Fulton Science Academy / TEACH /
Fulton Sunshine Academy:
Evidence of affiliation with Gulen Movement
by C.A.S.I.L.I.P.S. - Citizens Against Special Interest Lobbying in Public Schools
Page created July 21, 2010 Last updated Sep 21, 2013
These publicly-funded charter schools in the Atlanta, Georgia area are run by the Grace Institute for Educational Research and Resources, Inc. which has since been renamed Charter Educational Services & Resources. The name of TEACH ("Technology Enriched Accelerated Charter High") has been changed to Fulton Science Academy High School. Fulton Science Academy Middle School had its charter revoked in 2012 because of a number of problems. The Fulton Educational Services, Inc corporation is affiliated with these schools.
The original name of Fulton Science Academy (Middle School) was "Cosmos Science Academy." The name "Cosmos" has significance for the Gulen Movement; the Cosmos Foundation in Texas (now renamed Harmony Public Schools) as well as the Cosmos Foundation of Georgia are Gulenist organizations.
In the comments section of this Atlanta Journal-Constitution article, Hakan Berberoglu, using the name "Gitano Bandolero," attacks other commenters for noting the connection between Fulton Sunshine Academy and the Gulen Movement; Berberoglu is assistant director of the Chicago-based Niagara Foundation, which has Fethullah Gulen as honorary president. (The comment in which Berberoglu was identified has apparently been removed by the newspaper.)
A 2010 document from River City Science Academy in Florida giving a tentative itinerary for the spring break trip to Turkey shows a stop at "Coskun College, sister school of FSA." The document's metadata shows its title as "Fulton Science Academy." Coskun College is known to be a Gulen school.
Additional evidence can be found on this page, which explains the financial connection between Fulton TEACH High School and the Gulenist company Sema Education and Health Development Co, Inc, and on this page, showing how a group of Fulton students attended a summer program at an overtly Gulenist religious school in Turkey. On this page, translated from a Turkish newspaper, an FSA board member is quoted as saying he is a follower of Fethullah Gulen. A Nov 24, 2011 article (in Turkish) of the Turkish news outlet "soL" noted the connections of Fulton Science Academy and one of its founders, Yucel Altunbasak, to Gulen.
See also: letter from Fulton parent; and for information on academics, see an analysis of college prep at FSA compared to other Fulton County schools.
The multiple affiliations of the following individuals, both past and present, give further evidence of FSA's connection to the Gulen Movement:
Isa Afacan
- Professor, Zirve University (Gulenist institution)
- Political Science Teacher, Business Records Coordinator, Fulton TEACH High School (now renamed Fulton Science Academy HS)
- Board Member, Coral Springs Foundation, Orlando FL (Gulenist organization)
- Istanbul Center (Gulenist organization)
- Editorial Assistant, Journal of Economic and Social Research (Gulenist publication)
- Research Assistant, Fatih University (Gulenist institution)
Emre Akbaba (a.k.a. David Condor)
- Teacher, Fulton Science Academy (2005-06)
- Principal, Discovery Academy of Science (2013-14) (Gulen charter school in FL)
- Principal, New Springs Middle School, New Springs Elementary School (Gulen charter schools in FL)
- Principal, Orlando Science Middle School (2009-10) (Gulen charter school in FL)
Cevdet Akbay
- Fulton Science Academy board member
- petitioner for Cape Fear STEM School (proposed Gulen charter school in North Carolina)
- Quoted in Turkish newspaper article as saying he is a follower of Fethullah Gulen
- Senior Software Developer – Grace Institute for Educational Research and Resources (Gulenist)
- IT worker, Fulton Educational Services, Inc
- Atlantic Wind Production (Gulenist corporation providing IT services to Fulton Science Academy)
- IT worker, Prizma Egitim A.S.
Baybars Bakay
- Fulton Science Academy computer science teacher
- Istanbul Center (Gulenist)
- Turkish Olympiad of the Southeast (Gulenist)
- Nile Foundation (Gulenist)
- Turkish American Islamic Center of Florida (Gulenist)
- Atlantic Wind Production (Gulenist corporation that has provided IT services to Fulton Science Academy)
- Domain registrant for Gulenist website gulenschools.org [N.B.: subsequent to the posting of this page, the domain registrant name was changed; however, screenshots have been saved as evidence that Baybars Bakay of Alpharetta GA was the original registrant; see image at bottom of page. Historical domain name registration information can be accessed by anyone who wishes to verify this, but generally a fee is required.]
- Grace Institute for Educational Research and Resources (Gulenist)
Mustafa Basgun
- Fulton Science Academy board member
- Global Spectrum Foundation (Gulenist umbrella organization running the Istanbul Center)
Dr. Levent Bulut
- Fulton Science Academy board member
- Chief Financial Officer, Fulton Science Academy Middle School (2011-2012)
- Former Treasurer of the Cosmos Foundation in Texas
Murat Cetin
- Principal, Fulton Sunshine Academy
- Teacher, Assistant Principal, Fulton Science Academy Middle School
- Founder, Principal, Sweetwater Branch Academy (Gulen charter school in Florida, now closed)
- Assistant Principal, Stars Middle School (Gulen charter school in Florida)
Ahmet Dastan a.k.a. Ahmed Dastan, Matt Dastan
- Fulton Science Academy, science teacher
- Assistant Principal, Stars Middle School (Gulen charter school in Florida)
- Kaynak Publishing Group (Gulenist)
- Oxford Vision Education Consultancy (Gulenist)
- Cosmos Foundation of Georgia (Gulenist)
- BAKIAD, Turkey-based partner of the Niagara Foundation
- Guide/leader of Turkey trips organized by the Gulen Movement
Mustafa Deniz
- Former employee, Fulton Science Academy
- Principal, Sonoran Science Academy, Phoenix AZ
- Former IT/IS Administrator, Sonoran Science Academy, Phoenix AZ
Tahir Duzyol
- Fulton Science Academy
- Graduate of Yamanlar Science High School (located in Turkey, run by Gulen Movement)
- Outreach director, Istanbul Center, Atlanta, GA (Gulenist)
- Involved with Peace Valley Foundation, Alabama (Gulenist)
Ismail Fidan
- Fulton Science Academy governing board
- Coral Academy of Science (Gulen charter school in Nevada) grant writing and fundraising
- Board Member, Nashville Charter Middle School (proposed Gulen charter school in Tennessee that never materialized)
Fethi Goktepe (a.k.a. Timothy Bluehill)
- Fulton Science Academy teacher
- Principal, Sweetwater Branch Academy (Gulen charter school in Florida, now closed)
Tuba Aktaran-Kalayci
- Wife of Altan Kalayci
- Participated in Istanbul Center events such as Annual Dialogue Dinners
Altan Kalayci
- Istanbul Cultural Center
- Global Spectrum Foundation
- Judge at Turkish Olympics which Fulton Science Academy students participate in
- Participated in interfaith meeting with pope: “He came to the memorial Mass with his colleague Altan Kalayci; they strive to promote cultural understanding and interfaith dialogue through the Istanbul Cultural Center in Atlanta. He said the Vatican ambassador in Turkey has a very good relationship with Muslim leaders there and one of their leading scholars, Fethullah Gulen, visited the Vatican in 1998.”
Note: Global Spectrum Foundation is a Gulenist umbrella organization running the Istanbul Center. The Turkish Olympics, a.k.a. Turkish Olympiad, is run by the Gulen Movement.
Mustafa Kececi
- Fulton Science Academy Board Member
- Vice President & Treasurer, Member, Board of Directors, TACC Southeast (Turkish American Chamber of Commerce of the Southeast United States)
Note: TACC Southeast is a Gulenist organization, as evidenced by the following statement on the Istanbul Center website: “The purpose of the meeting was to brief Governor Perdue about Istanbul Center, telling him about its events and programs, as well as those for the Turkish American Chamber of Commerce of the Southeast (TACC Southeast), a sister organization.”
Ayhan Korucu
- President Of Fulton Science Academy Middle School Governing Board
- Founding Member of Fulton Science Academy, Inc.
- Istanbul Center, Development Member and Volunteer
- Judge, Turkish Olympiad of the Southeast US
- Global Spectrum Foundation
- President, Board of Directors, : TACC Southeast (Turkish American Chamber of Commerce of the Southeast United States)
Tuncay Kucuktas
- Board member and CFO, Fulton Science Academy
- Board of Directors, TACC Southeast
Ebru Oncul
- Teacher, Fulton Science Academy
- Istanbul Center (Gulenist; member of Turkic American Alliance)
- Wife of Fatih Oncul, who has multiple connections with the Gulen Movement (see below)
Fatih Oncul
- Husband of teacher Ebru Oncul, Fulton Science Academy
- Board Member, Paterson Charter School of Science and Technology (Gulen charter school in NJ)
- Judge, Turkish Olympiads of the Southeast US (competition run by Gulen Movement)
- Director, Snowdrop Education Services; founder of Snowdrop Science Academy (private Gulen school in Pennsylvania, which has ceased operations)
- Volunteered to organize public seminars through Interfaith Dialog Center, New Jersey (Gulenist organization)
- Advisor for Pioneer Academy of Science (private Gulen school in NJ)
- Volunteered for Bosphorous Education Corporation (tutoring and ESL business run by the Gulen Movement)
Bekir Ozcan (a.k.a. Bekir Ozchan)
- Fulton Science Academy lead petitioner
- Cosmos Foundation of Georgia (Gulenist organization)
Ali Ozer
- Fulton Educational Services, Inc.
- Board President of the Fulton Sunshine Academy elementary school
- Grace Institute for Educational Research and Resources, Inc, as per IRS Form 990 (Gulenist organization)
- Assistant Principal, TEACH (Technology Enriched Accelerated Charter High School), now renamed Fulton Science Academy High School
- Outreach Committee Member, Istanbul Center for Culture and Dialogue (Gulenist organization)
- Chairman of the planning committee for Greenville Science Charter School (proposed Gulen charter school in South Carolina) http://www.swampfox.ws/trustees-deny-charter-for-new-science-school
- Participated in Interfaith Dialog Dinner at the Intercultural Dialogue Association, Alabama (Gulenist organization)
- Wife Mirkena Ozer wrote article for Fountain Magazine about Ali Ozer
- 1993-96 Teacher, Gulistan schools - Gulistan Educational Institutions, in Turkish Gulistan Egitim Kurumlari http://www.gulistan.edu.al/ (private Gulen schools in Kosovo)
- 1996-98 Writer, consultant, Surat Publishing (Gulenist)
Note: Fountain Magazine is a major publication of the Gulen Movement; Fethullah Gulen writes the lead article for each issue.
Kenan Sener
- Principal, Fulton Science Academy
- Wrote article for Fountain Magazine (Gulenist publication)
- Led group of students attending summer program at Gulenist religious school in Turkey
Namik Sercan
- Board President of the Fulton Sunshine Academy
- Grace Institute for Educational Research and Resources, Inc (Gulenist)
- Assistant Principal, TEACH
- Author, Fountain Magazine (Gulenist publication)
Alper Tekten
- Assistant Principal of Triad Math and Science Academy, North Carolina
- Board Member, proposed Wake Math and Science Academy, North Carolina
- Fulton Science Academy/teacher (“internship”) and “assisted the governing board of the school with the renewal process of the charter which was approved for another five years…During his internship, he helped and consulted several other charter school applications in Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, South Carolina, and North Carolina including Triad Math and Science Academy. He also helped two charter schools in Florida to be established and recruit students.”
Note: Triad Math and Science Academy, the proposed Wake Math and Science Academy and the schools referred to in other states are all Gulen charter schools.
Serdar Tunaboylu
- Founding board member, Fulton Science Academy Middle School
- Founding board member, Cosmos Foundation of Georgia (Gulenist organization)
The following image shows the domain registration for gulenschools.org as it appeared on the website www.domaintools.com on May 16, 2011. The domain was registered to Baybars Bakay, who was a teacher at Fulton Science Academy and is affiliated with Grace Institute for Educational Research and Resources :