STATE | # ACTIVE | # PENDING | # INACTIVE* | TOTAL |
TN | 1 | 1+ | 2 | 4+ |
* Denied, withdrawn, closed, or unknown status
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TOTAL ENROLLMENT IN 2010-2011 = 277 STUDENTS
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SCHOOLS
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MEMPHIS SCHOOL OF EXCELLENCE | |
Status | ACTIVE, opened in 2010 |
Management | READ Foundation, dba Memphis School of Excellence; partnering w/the Cosmos Foundation (“Texas-based Cosmos Foundation will open Memphis School of Excellence.”) http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/mar/06/new-charter-leaders-savvy-supported/ |
Authorizer | Memphis City School District |
Location/District | 4450 S. Mendenhall Road, Memphis / Memphis City School District |
Website | |
Enrollment | Grades 6-9; 2010-11 enrollment = 277 |
Notes | Ali Gumus, principal |
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W.E.B. DUBOIS CONSORTIUM SCHOOL CONVERSIONS (nine schools) | |
Status | 2nd ATTEMPT PENDING: The first application was denied in late October 2011. The charter operator planned to submit his applications again. http://www.memphisflyer.com/CityBeatBlog/archives/2011/10/27/herenton-will-try-try-again&cb=dd2a590ba9a5e3e53229f91ee8eed90a&sort=desc#readerComments |
Management | W.E.B. Dubois Consortium of Charter Schools, partnering with the Cosmos Foundation http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/oct/03/herenton-applies-for-charter-schools/ |
Authorizer | Shelby County Schools/Memphis City Schools (joint school board) |
Location / District | The original application was an attempt to operate seven charter schools in Memphis, and two more in the county. The first planned takeovers were of Orleans Elementary, Manassas High and Booker T. Washington schools. |
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| KNOXVILLE CHARTER ACADEMY | |
Status | DENIED |
Non-profit | Iris Educational Foundation board of directors is the governing board of Knoxville Charter Academy |
Authorizer | Knox County Board of Education |
History | The school’s application for a K-8 school to enroll up to 600 students was initially denied in Nov. 2010. It was later approved with the district requiring the operators to agree to set of stipulations. Note: the stipulations appeared to be an attempt to counter some of the questionable activities that had been observed at other Gulen charter schools. KCA was supposed to open for 2011-12, but the operators sought approval for, and received, a one-year extension. KCA was continuously unable to secure a location, so in May 2012 the school board unanimously voted to deny giving the operators another extension. |
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NASHVILLE CHARTER MIDDLE SCHOOL, RENAMED NASHVILLE ACADEMY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY | |
Status | DENIED, all four attempts were rejected |
Non-profit | Nashville Academy, Inc. |
Authorizer | Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools |
History | In September 2006, an application was submitted for the Nashville Charter Middle School . It was denied in November, and the school’s appeal to the state board was also denied. In September 2007, the same group applied under a new name, the Nashville Academy of Science and Technology (NAST). That application was also denied. NAST’s third attempt was denied in November 2008. NAST made a fourth attempt which was denied in December 2009. |
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MANAGEMENT
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READ FOUNDATION (dba Memphis School of Excellence) | |
Federal Tax ID | EIN 943487601 |
Website | None |
History | Memphis Commercial Appeal: “Texas-based Cosmos Foundation will open Memphis School of Excellence.” (3/6/2010) http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/mar/06/new-charter-leaders-savvy-supported/ |
Individuals involved | Executive Director: Cem Akkus; No Form 990 posted |
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IRIS EDUCATION FOUNDATION | |
Federal Tax ID | EIN 271792425 |
Website | None |
History | The foundation's initial address, as listed on the Tennessee Department of State's website, was the same as that of the Knoxville Turkish Cultural Center, AKA Universal Dialogue http://www.universaldialog.org/ displays same website as http://knoxvilleturkish.org/ . |
Individuals involved | Board members in application: Suzan Mertyurek (also on the boards of Triad Math and Science Academy in North Carolina, another Gulen charter school, as well as Virginia International University, a Gulen-operated private institution for higher education), Lydia Pulsipher, Rashad Mahmudov, Leyla Achilova (AKA Achilov, Kayumova; taught at Sonoran Science Academy, a Gulen charter school in AZ), Ege Sarisaltik. |
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NASHVILLE ACADEMY, INC. | |
Federal Tax ID | EIN 203991207 |
Website | None |
Individuals involved | “While Dr. Ismail Fidan, NCMS’ sponsor and Governing Board Chair, is a consultant to two charter schools, one in Nevada and another in Fulton County, Georgia, there is little evidence of his direct involvement in educational administration or curriculum and instruction beyond his own evident expertise in his academic field. (A letter from the Fulton County charter school for which he is a consultant cites his service in raising money and recruiting teachers.) Two board members are graduate students in economics; a fourth is an architect. The fifth is an area manager for Taco Bell, with considerable experience in restaurant management.” http://state.tn.us/sbe/Jan07/NCMS/NCMS_Response_to_MNPS_objection.pdf Ismail Fidan “...worked for Fulton Science Academy governing board for two years and also for the Coral Academy of Science in grant writing and fundraising.”* *NOTE: Both schools are in the Gulen charter school network. |
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W.E.B. DUBOIS CONSORTIUM OF CHARTER SCHOOLS | |
Federal Tax ID | Unknown |
Website | None |
History | It is not known how this charter school group and the Cosmos Foundation entered into an arrangement with each other. The situation presents a mutation of the established Gulen charter school pattern. |
Individuals involved | Willie Herenton, Tanya Dawson, Veronica Finnie, Vernon Grouse, Regina Haley, Sara Hall, Keith McGee, Ernest Strickland, Brent Taylor. “Next year, Herenton intends to submit two applications for charter schools in suburban Shelby County.” |
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PARTNER ORGANIZATION
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COSMOS FOUNDATION / HARMONY PUBLIC SCHOOLS | |
Federal Tax ID | EIN 76-0615245 |
Website | |
Services | The Cosmos Foundation and the READ Foundation are engaged in a "Support Service Agreement." Cosmos is paid 3% of the READ Foundation's annual state funding. |
Individuals involved | Names appearing on IRS Form 990s (2002 to 2009): Ali Tekin, Bilal Akin, Burhanettin Kuruscu, Cengizhan Keskin, Cocksun Cetinkaya, Ellen A. MacDonald, Fatih Yigit, Gokturk Tunc, Ibrahim Sel, Iker Gure, Ismet S. Isik, Kadir Almus, Kudbettin Aksoy, Levent Bulut, Lynn Mitchell, Mehmet Okumus, Mustafa Atik, Mustafa Guvercin, Mustafa Ozen, Nihat Guvercin, Oner Ulvi Celepicikay, Ozgur Ozer, Selahattin Aydin, Soner Tarim, Tevik Eski, Umit Pecin, Yetkin Yildirim |
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
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