Gene Bruskin: The Story Behind the Gulen Charter Schools and Their Reclusive Founder

Posted on by depatridge

Diane Ravitch's blog

Gene Bruskin, who works at the American Federation of Teachers, has followed the growth of the Gulen-affiliated charter chain for several years. Here he gives a summary of what he has discovered. He notes that few Americans ever knew that there was a Turkish charter chain until the recent coup attempt in Turkey, when President Erdogan blamed the failed coup on a little-known Imam who lives in Pennsylvania in exile. That man, Fetullah Gulen, does not make public appearances. But now the media routinely acknowledges that he has a large charter chain, probably the second largest in the nation.

He writes:


In 2009, we were stunned by what we were finding as we ran down charter applications and tax forms for these widely dispersed but seemingly related schools. Teachers at the schools were contacting the union to determine how to proceed with asserting their rights in the face of management…

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