the United States.
BY MEGAN ROLLAND [email protected] Oklahoman
Published: May 24, 2011
Four Oklahoma charter schools employ about 15 percent of their teachers from overseas using temporary nonimmigrant work visas, according to documents provided by the superintendent of the schools.
Jenni White addresses the school board before a vote during a meeting of the Oklahoma City Public Schools school board in Oklahoma City on Monday, Dec. 13, 2010. Photo by John Clanton, The Oklahoman ORG XMIT: KOD
Read more education news on NewsOK's Education Station blog. Blog.newsok.com/educationstation
If Oklahoma teachers are being laid off, why are we as Oklahoma taxpayers paying people from not even inside our country to come and teach our children?”
Jenni White
Restore Oklahoma Public Education president
A similar chain of 33 charter schools in Texas reports that less than 20 percent of its teachers are from foreign countries using the work visas.
The independent school chains are privately run, but funded with state tax dollars.
The schools have come under scrutiny by conservative and tax watch groups throughout the nation, including Restore Oklahoma Public Education (ROPE), which can be defined as both.
“If Oklahoma teachers are being laid off, why are we as Oklahoma taxpayers paying people from not even inside our country to come and teach our children?” asks Jenni White, president of ROPE.
But the superintendents at both organizations are defending their use of foreign workers to fill positions for which there is a documented shortage in the United States.
“People who criticize us, they don't really know anything about our schools,” said Superintendent Soner Tarim with the Harmony Schools in Texas run by the Cosmos Foundation.
“As opposed to them (the critics), isolated groups, we have 16,000 students and so many parents, thousands of parents. We had 21,000 students on our waiting list last year in Texas.”
Kaan Camuz, superintendent of the four Sky Foundation schools in Oklahoma, said they always look for qualified American teachers before they start searching for international teachers.
“Finding a willing teacher for rigorous math and science classes is difficult,” Camuz said. “My teachers work a lot more hours than any other math and science teachers. They have to come in on Saturday and Sunday. To find such a willing teacher is really, really hard.”
The teachers come to America on temporary, nonimmigrant visas known as H-1B visas.
The visas are good for three years but an employer can apply for a three-year extension.
Of the 149 teachers employed at the four Oklahoma schools, 22 are here on H-1B visas.
Two of the schools are in Oklahoma City: Dove Science Academy, grades six to 12, and Dove Science Academy Elementary, grades kindergarten to fifth.
The other two schools are in Tulsa: Dove Science Academy, grades six to 12, and Discovery School of Tulsa, grades kindergarten to eighth.
The 33 Harmony Schools operated by the Cosmos Foundation in Texas employ about 1,550 and of those about 292 are using H-1B visas, Tarim said.
Teacher shortage
The shortage of math and science teachers across the nation has been well documented by researchers.
President Barack Obama mentioned the shortage in his State of the Union address this year, and Oklahoma offers a financial incentive to lure math and science teachers to the state as part of the “teacher shortage employment incentive program.”
Since 2006, 134 teachers have received more than $1.7 million in cash incentives for teaching math and science in Oklahoma public schools, according to information from the State Regents for Higher Education.
White, a former science teacher, questions whether there truly is a shortage of teachers. She says Oklahoma's certification process that allows professionals to get teaching certificates without returning to school has closed the need.
“Even if there were a shortage, with alternative certification you open up the ability to garner local Oklahoma teachers of math and science,” White said.
Temporary solution
Camuz said hiring foreign math and science teachers is a temporary solution.
Dove Science Academy offers graduates who major in math or science education a $500 per month scholarship to the university of their choice.
“I'll be really happy one day when all our math and science teachers are our alumni,” Camuz said.
Tarim said the Cosmos Foundation funds a similar program called “Grow Your Own Teachers” that will pay the four-year college tuition of any graduate who agrees to return to a Cosmos School after graduation and teach for two years.
The Oklahoma and Texas charter schools have a cooperation agreement for things like website design, student data systems and teacher training, however, the schools are run independently by separate nonprofits.
These schools are part of a growing movement in America, more than 120 charter schools that were founded by young intellectual Turkish nationals.
The charter schools are privately run but publicly funded institutions with an emphasis on math and science and a tendency to use H-1B visas to bring in foreign teachers.
Officials with the schools say the movement is organic and based on a love for education and educators in Turkey that carries over when people emigrate to the United States.
The officials say the schools are not connected or associated with a broader movement.
Social scientists who have studied the movement, say the schools are part of a broader international movement that has millions of followers and is based on the teachings of peace and interfaith respect preached by Fethullah Gulen, an elderly Islamic Turkish scholar.
Read more: http://newsok.com/oklahoma-charter-schools-hire-math-science-teachers-from-overseas/article/3570670#ixzz1NNA5DlTO
But of course, it is also the same common theme – a scripted response from the boys, and in these particular examples, the “superintendents,” of the boys’ schools in Oklahoma (4 schools) and Texas (home to 36 – yes 36 of their schools), had this to say:
“People who criticize us, they don't really know anything about our schools,” said Superintendent Soner Tarim with the Harmony Schools in Texas run by the Cosmos Foundation.
“As opposed to them (the critics), isolated groups, we have 16,000 students and so many parents, thousands of parents. We had 21,000 students on our waiting list last year in Texas.”
Kaan Camuz, superintendent of the four Sky Foundation schools in Oklahoma, said they always look for qualified American teachers before they start searching for international teachers.”
We love the parts about how their critics are “isolated” and that they have 21,000 students waiting to get in. That’s a lot of American tax dollars to fund their illegal activities, so they better jump on a plan on how to get those 21,000 kids in – because it must be seriously cutting into the Tuzuk money fund.
And we beg to differ with Soner Tarim, in fact – we know too much about your schools, hence the reason this website and others like it exist.
Once again, the boys talk about how they simply cannot find American teachers, and instead have to employ 15% foreign (mostly Turkish) teachers in Oklahoma and a whopping 20% in Texas (because Texas always does it bigger and better...).
And just so that we get this straight, the American taxpayers do in fact pay for their immigration fees (but it's illegal to pay for their families). So think about how many hundreds of thousands of dollars are going towards that (including the immigration lawyer fees), monies that should be instead going into the schools’ operations (books, salaries, extra-curricular activities, special education services, advance placement classes, etc.).
Let’s also remember that in order to bring over an H1-B visa “teacher” or “administrator,” the boys have to pay the Department of Labor’s Prevailing Wage, which is always considerably higher than what they are paying their American teachers.
For example, the prevailing wage for an H1-B teacher is about $40,000, and it is safe to assume that majority of the American teachers employed in their schools are making far less than that. Likewise, the average prevailing wage for an administrator is about $90,000. Considering that the boys always have one of their own as Directors, Business Managers, and Dean of Academics, it's safe to assume that they are raking in big bucks – so what would be the incentive to hire American administrators?
Likewise, they bring over their own IT/Computer guys with an average prevailing wage of $46,000. Now it’s one load of baloney to cry that they cannot find math and science teachers – but it’s just not true that they cannot find any Americans to fill the IT/Computer positions. But you see – they like their own for that job so they can keep their little secrets safe and secure (well,at least they think so).
So a special shout out to all of the American teachers, parents, and students who want to continue to plug your ears and close your eyes to the truth about what is going on – just stop – open your eyes, remove the wax from your ears, and repeat after us – “This might be true – this might be true – this might be true.”
Hey, the brainwashing techniques worked for the Gulenites, so there’s hope for the American naysayers too.
http://www.newsok.com/oklahoma-charter-schools-hire-math-science-teachers-from-overseas/article/3570670
Oklahoma charter schools hire math, science teachers from overseas
Four Oklahoma charter schools recruited 22 teachers from overseas to fill a well-documented shortage of math and science teachers in the United States.
BY MEGAN ROLLAND [email protected] Oklahoman
Published: May 24, 2011
Four Oklahoma charter schools employ about 15 percent of their teachers from overseas using temporary nonimmigrant work visas, according to documents provided by the superintendent of the schools.
Jenni White addresses the school board before a vote during a meeting of the Oklahoma City Public Schools school board in Oklahoma City on Monday, Dec. 13, 2010. Photo by John Clanton, The Oklahoman ORG XMIT: KOD
Read more education news on NewsOK's Education Station blog. Blog.newsok.com/educationstation
If Oklahoma teachers are being laid off, why are we as Oklahoma taxpayers paying people from not even inside our country to come and teach our children?”
Jenni White
Restore Oklahoma Public Education president
A similar chain of 33 charter schools in Texas reports that less than 20 percent of its teachers are from foreign countries using the work visas.
The independent school chains are privately run, but funded with state tax dollars.
The schools have come under scrutiny by conservative and tax watch groups throughout the nation, including Restore Oklahoma Public Education (ROPE), which can be defined as both.
“If Oklahoma teachers are being laid off, why are we as Oklahoma taxpayers paying people from not even inside our country to come and teach our children?” asks Jenni White, president of ROPE.
But the superintendents at both organizations are defending their use of foreign workers to fill positions for which there is a documented shortage in the United States.
“People who criticize us, they don't really know anything about our schools,” said Superintendent Soner Tarim with the Harmony Schools in Texas run by the Cosmos Foundation.
“As opposed to them (the critics), isolated groups, we have 16,000 students and so many parents, thousands of parents. We had 21,000 students on our waiting list last year in Texas.”
Kaan Camuz, superintendent of the four Sky Foundation schools in Oklahoma, said they always look for qualified American teachers before they start searching for international teachers.
“Finding a willing teacher for rigorous math and science classes is difficult,” Camuz said. “My teachers work a lot more hours than any other math and science teachers. They have to come in on Saturday and Sunday. To find such a willing teacher is really, really hard.”
The teachers come to America on temporary, nonimmigrant visas known as H-1B visas.
The visas are good for three years but an employer can apply for a three-year extension.
Of the 149 teachers employed at the four Oklahoma schools, 22 are here on H-1B visas.
Two of the schools are in Oklahoma City: Dove Science Academy, grades six to 12, and Dove Science Academy Elementary, grades kindergarten to fifth.
The other two schools are in Tulsa: Dove Science Academy, grades six to 12, and Discovery School of Tulsa, grades kindergarten to eighth.
The 33 Harmony Schools operated by the Cosmos Foundation in Texas employ about 1,550 and of those about 292 are using H-1B visas, Tarim said.
Teacher shortage
The shortage of math and science teachers across the nation has been well documented by researchers.
President Barack Obama mentioned the shortage in his State of the Union address this year, and Oklahoma offers a financial incentive to lure math and science teachers to the state as part of the “teacher shortage employment incentive program.”
Since 2006, 134 teachers have received more than $1.7 million in cash incentives for teaching math and science in Oklahoma public schools, according to information from the State Regents for Higher Education.
White, a former science teacher, questions whether there truly is a shortage of teachers. She says Oklahoma's certification process that allows professionals to get teaching certificates without returning to school has closed the need.
“Even if there were a shortage, with alternative certification you open up the ability to garner local Oklahoma teachers of math and science,” White said.
Temporary solution
Camuz said hiring foreign math and science teachers is a temporary solution.
Dove Science Academy offers graduates who major in math or science education a $500 per month scholarship to the university of their choice.
“I'll be really happy one day when all our math and science teachers are our alumni,” Camuz said.
Tarim said the Cosmos Foundation funds a similar program called “Grow Your Own Teachers” that will pay the four-year college tuition of any graduate who agrees to return to a Cosmos School after graduation and teach for two years.
The Oklahoma and Texas charter schools have a cooperation agreement for things like website design, student data systems and teacher training, however, the schools are run independently by separate nonprofits.
These schools are part of a growing movement in America, more than 120 charter schools that were founded by young intellectual Turkish nationals.
The charter schools are privately run but publicly funded institutions with an emphasis on math and science and a tendency to use H-1B visas to bring in foreign teachers.
Officials with the schools say the movement is organic and based on a love for education and educators in Turkey that carries over when people emigrate to the United States.
The officials say the schools are not connected or associated with a broader movement.
Social scientists who have studied the movement, say the schools are part of a broader international movement that has millions of followers and is based on the teachings of peace and interfaith respect preached by Fethullah Gulen, an elderly Islamic Turkish scholar.
Read more: http://newsok.com/oklahoma-charter-schools-hire-math-science-teachers-from-overseas/article/3570670#ixzz1NNA5DlTO
