need to add title here

U.S. charter schools tied to powerful Turkish imam

May 13, 2012 4:00 PM

Over the past decade, followers of the mysterious Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen have opened scores of charter schools in the U.S., inspired by a man who is as powerful as he is reclusive. Lesley Stahl reports.

U.S. charter schools tied to powerful Turkish imam

60 Minutes OverTimeThe Challenge of the Empty Chair: Fethullah Gulen

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by TimMcKirk July 24, 2012 1:08 PM EDT
A foreign English teacher can teaches English better than an American teacher. Native speakers have hard time to explain some grammatical rules unlike foreign English teachers.
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by UsernameAlreadyInUse2 July 24, 2012 12:39 AM EDT
I'm sorry, but these people are not going to do anything out of the ordinary...YET. They will be on their best behavior, I don't care how many of your relatives attend there, for how many years. It won't be until later down the road that we see the full ramifications of what this will mean. WHY do we need Turkey to come in and teach schools here?
Just asking questions...
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by gulencharterschools60min June 27, 2012 12:32 AM EDT
Before you talk about gulen charter schools and 60 minutes, all of you should watch these videos and read this blog. And you decide which one is true?

http://www.conceptschools.info

http://www.youtube.com/user/TheConceptSchools
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by hrlaw14 May 23, 2012 12:49 AM EDT
I find his segment extremely misleading. If it weren't for the fact that my sister attends HSA El Paso, I would have thought that all the schools were part of one national organization. In fact, the majority of the schools featured in this segment that belong to HSP are only located in Texas. My sister has attended HSA since she was 5 years old and has never been taught or been encouraged to follow Islam or any other religion. Moreover, only 10 out of about 60 teachers are Turkish at her school. I understand the concern many Americans have because foreigners are "taking away" their jobs, but most of these schools serve impoverished neighborhoods, I would know because I live right across the street from the school my sister attends; the average household income in El Paso is about $25,000 to $30,000. That means that many of the teachers at these schools are underpaid, which also means there aren't many people (Americans specifically) who would be willing to take those jobs, especially those with math and science knowledge who have a better chance of getting better jobs with higher salaries. One of the major points of the segment was whether there is a political agenda behind establishing all these charter schools, but quite honestly, if the political agenda is to improve knowledge of science and math worldwide then it's an agenda I'm ready to support and it's laughable to even think that any person would argue against something so vital to any society. I'd like to hear more politicians here make education in science and math, or at least the improvement of children's education a priority on their agendas.
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by jenniferusa May 19, 2012 11:22 PM EDT
I am a teacher in one of the Turkish charter schools in the US. I have to say that I've never seen anyone work as hard as the Turkish teachers do. They give up all of their time to work with these kids and help them succeed. They give up almost every weekend and evening. We all work hard as teachers. It's a tough job but we still need down time and the Turkish teachers never seem to get that time, at least in my school. I'm not sure what the agenda is. If I had to choose an agenda, I would say that it seems to be about the money. I can say with conviction that it's not about religion. I'm there every day and I've never been taught or seen anything about Islam. It legitimately seems to be focused on education. These are really great schools and they should be appreciated in a time where education in America is lacking.
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by Momonthego61 May 19, 2012 7:56 AM EDT
My youngest daughter and my 2 grandsons go to HSA Beaumont TX. Most of our teachers are NOT Turkish!!!!!!!! Also our teachers are paid less than public school teachers.I am a VERY involved Southern Baptist parent. (not that it matters} I resent what this segment implies and also what it leaves out.
Dollar amounts were mentioned as being sent to these schools. This same money would be sent to which ever school each child went to, as long as it is a public school. These schools DO NOT receive local school tax dollars.This means that these schools manage to students without all the extras that most schools have.Believe me, money is spent on the children.
I do not see the waste that I saw in district schools with my other 3 children. I did not see you interview any parents . PLEASE come talk to me! You DON'T have all the facts!
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by kahjazz May 18, 2012 10:17 PM EDT
5/18/12

WHERE ARE THE U. S. WATCHDOGS? This type of thing is NOT ALLOWED in our U. S. Constitution. No foreign person(s) or Governments can legally fund, and opeate U. S. Public Schools in this Country! I am a combat Vietnam Veteran, and did not go to War to see my beloved Country being torn down like this. With our present Washington Adminstration, I'm not surprised. Welcome to the United States of Russia.
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by wrongemail111 May 18, 2012 9:51 AM EDT
There will always be people who will not believe the sincere efforts of a group of people to make the world a better one. They will always be suspicious because they cannot imagine that someone can do good without receiving or expecting any worldly benefit.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ylh7SWpwUgo&feature=relmfu
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by Ataturkiye1881 May 17, 2012 7:01 PM EDT
To whom interested, there is a report written by Gareth H Jenkins

Between Fact And Fantasy:
Turkey's Ergenekon Investigation

In this report, Gareth H Jenkins ties the Ergenkon judges and the prosecutor to Gulen movement.

Read the conclusion. :)
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by Fatmadan May 17, 2012 2:28 PM EDT
Your attitude towards a student is questionable. If you care about kids education really, you would not answer in that tone...

If you are so good at Teaching English , Come and Teach at a school. I would love to see how you motivate kids for learning .
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