Rumor Has It

What are they up to now?

Gee whiz, it would seem that the boys are up to their old tricks again.

Apparently, the boys -- and more specifically -- Concept Schools (the schools' "management" company) were rounding up American –born teachers employed in the Concept-run schools, to interview them (the Americans) about the Turkish-born teachers working at their schools.

By the way, the boys were not interviewing all of the American teachers -- instead -- they hand-selected 3-4 teachers from each school.

In particular, during the interviews the boys questioned the American teachers about their Turkish colleagues and their abilities to teach (Gee, and that question only took 11 years in the making).

Additionally, the boys were asking the American teachers if they had heard the rumors about the Turkish employees being paid more than the Americans (as if ).

Apparently, and according to the fly on the wall, they asked the interviewees (American teachers) to sign a legal waiver at the end of the “interviews.”

What exactly was the purpose of that waiver?

Maybe it’s a coercive tactic used so that the American teachers essentially have to “promise” not to renege on their interview questions if the Turkish guys do not renew their employment contracts. Or perhaps it's a "permission slip" of sorts that allows the boys to publish their findings. (Note: There are two things that the boys love even more than baklava -- good publicity and the ability to lord employment contracts over the heads of American teachers).

Or perhaps it’s some type of legal protection that their highly-paid lawyers (paid with our tax dollars) concocted just in case the American teachers felt like they were being exploited, pressured, or manipulated (ummm).

The fly on the wall further reported that this effort might be an attempt (or preemptive strike if you will), by the boys to deflate that big nasty publicity balloon that has been floating around the skies of public opinion. That’s just a guess, considering that during the interviews the Americans were asked about the recent and negative news stories surrounding the schools and the management company, and their personal thoughts on all that nasty publicity.

But the fly, remember the fly --- also stated that the teachers were very uncomfortable with the “interrogations,” and felt that if they did not engage in the interviews, that it could jeopardize their upcoming contract renewals.

So what’s it all about?

Rumor has it that a major news program will soon air an investigative segment on their shenanigans, so perhaps they are working fast and furious in a defensive effort to salvage their reputations and actions should the segment show them in a not- so- nice light (just guessing here).

But the bottom line is simple – if the American teachers that they are being singled out and interviewed feel that they are being discriminated against, or bullied into “testifying” on behalf of the boys, then they need to speak up, come forward, and respectfully decline their invasive interviews.

And don’t squish the fly – its overall purpose far outweighs it sinister appearance and pesky buzzing around...