Bay Area Technology School & Willow Education:
Evidence of affiliation with Gulen Movement
Last updated Nov 1, 2012
Bay Area Technology School is a Gulen charter school in Oakland, California. While most Gulen charter schools in California are associated with the Magnolia Educational and Research Foundation (formerly known as the Dialog Foundation), BayTech is run by Willow Education, a 501(c)3 corporation.
BayTech shares the following points with many other Gulen charter schools:
- students have participated in the INEPO and ISWEEEP science project competitions, both run by the Gulen Movement
- students have gone on Turkey trips
- use of H-1B visas for employees
The connection of BayTech and Willow Education to the Gulen Movement is further shown by the multiple affiliations, both past and present, of the following individuals:
Ercan Aydogdu
- Principal, Coral Academy of Science Las Vegas (Gulen charter school in Nevada)
- Principal, Bay Area Technology School
- Principal, Sonoran Science Academy (Gulen charter school in Arizona)
Baris Cagdasar
- Treasurer, President, Secretary, Willow Education
- Member, Board of Directors, Accord Institute for Education Research (Gulenist)
Deniz Dogruer
- Pacifica Institute (Gulenist)
- Board Member, Willow Education
Necati Sarisahin
- Business Manager, Willow Education/ Bay Area Technology School
- Accounting Manager, Coral Academy of Science (Gulen charter school in Nevada)
Ozkur Yildiz
- Principal, Bay Area Technology School
- Board Member, Sonoran Science Academy (Gulen charter school in Arizona)
- President, West America Turkic Council (Gulenist)
- Board of Directors, Turkic American Alliance (umbrella Gulenist organization for U.S.A.)