Midlands Math and Business Academy

“After appeals process, Midlands Math and Business Charter will close.” WIS TV (SC), 3/20/2013

COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) - The Richland One School Board voted three years ago to revoke the charter of the Midlands Math and Business Academy. During the appeals process, the school has been operating without a charter. Now the courts have sided with the district, forcing the school to close next week...

The school is tucked inside an old shopping center with 72 students in grades 4 through 8...

The Richland One School Board voted to revoke the school's charter in 2009.

"There were several violations that included academics as well as some staffing issues," said Richland One Superintendent Percy Mack.

Mack says the school did not fulfill the goals set forth in its charter. The district sent in resources to help the school rebound, but Mack says there has not been enough progress...

Parents have less than a week to decide on a new school...

The district says it will stop all funding to the school next Tuesday March 26. The school does have the right to file another appeal but has not made a decision yet.

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Mary L. Dinkins Charter School

“Revoked Charter School Remains Open, SLED Investigating.” WLTX (SC), 3/18/2013

Sumter, SC (WLTX) -- Classes continued Monday at a Sumter school with a revoked charter and a restraining order.

Now SLED says it is also investigating the school for impropriety.

The South Carolina Charter School District says whatever is going on at the Mary L. Dinkins Charter School is not a recognized function with the state, and it plans to take further action against the school Tuesday...

A court cited low test scores and irregularities in its decision to revoke the school's charter.

Dinkins-Robinson says the school has since improved and their appeal of the decision allows them to remain open...

According to [Clay Eaton with the South Carolina Public Charter School District], the school received no materials for upcoming statewide tests and no funding for the month of March. He says parents should move their students to a recognized school setting...

He says the district will head to court Tuesday asking to make their temporary restraining order against the school permanent.

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Gulen charter schools in South Carolina

STATE	# ACTIVE	# PENDING	# INACTIVE*	TOTAL ATTEMPTS
FL	1	0	1	2

* Denied, withdrawn, closed, or unknown status

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SCHOOLS

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GREENVILLE RENEWABLE ENERGY (or GREEN) CHARTER SCHOOL
Status	APPROVED: opening Fall 2013 http://www.gsabusiness.com/news/47426-greenville-charter-school-gets-approval-opening-in-the-fall
Charter Holder	Not known
Authorizer	South Carolina Public Charter School District (approved April 2013). In 2011 the State Charter School Advisory Committee rejected the application.
Website	http://greenedcharterschool.org/, designed by Atlantic Wind Productions (designs websites for other Gulen charter schools in the region, as well as other organizations associated with the Gulen movement, e.g. Istanbul Center.
Location/District	1440 Pelham Rd.,Greenville (the first charter school in Greenville County). The school acquired the former Pelham Oaks Shopping Center.
Enrollment	Grades K-12
Individuals involved	Akif Aydin, Baran (aka Barry) Menguloglu, Imtiaz Haque, A. Kadir Yildirim [Abdulkadir Yildirim], and Adem Dokmeci. Project Director [Abdulbasit] Akif Aydin is a co-founder of River City Science Academy, a Gulen charter school in FL. He is also the president of the South Carolina Dialogue Foundation, and was previously director of Amity Turkish Cultural Center in FL where he was also its Turkey trip guide. Baran Menguloglu is a South Carolina Dialogue Foundation board member. Imtiaz Haque traveled to Turkey on a South Carolina Dialogue Foundation-sponsored trip. A. Kadir Yildirim was the chair of the GREEN Charter School Planning Committee. Adem Dokmeci, GREEN Charter School’s principal for 2013-14 was principal of River City Science Academy in Florida during 2012-2013.
Notes	TV news report: “Some parents question GREEN Charter School's curriculum.” 5/2/2013, FOX Carolina http://www.foxcarolina.com/story/22148843/some-parents-question-green-charter-schools-curriculum

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GREENVILLE SCIENCE CHARTER SCHOOL (originally called GREENVILLE PALMETTO SCIENCE ACADEMY)
Status	DENIED: continuous attempt from 2006 to 2009
Charter Holder	Greenville Science (originally Palmetto Education Corporation)
Authorizer	Greenville County Schools, following initial review by the State Charter School Advisory Committee
Location/District	Greenville area; originally to open fall 2007
Enrollment	For grades 6-12, 480 students
Individuals involved	Names appearing on 2006 application: Ali Ozer (lead), Guven Yucesan, Mevlut Tascan, Ethan E. Ballard, Ruth Augustin. Augustin has been replaced by Joan Breitenbruck in 2008 and 2009 documents.
Notes	SC charter school law required applicants to first submit their charters to the State Charter School Advisory Committee (SCSAC) for review and recommendation, after which the local school board made the final decision. The school’s 5/2006 application was approved by SCSAC, but rejected in 11/2006 by the Greenville County school board (for an unsound financial plan and inadequate evidence for community support). That decision was overturned at the state level because of procedural issues and was remanded for a rehearing. The rehearing took place in 4/2009 and the board rejected the school once again. A PowerPoint presentation by the school held up Fulton Science Academy, TEACH (now FSA High School) in GA, plus River City Science Academy and Sweetwater Branch Academy in FL as models. All four are Gulen charter schools associated w/ Grace Institute (see below). http://www.scalc.net/decisions.aspx?q=4&id=10810 http://www.boarddocs.com/sc/greenville/Board.nsf/Public (>Meetings>2009>April 17, 2009 special meeting)

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CHARTER HOLDER

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GREENVILLE SCIENCE (ORIGINALLY PALMETTO EDUCATION CORPORATION)
Federal Tax ID	Unknown
Website	None
History	The South Carolina Secretary of State issued a certificate of incorporation for Palmetto Education Corporation as a nonprofit corporation on January 5, 2006. The registered agent for the corporation was Guven Yucesan. Its address was listed as 230 Roper Mountain Road, Greenville, South Carolina 29615. The corporate filing was amended on June 26, 2006 to reflect that the corporate name had been changed to “Greenville Science.” http://www.scalc.net/pdf/070162.pdf

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SERVICE PROVIDER

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GRACE INSTITUTE FOR EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH & RESOURCES (AKA GRACE SCHOOLS)
Federal Tax ID	EIN 262674420
Website/Address	http://graceschools.us/, “5755 Nortpoint [sic] 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	Board members on 990s for 2007, 2008, 2009: Ali Ozer, Kenar Sener, Namik Sercan, Selim Ozdemir, and Yucel Aktas; w/books in care of Avni Cokavci and Ilbey Budak [see Occonee Science Academy above; probably Ismailcem Budak Arpinar]
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.”

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Read about the Grace Institute and related Florida Gulen charter schools in Florida @ http://gulencharterschools.weebly.com/florida-schools-orlando-river-city-sweetwater-stars-new-springs.html

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South Carolina Virtual Charter School

“Test Result: No School for Student with Asperger Syndrome.” Education Week, 10/14/2011

At the moment, South Carolina mother Gretchen Herrera isn't worried about whether her son has to take state tests in reading and math this year.

He has to be in school for her to worry about that.

Last week, Ms. Herrera told me about how she doesn't want her son Anthony, 12, to take the tests because his two diagnoses, Asperger syndrome and Type I diabetes, are a somewhat lethal combination. Anthony did well on the one test he did take, but his blood sugar spiked to a dangerous level during the exam. She kept him from most of the testing last spring as a result, unable to get official permission from the school to do so despite a note from a doctor.

Then last weekend, Ms. Herrera staged a petite protest outside the South Carolina state government buildings in Columbia.

When she got home, there was a letter waiting for her. The online charter school her son attends said Anthony is no longer welcome.

The school said because Ms. Herrera signed a contract when she enrolled Anthony, a contract that includes a clause about taking state tests, and violated that contract, her son was being withdrawn from the school, effective immediately.

Ms. Herrera told me she did sign that contract—"except the part about testing," she told me. The school, which didn't make adequate yearly progress as measured by No Child Left Behind, hasn't called me back to explain more about its decision. The immediate question: Why unenroll Anthony now, and not months ago when he didn't take the state tests?

As Ms. Herrera researches schools that she believes would be a good fit for Anthony, he has been sitting at home, his access to the online charter school cut off...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

More @ http://grumpythings.blogspot.com/search/label/Gretchen%20Herrera

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Bridgewater Academy

“Behind the doors of Bridgewater Academy.” WMBF News (SC), 8/10/2011

MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) A WMBF News investigation into salaries and expenses at public schools in Horry County has finally led to a charter school opening-up its books.

Bridgewater Academy, which gets more than $1 million of residents' tax dollars through Horry County Schools, failed to turn-over documents to WMBF News for months. On March 8, WMBF News sent a letter to Bridgewater's acting principal, Steve Wilson, requesting the documents. State law requires publicly-funded organizations to reply within 15 business days. But no one from the school responded until we let them know in late April that they were violating the law...

WMBF News informed the board they were not complying with South Carolina's Freedom of Information Act and again requested specific dollar amounts.

The board promised us they were working on it, but again after not getting the documents for weeks, we decided to show-up at one of their board meetings the night of July 20.

We asked Ms. Walters, who serves as the secretary on the board, if we could speak outside of their meeting during a break.

We pointed out that we were trying to find out how much Bridgewater spends on administrator and teacher salaries.

"And we've been slow in getting that to you because we've never been asked that question before. And we actually had to create those documents," Walters replied.

Walters mentioned that they have a small staff, which made the situation more difficult. But we pointed out that another charter school in Myrtle Beach, the Palmetto Academy of Learning and Success, had complied with the law and turned-over the information to us. They also have a small staff.

"I can't speak for them," Walters told us. "And I don't know how their staffing or their organization is. We did go through a little upheaval this year with the administrator [Craig Crawford] leaving and then temporarily filling it. And that was a challenge that maybe they didn't have to undergo."

The upheaval was still apparent at the board meeting WMBF News attended last month with teachers showing-up saying they still didn't have a contract and weren't sure where classes would be held this year...

The point throughout the WMBF News investigation has been for community members to know how schools in Horry County are spending tax payer money.

The law in South Carolina is clear. You have a right to know. All legal information can be found under the Freedom of Information Act guide: http://www.scpress.org/Documents/2011FOI.pdf

Jay Bender, an attorney in Columbia who's an expert on First Amendment cases, tells WMBF News that if Bridgewater's board members had never turned over the documents they could've been charged with a misdemeanor.

But, he says, unlike other criminal violations you can actually tell courts in South Carolina that you were unaware of the law and be found "not guilty."

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Palmetto Academy of Learning and Success

 “Horry County charter school board chairman turned down parent's records request.” The Sun News (SC), 6/11/2011

An Horry County charter school's board chairman declined to give the school's financial records to a parent, though the records are open to the public, according to state law.

Gail Baillargeon, parent of a fourth-grader at Palmetto Academy of Learning and Success charter school last year, said she was denied an opportunity to review the school's books when she requested a meeting with school financial officials to do so.

Bill Sammons, chairman of the school's board of directors, told Baillargeon in a letter that day-to-day financials of the school are not available for public review...

Bill Rogers, executive director of the S.C. Press Association, said the school's records are public.

Baillargeon said she twice requested in writing a time to meet with the school's financial committee to review financial records. The request was made at the school's Jan. 18 board meeting, as well as in an email sent to the board on the same day, according to copies she sent The Sun News.

She said in a telephone interview that she asked for a meeting because of concerns she had with financial management of the school.

Courtney Fancher, the school's principal and executive director, said she could not respond to an individual Freedom of Information Act request.

Baillargeon received a letter dated Jan. 26 from Sammons. In it, he said, "The day-to-day financials of Palmetto Academy are not available for public review; therefore, you will not be able to schedule a meeting with the Finance Committee to 'review the books' as you requested. One way that you may stay up-to-date on the PALS' financial happenings is by routinely attending Board meetings. Additionally, you may be reassured to learn that PALS uses an independent financial consulting firm, Kelley-Moser Consulting, for the management of all of the school's finances."

Rogers said the letter is "completely wrong." He said the school is a public entity and the financial records are open to the public.

Rogers said a written request to receive financial information does not have to say it is a FOIA request to be valid...

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