Magnolia Science Academy: evidence of affiliation with the Gulen Movement

The following article (English translation given below) appeared in the major Turkish daily newspaper Milliyet on August 27, 2010.  The original Turkish text, with accompanying photo of Fethullah Gulen, can be viewed at this link:
http://www.milliyet.com.tr/walmart-tan-gulen-okullarina-bagis/guncel/haberdetay/27.08.2010/1281603/default.htm


Walmart donates to Gülen’s schools

The Walton family, founder of Wal-mart, the worldwide retail giant, has donated millions of dollars to schools considered to be associated with the Gülen community.

FOREIGN NEWS SERVICE

The 2007-2008 tax statements of the Walton Foundation revealed that at least 2 million dollars had been donated to six separate schools. Reports published on the official website of the Foundation also confirm the donations to these schools, which range between 150,000 and 250,000 dollars. The school that has benefited the most from the donations of the foundation is the Magnolia Science Academy in California. According to the documents of the foundation, a total of 1 million dollars was donated to different branches of the school in 2007-2008, in separate installments of 250 thousand dollars each. Turkish teachers’ names appear on the website of the Magnolia Science Academy.

Distinctive curriculum

In the U.S., charter schools receive funding from the government, but they can offer distinctive curriculum remaining within the framework of the agreements made with the authorities.