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The Turks are coming...to a charter school near you - REMOVED PER JH
You are wrong. I'm not paid at all. I am who I said I am. Margaret Dilloway. I'm a volunteer and parent. You would have 1000 X more credibility if you too came out from your anonymity. I am not risking my reputation as an author; I am an American standing up for what's right. For my child's education. However, from your comments, I'm sure if you thought the sky was purple and I told you it was blue; and you went out and looked for yourself, you wouldn't believe me. Conspiracy theorists like to ignore facts.— November 15, 2013 10:22 a.m.
The Turks are coming...to a charter school near you - REMOVED PER JH
Part III of III. “…high attrition rates and a curriculum that includes “home visits” by teachers and trips to Turkey.” High attrition rates: what are they, exactly? Where are the figures? I don’t know of any “high attrition rates.” The school is at MAXIMUM capacity every year. There are so many people waiting for spots they do a lottery. Yes,there are home visits, as I mentioned above. During the home visit, the teacher mentioned a possible trip to Turkey. He also floated a possible trip to Europe. And they participate in the camps and the D.C. field trip, too. “As for “science fairs,” she says they’re rigged — run and judged by Gulen insiders.” Wrong again. Magnolia participates in the Science Olympiad with the other public schools. Magnolia’s robotics team won first place in the FLL (First Lego League) Robotics Competition this year at Legoland—no Turks there. The Magnolia students feed into the Engineering Program at Patrick Henry High—a rigorous program that guarantees admission to SDSU’s Engineering School, provided that a high GPA is maintained. This is not a “Gulen-ordered” operation. And…that whole Bob Filner section. What does this have to do with Magnolia or any school? You make no connection there except that he went to Turkey. He also went to Paris. You might as well have mentioned the Paris trip as the Turkey trip. It’s not often that I open a “newspaper” and read a bunch of fiction that’s presented as fact. I am frankly shocked and angry that the San Diego Reader purposely published such a shoddy hatchet piece. It’s disgustingly racist and, most important, WRONG. I learned more ethical and accurate journalism techniques in high school. This article not only insults Magnolia, it insults me and all the other parents by extension. I’d like to ask you to print a retraction of this entire article at once. Margaret Dilloway— November 14, 2013 2:39 p.m.
The Turks are coming...to a charter school near you - REMOVED PER JH
This is Part II of III. Now, let me correct some of your many false assumptions. You say, “Critics allege that Gulen public charter schools reject qualified American teachers, instead importing Turkish men via H-1B visas, which allow Americans to employ foreigners in “specialty” occupations. These non-union teachers are then paid salaries characterized as “inflated,” and are expected, in turn, to donate a substantial portion to the Gulen movement via a network of “charitable” foundations.” Incorrect. I am the parent volunteer for the board (another great thing: a board with a community member, a teacher, and a couple parents on it to discuss and solve issues), and I have sitting in front of me this school’s complete financial accounting. The teachers make $10,000 less, at least, than their regular San Diego City School counterparts. The teachers are young and enthusiastic. They work for hours beyond what their peers do. They head the clubs, they lead the teams, they stay and manage special events. Contrast this with the San Diego City School teachers, whose contracts stipulate that they don’t do all this extra stuff (recess duty and so forth). “The school’s customers — students and their parents — are seldom aware of the connections. Largely poor, non-white, and urban — just the sort of folks who claim to be victims of substandard public schools — they’re lured by the siren song of super-sized test scores and potential scholarships.” Again, incorrect. “Largely poor?” There are 100 students who qualify for free or reduced lunch or are English Language Learners. That would mean 260 who do not, which means the population is largely middle class. I can provide proof; can you? You can probably get this info from the district. Nice checking of facts. Is this what passes for journalism these days? “Gulen school bigwigs go to comical lengths to deny the close ties, some even disclaiming the very existence of the Gulen movement as an organized entity. Nonetheless, praise is ubiquitous and effusive on their websites, where the phrase, “We are inspired by Fethullah Gulen,” crops up with regularity.” Magnolia is not a Gulen school. You made that assumption with no evidence except the opinions of a nutty woman who lives hundreds of miles away. “There are also charges of sweetheart deals with local Gulen-owned businesses.” Really? That’s an interesting assertion. Which businesses are these? Oh. YOU DON’T KNOW.— November 14, 2013 2:38 p.m.
The Turks are coming...to a charter school near you - REMOVED PER JH
Part I of II: As a Magnolia parent and as a generally rational human being, I have huge issues with this opinion piece (and it should be an opinion piece, not a feature). Wherefore art thou, dependable SD Reader of yore? Why are you running defamatory, slanderous, completely unsubstantiated articles? Is your legal insurance that good? I knew of the school's Turkish connections before I enrolled my child-- Turkish in that it's owned by a Turkish-affiliated company and has two teachers who hail from that country. So what? I still went ahead with my eyes fully open and enrolled my child. First let me tell you why I, a white-Asian upper middle class fiscally conservative professional novelist, and my husband, (formerly in Army Special Ops, now a white-collar professional), chose Magnolia over all other possible options. The other parents I’ve met are physicians, teachers, engineers, IT professionals, real estate professionals, contractors—in other words, a regular sample of this community, the same as can be found in any other public school in the area. My older kid went to Lewis, home to more than a thousand kids. When it was time for my next child to attend middle school, we looked at alternatives. We'd heard nothing but good things about Magnolia, among them: 1. The kids wear uniforms. This makes a huge difference in distractions. 2. The school is small-- around 360 students. 3. They have many FREE after school clubs available for a range of interests, from athletics to science to chess to talent show. Sports team compete against other charter schools. 4. Four foreign languages are taught: Spanish, Japanese, Mandarin and Turkish. The kids cycle through these languages. Why would I be upset that my child learns Turkish or Mandarin? It’s an ASSET. He can work for the CIA or the State Department. My child LOVES the school. Never a socializer in elementary, he has a wide-ranging group of friends who live all over San Diego. At the school’s BINGO night, he was enveloped into a group of friends who were of all racial backgrounds. He’s earned all As and Bs. He’s in advanced 7th grade math. Every day, he comes home and discusses new science projects and world history projects. He wants to be on Kids Jeopardy now. His confidence has blossomed. He does his homework without complaint and, most importantly, is organized—many students graduate from high school with fewer skills than he’s learned in a few short months at Magnolia. Another thing I love about the school is its complete lack of bureaucracy, but its 100% accountability for all matters. This means if I have a concern, there’s no red tape-- I can talk directly to the principal or a teacher, and it will be addressed. They’re open to new ideas and improvements. They have “home visits,” wherein two teachers visit your house to personally get to know the parents. The second part will come in a different comment.— November 14, 2013 2:36 p.m.