Gulen charter schools in Georgia

STATE	# ACTIVE	# PENDING	# INACTIVE*	TOTAL
GA	2	0	2	4

* Denied, withdrawn, closed, or unknown status

===============================================================

SCHOOLS

===============================================================

FULTON SCIENCE ACADEMY HIGH SCHOOL (FORMERLY T.E.A.C.H. School)
Status	ACTIVE, opened in 2006
Charter Holder	Fulton Educational Services
Authorizer	Fulton County School System
Location/District	4100 Old Milton Pkwy, Alpharetta / Fulton County School System
Website	http://fsahigh.org/
Enrollment	Grades 9-12; 233 students in 2010-2011
Notes	T.E.A.C.H. School = Technology Enriched Accelerated Charter High School; renamed FSA High School in 2010

==================================================================

FULTON SUNSHINE ACADEMY (sometimes called Sunshine Fulton Academy)
Status	ACTIVE, opened 2010
Charter Holder	Fulton Sunshine Academy, Inc.
Authorizer	Fulton County School System
Location/District	1335 Northmeadow Pkwy, Suite 100, Roswell / Fulton County School System
Website	http://www.fultonsunshine.org/
Enrollment	Grades K-5; 408 students in 2010-2011
Notes	After two denials (2006, 2008), the third submission of the charter school petition was approved in 4/2009.

==================================================================

FULTON SCIENCE ACADEMY MIDDLE SCHOOL (formerly Cosmos Science Academy)
Status	INACTIVE: CLOSED AT THE END OF THE 2011-12 SCHOOL YEAR AND CONVERTED INTO A PRIVATE SCHOOL. The charter was initially approved 5/2001 and the school opened in Fall 2002. The current 5-year term expires 6/30/2012. The charter was not not renewed, FSA appealed to the state, but was denied. For more history, see http://charterschoolscandals.blogspot.com/2011/05/fulton-science-academy-middle-school.html
Charter Holder	Fulton Science Academy, Inc.
Authorizer	Fulton County School System / Georgia State BOE
Location/District	1675 Hembree Rd., Alpharetta / Fulton County School System
Website	http://fsamiddle.org/
Enrollment	Grades 6-8; 506 students in 2010-2011
Notes	The application for Fulton Science Academy (d.b.a. Cosmos Science Academy) was approved in 2001. Founding board members on 2001 application: Bekir Ozcan, Yucel Altunbasak, Serdar Tunaboylu, Erdogan Dogdu, and Kemal Cem Gur. http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/_documents/schools/charterschools/Fulton%20Science%20Academy.pdf Governing board members on 2006 application: Ayhan Korucu, Cheri Garvin, Sherry Saylam, Mustafa Basgun, Feroz Fatehali, Cevdet Akbay, and Mustafa Kececi. Governing board members on 2011 application: Ayhan Korucu (president), Levent Bulut (vice president), Selma Aktas (secretary, parent member, wife of Florida Anatolian Cultural Center founder Elvan A. Aktas), Mustafa Kececi, and parent members, Maria Beug-Deeb, Angela Lassetter, Edith Wichser.

==================================================================

OCONEE SCHOOL OF MATH AND SCIENCE
Status	DENIED; this was an attempt in 2008 for school to start in fall 2009 http://onlineathens.com/multimedia/pdfs/080608Oconee_BOE.pdf
Charter Holder	Oconee Science Academy, Inc.
Notes	Letter of intent to submit charter school petition sent by I. Budak Arpinar to Oconee County Schools on 1/23/2008 http://onlineathens.com/multimedia/pdfs/020708_Oconee-Charter.pdf News story here http://onlineathens.com/stories/051908/news_20080519036.shtml Denied by the Oconee County Board of Education for multiple reasons, i.e. planned preferential admissions, use of non-certified teachers, limited foreign language offerings (only Spanish and Turkish), etc. Board meeting w/explanation @ http://ebssp.eboardsolutions.com/sites/oconee/Documents/BOE%20Minutes%202007-2008/BOE%20Min.%2005.05.08.pdf

==================================================================

CHARTER HOLDERS

==================================================================

FULTON SCIENCE ACADEMY MIDDLE SCHOOL, INC. (formerly Cosmos Science Academy, Inc.)
Federal Tax ID	EIN 582512910
Website	None
History	Name Change Amendment from Cosmos Science Academy, Inc. to Fulton Science Academy, Inc. certified by state on 2/15/2002
Individuals involved	Names appearing on 990s (this is public information):  Ali Ozer, Ayhan Korucu (all years), Baybars Bakay, Cevdet Akbay,Cheri Garvin, Erdogan Dogdu, Feroz Fatehali, Fethi Goktepe, Gerald Baron, Kenan Sener, Levent Bulut, Mustafa Basgun, Mustafa Kececi, P.R. Subramanian, Russell Sumrall, Sabrina Moore, Selim Ozdemir (all years), Sherry Saylam (all years), Steven Greene, Tracy Hansen, Tuncay Kucuktas, and Wendy Murphy.

==================================================================

FULTON EDUCATIONAL SERVICES
Federal Tax ID	EIN 202617285
Website	None
History	Received a $230,000 Walton Family Foundation grant in 2006
Individuals involved	Names appearing on 990s (this is public information):  Ayhan Korucu, Sherry Anne Saylam, Mustafa Basgun, Tahir Duzyol, Kemal Cem Gur; Names on Form 990s for 2005-2009 are Ahmet Ozarslan, Ali Ozer, Alyson Hancock, Anvi Cokavci, Ayhan Korucu, Cevdet Akbay, Levent Bulut, Lee Friedman, Mohammad Hamki, Mustafa Basgun, Rhonda Allenson, Rodney Brown, Selim Ozdemir, Sherry Saylam

==================================================================

FULTON SUNSHINE ACADEMY, INC.
Federal Tax ID	EIN 205753698
Website	None
Individuals involved	Names appearing on 990s (this is public information): Board members Namik Sercan (President), Aladdin Akgul, Levent Bulut, Ayhan Korucu, and Sherry Saylam, w/books in care of Murat Cetin. Names on corporation wiki (accessed 12/2011) are Namik Sercan, CEO; Mert Gokkaya, CFO; Alaaddin Akgul, Secretary; Murat Cetin, Principal

=================================================================

OCONEE SCIENCE ACADEMY, INC.
Federal Tax ID	Not known
Website	Website: www.oconeeacademy.org (no longer active)
History	The Georgia State BOE authorized a $5,000 start-up grant for Oconee Science Academy in Aug. 2008. http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/_documents/StateBoardMinutes/2007-2009/August%202008%20State%20Board%20Minutes.pdf
Individuals involved	Ismailcem Budak Arpinar, Caner Kazanci, Ibrahim Demir, Samir Trabelsi, Namik Sercan, Michelle Garfield Cook; Described as “a group including several University of Georgia instructors.”

==================================================================

SERVICE PROVIDER

==================================================================

GRACE INSTITUTE FOR EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH & RESOURCES (AKA GRACE SCHOOLS)
Federal Tax ID	EIN 262674420
Website/Address	http://graceschools.us/, 5755 Northpoint Pkwy, Suite 1, Alpharetta, GA
Services	From the 2010 brochure: “Membership is a contractual agreement where a candidate school Governing Board adopts the Grace Institute standards and pays a per-pupil fee to partake in the Institute’s activities and to benefit from membership services.” Services listed: “Professional development workshops for new administrator and faculty; Standards based teaching, assessment, and evaluation support; Budget development support; Marketing, recruitment, and enrollment support; Curriculum development research and support; Accreditation standards support; Operations support.”
Individuals involved	Names appearing on 990s (this is public information): Ali Ozer, Kenar Sener, Namik Sercan, Selim Ozdemir, and Yucel Aktas; w/books in care of Avni Cokavci and Ilbey Budak
Notes	All member schools are in the Gulen movement-identified charter school network. Previously appearing on website: “Current members include these two original schools [FSA Middle and High] as well as (in order of their opening years) Stars Middle School, River City Science Academy Middle and High School, Orlando Science Middle and High School, Sweetwater Branch Academy Middle and High School, New Springs Middle School, Fulton Sunshine Academy Elementary School, River City Science Academy Elementary School, and Sweetwater Branch Academy Elementary School.”

=====================================================================

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

See these entries by C.A.S.I.L.I.P.S.

• Fulton Science Academy / TEACH / Fulton Sunshine Academy: Evidence of affiliation with Gulen Movement http://gulencharterschools.weebly.com/fulton-science-academy.html
•  Board Member of Fulton Science Academy and proposed Cape Fear STEM School: "Yes, I am a Fethullah follower" http://gulencharterschools.weebly.com/fulton-science-academy-cape-fear-board-member-yes-i-am-a-fethullah-follower.html
•  Fulton Science Academy students attended program at overtly Gulenist, religious school in Turkey http://gulencharterschools.weebly.com/fulton-students-at-gulenist-religious-school-in-turkey.html
•  Fulton Science Academy - letter from parent http://gulencharterschools.weebly.com/fulton-science-academy---letter-from-parent.html
•  Fulton Science Academy: Comparing college prep with district http://gulencharterschools.weebly.com/fulton-science-academy-comparing-college-prep-with-district.html
•  Fulton Science Academy: Charter Renewal 2011 http://gulencharterschools.weebly.com/fulton-science-academy-charter-renewal-2011.html

####