The STEM Sell Problem:
Our nation is overly gullible to the marketing of STEM education - and Gulenists know it
Page created May 3, 2014
Four principle factors continue to protect the Gulen charter schools, which are arguably the most "perfect crime" ever perpetrated on the US public education system:
This page examines item 4, the "STEM sell" tactic.
Four principle factors continue to protect the Gulen charter schools, which are arguably the most "perfect crime" ever perpetrated on the US public education system:
- A powerful, fanatical wing of the pro-charter school movement defends every charter school in the US, regardless of how abusive.
- Gulenists seduce politicians at every level with campaign contributions, dinners, gifts, subsidized Turkey trips, and lofty talk of "intercultural dialog," "improving economic ties," and other platitudes.
- Gulenists are extraordinarily skilled at manipulating the press.
- Gulen charter schools use every possible opportunity to sell themselves as promoting STEM education. This appeals to everyone: politicians, academics, parents, community and business leaders, and taxpayers.
This page examines item 4, the "STEM sell" tactic.
An irrational belief in STEM education as a solution to economic problems
Our nation is currently taken with the idea that STEM education initiatives are the solution to spur our flagging economy. There is constant talk of an urgent need for better STEM education to keep our workforce competitive in the global economy:
STEM education initiatives are one of the rare causes that attract strong bipartisan support. Politicians at all levels proudly aanounce them; here are just a few recent examples.
The problem with this focus is not that STEM education is not good. Better education - in all subjects - is of course important for the US. But STEM education initiatives cannot begin to fix the basic problems of the US economy, such as massive and widening income inequality, insufficient investment in infrastructure, and a lack of political will to raise taxes when necessary.
The other problem is the lack of evidence that government-run STEM initiatives are effective. A U.S. News and World Report article of April 24, 2014 hinted at this, with the headline " 'Serious Thinking' Needed on STEM Programs: Congressional Staffers Say House staff members say the federal government should remain engaged in STEM education efforts, but should also make sure it's getting a return on its investment."
Our nation is currently taken with the idea that STEM education initiatives are the solution to spur our flagging economy. There is constant talk of an urgent need for better STEM education to keep our workforce competitive in the global economy:
- US News and World Report, Jan 25, 2012: "President Obama once again put the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) crisis front and center in his State of the Union address."
- A Virginia Congressman writes on his website that "the U.S. is falling dangerously behind in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education."
- In April 2013, Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy told a Congressional education subcommittee that “STEM education is a worthwhile investment that Congress must consider furthering. In a 21st century economy driven by innovation, STEM education is the key to meeting global competitiveness and workplace needs.”
STEM education initiatives are one of the rare causes that attract strong bipartisan support. Politicians at all levels proudly aanounce them; here are just a few recent examples.
- IVN News reported in April 2013: "As part of the government’s goal of preparing students for a STEM-based economy, the Obama administration has committed $3.1 billion to improve STEM education nationwide."
- In March 2014, the Utah legislature created the STEM Action Center with $20 million, to coordinate STEM education. To put this amount in perspective, in the same month, Utah added $168 million to increase all education funding, including K-12 and higher education.
- Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire features STEM education as the first item on her education page.
- In March 2014, NY Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced an education agenda centered around promoting STEM education.
- In Feb 2014, the Oklahoma state senate passed legislation to bolster STEM education at all levels.
The problem with this focus is not that STEM education is not good. Better education - in all subjects - is of course important for the US. But STEM education initiatives cannot begin to fix the basic problems of the US economy, such as massive and widening income inequality, insufficient investment in infrastructure, and a lack of political will to raise taxes when necessary.
The other problem is the lack of evidence that government-run STEM initiatives are effective. A U.S. News and World Report article of April 24, 2014 hinted at this, with the headline " 'Serious Thinking' Needed on STEM Programs: Congressional Staffers Say House staff members say the federal government should remain engaged in STEM education efforts, but should also make sure it's getting a return on its investment."
There is no solid evidence of a shortage of qualified STEM workers in the US
A number of respected sources have questioned the claim of a "shortage" of STEM workers; following is just a sampling:
Michael Teitelbaum of the Sloan Foundation and Harvard Law School, and author of the 2014 book "Falling Behind? Boom, Bust, and the Global Race for Scientific Talent" (Princeton University Press), wrote in an April 2014 Los Angeles Times opinion column:
"We've all heard the dire pronouncements: U.S. science and technology is losing ground to its global competitors because of a nationwide shortage of scientists and engineers, due primarily to the many failures of K-12 education. But are these gloomy assertions accurate? Nearly all of the independent scholars and analysts who have examined the claims of widespread shortages have found little or no evidence to support them."
Why, then, are claims of such "shortages" so entrenched? Certain special interest groups, such as high-tech employers, want the public to believe these claims. Other organizations such as the NSF may sincerely believe that by warning the public of shortages they may be promoting science education and thus doing good for society. While this may be well-intentioned, the best policy is to provide the public with accurate information.
As Teilelbaum notes in his L.A. Times column:
"Radical changes in K-12 education cannot be justified on the basis of pervasive but largely unfounded claims of widespread shortages of scientists and engineers."
A number of respected sources have questioned the claim of a "shortage" of STEM workers; following is just a sampling:
- Spectrum, the magazine of the IEEE (the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) published an article on Aug 30, 2013 headlined "The STEM Crisis Is a Myth: Forget the dire predictions of a looming shortfall of scientists, technologists, engineers, and mathematicians." (link)
- The Columbia Journalism Review ran a story on Jan 17, 2012 entitled "What Scientist Shortage? The Johnny-can’t-do-science myth damages US research" (link)
- On July 9, 2009, USA Today, in a piece titled "Scientist shortage? Maybe not," stated that "Detailed findings issued last year by the federally funded RAND National Defense Research Institute found 'no evidence of a current shortage' of science and engineering workers. It said National Science Foundation predictions of shortages so far have proved 'inaccurate.' " (link)
Michael Teitelbaum of the Sloan Foundation and Harvard Law School, and author of the 2014 book "Falling Behind? Boom, Bust, and the Global Race for Scientific Talent" (Princeton University Press), wrote in an April 2014 Los Angeles Times opinion column:
"We've all heard the dire pronouncements: U.S. science and technology is losing ground to its global competitors because of a nationwide shortage of scientists and engineers, due primarily to the many failures of K-12 education. But are these gloomy assertions accurate? Nearly all of the independent scholars and analysts who have examined the claims of widespread shortages have found little or no evidence to support them."
Why, then, are claims of such "shortages" so entrenched? Certain special interest groups, such as high-tech employers, want the public to believe these claims. Other organizations such as the NSF may sincerely believe that by warning the public of shortages they may be promoting science education and thus doing good for society. While this may be well-intentioned, the best policy is to provide the public with accurate information.
As Teilelbaum notes in his L.A. Times column:
"Radical changes in K-12 education cannot be justified on the basis of pervasive but largely unfounded claims of widespread shortages of scientists and engineers."
Trust this: in the job market, supply responds to demand
The obsession with using K-12 education to excite and lure students towards STEM careers ignores a fundamental principle of economics: supply responses to demand. When desirable STEM jobs appear, workers will mobilize or retrain quickly to fill them. That is how a free market works.
If our government continues to respond to the demands of the high-tech business lobby by, say, issuing H-1B visas for STEM workers from overseas, it will depress wages, discouraging Americans from applying for jobs in this sector. It is misguided to interpret this as a "shortage" of American STEM workers. It is easy to attract more US citizens in these jobs - by simply not issuing as many H-1B visas (i.e., by not interfering with the market). Then, wages will reach the normal, free-market level they would be at without government interference.
Many individuals, even if they loved math in grade school, worshipped their amazing physics teacher in high school, and took first place at the regional science fair, will not choose a STEM career if being a broker on Wall Street pays five times as much.
The obsession with using K-12 education to excite and lure students towards STEM careers ignores a fundamental principle of economics: supply responses to demand. When desirable STEM jobs appear, workers will mobilize or retrain quickly to fill them. That is how a free market works.
If our government continues to respond to the demands of the high-tech business lobby by, say, issuing H-1B visas for STEM workers from overseas, it will depress wages, discouraging Americans from applying for jobs in this sector. It is misguided to interpret this as a "shortage" of American STEM workers. It is easy to attract more US citizens in these jobs - by simply not issuing as many H-1B visas (i.e., by not interfering with the market). Then, wages will reach the normal, free-market level they would be at without government interference.
Many individuals, even if they loved math in grade school, worshipped their amazing physics teacher in high school, and took first place at the regional science fair, will not choose a STEM career if being a broker on Wall Street pays five times as much.
How the Gulen Movement exploits the perceived "STEM crisis"
In marketing their schools, Gulenists monitor the current political and societal mood and exploit it. They know that STEM sells.
A primary reason many Gulen charter school applications have been approved is the claimed STEM emphasis. Gulenists hold meetings at public libraries and talk to parents about the importance of STEM education; after this it is easy to get the parents to sign a petition supporting the school's application. Gulenists meet with public officials or community and business leaders and talk about STEM education; this makes it easy to get a letter of support. The letters tend to follow the same script: "We need more high-tech jobs in our area. STEM education is essential to generate the workforce that will be needed" etcetera etcetera.
Gulen charter schools constantly organize events, such as STEM expos, science fairs, and math contests, that are designed to bring them publicity. A press release about a K-12 math contest or STEM expo is virtually guaranteed to get printed in the local papers; who doesn't love this type of news story? It makes the local community look good, makes parents proud, and makes public officials beam that under their watch, "great progress" is being made in math and science education to save our nation from "falling behind."
Every time a news story appears about a math contest or STEM expo at a Gulen charter school, the school's reputation is enhanced.
Gulen charter schools require all students to do science projects. The way this is done costs the school very little, as nearly all of the burden of teaching the students how to design and execute a project, of helping them find ideas and purchase materials, and of ensuring the projects are completed falls on the parents, not the school. For the most part, the school does little except to send out nagging reminders and, in some cases, to demand visible signs of progress along the way. The school benefits tremendously from the requirement, however, as it gives them a pool of candidate projects, the most promising of which can be sent to regional science fairs. When these projects earn awards, the school takes credit. The large number of projects also allows the school to hold an annual Science Fair or STEM Expo event, which can be open to the public, and to which local public officials and other "VIPs" can be invited.
When a school holds a STEM Expo, all is forgiven
It is mind-boggling how some very questionable practices of Gulen charter schools are never mentioned when talking about STEM.
Concept Schools held a STEM Expo at the Illinois State Capitol on April 8, 2014. Here is how the Illinois State Democrats website reported it:
"State Senator Tony Munoz (D-Chicago) met with students from Horizon Science Academy - McKinley, a part of the Chicago Math and Science Academy.
" 'Over 50 students were in Springfield today performing award-winning robotics demonstrations and conducting science experiments,' said Munoz. 'It was great to meet with the kids and see their experiments.'
"Chicago Math and Science Academy is a public charter school that provides its students with an innovative excellent education, rich in math, science and technology focused on preparing students to become bold inquirers, problem solvers and ethical leaders, skill-ready for post-secondary education to meet the challenges of a competitive global workforce."
Not one word is said here about the Chicago Sun-Times Dec 23, 2013 article on related-party deals and other concerning aspects of CMSA and Concept Schools' connection to Fethullah Gulen and his political lobby; one of the story's revelations was that a board member made $100,000 off a bond deal for the school. Notice how in that last paragraph the school managed to get its PR blurb quoted verbatim. Did the state senators confirm that CMSA offers "an innovative excellent education"? Here are CMSA's ISAT results from their latest available school report card (accessed May 2014):
In marketing their schools, Gulenists monitor the current political and societal mood and exploit it. They know that STEM sells.
A primary reason many Gulen charter school applications have been approved is the claimed STEM emphasis. Gulenists hold meetings at public libraries and talk to parents about the importance of STEM education; after this it is easy to get the parents to sign a petition supporting the school's application. Gulenists meet with public officials or community and business leaders and talk about STEM education; this makes it easy to get a letter of support. The letters tend to follow the same script: "We need more high-tech jobs in our area. STEM education is essential to generate the workforce that will be needed" etcetera etcetera.
Gulen charter schools constantly organize events, such as STEM expos, science fairs, and math contests, that are designed to bring them publicity. A press release about a K-12 math contest or STEM expo is virtually guaranteed to get printed in the local papers; who doesn't love this type of news story? It makes the local community look good, makes parents proud, and makes public officials beam that under their watch, "great progress" is being made in math and science education to save our nation from "falling behind."
Every time a news story appears about a math contest or STEM expo at a Gulen charter school, the school's reputation is enhanced.
Gulen charter schools require all students to do science projects. The way this is done costs the school very little, as nearly all of the burden of teaching the students how to design and execute a project, of helping them find ideas and purchase materials, and of ensuring the projects are completed falls on the parents, not the school. For the most part, the school does little except to send out nagging reminders and, in some cases, to demand visible signs of progress along the way. The school benefits tremendously from the requirement, however, as it gives them a pool of candidate projects, the most promising of which can be sent to regional science fairs. When these projects earn awards, the school takes credit. The large number of projects also allows the school to hold an annual Science Fair or STEM Expo event, which can be open to the public, and to which local public officials and other "VIPs" can be invited.
When a school holds a STEM Expo, all is forgiven
It is mind-boggling how some very questionable practices of Gulen charter schools are never mentioned when talking about STEM.
Concept Schools held a STEM Expo at the Illinois State Capitol on April 8, 2014. Here is how the Illinois State Democrats website reported it:
"State Senator Tony Munoz (D-Chicago) met with students from Horizon Science Academy - McKinley, a part of the Chicago Math and Science Academy.
" 'Over 50 students were in Springfield today performing award-winning robotics demonstrations and conducting science experiments,' said Munoz. 'It was great to meet with the kids and see their experiments.'
"Chicago Math and Science Academy is a public charter school that provides its students with an innovative excellent education, rich in math, science and technology focused on preparing students to become bold inquirers, problem solvers and ethical leaders, skill-ready for post-secondary education to meet the challenges of a competitive global workforce."
Not one word is said here about the Chicago Sun-Times Dec 23, 2013 article on related-party deals and other concerning aspects of CMSA and Concept Schools' connection to Fethullah Gulen and his political lobby; one of the story's revelations was that a board member made $100,000 off a bond deal for the school. Notice how in that last paragraph the school managed to get its PR blurb quoted verbatim. Did the state senators confirm that CMSA offers "an innovative excellent education"? Here are CMSA's ISAT results from their latest available school report card (accessed May 2014):
When a Baton Rouge news station reported on Kenilworth Science and Technology Charter School hosting the Louisiana Elementary Math Olympiad in February 2014, there was no mention of the FBI raid on the school only two months before. How often are US public schools raided by the FBI?
The Creole, a Baton Rouge online news outlet, gave a very positive picture of the Kenilworth school in its piece on the Math Olympiad:
"Eric Lewis, Director of the Louisiana Black Alliance for Educational Options, commended Kenilworth for organizing and hosting the Olympiad.
"'By celebrating academic pursuits, schools like Kenilworth are reinforcing the positive messages parents are giving to their children,' Lewis said. 'This is a great event for Louisiana, and BAEO is proud to be a sponsor.'
"Kenilworth Science and Technology Charter School, a middle school, has an academic focus on STEM, which stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Kenilworth has achieved consistent academic growth since its conversion from a failed public school to a state-sanctioned charter school in 2009."
Again, that last paragraph is obviously extracted verbatim from the school's PR materials. Should a newspaper reprint such PR claims without critically examining them? The Creole didn't print a word about the FBI raid on Kenilworth here either.
The Creole article further noted that
"Partners for The Olympiad include the LSU Department of Mathematics, Greater Baton Rouge Industrial Alliance and the Black Alliance for Educational Options. The event is sponsored by Coca-Cola."
Evidently, a math olympiad is so wonderful that it completely outweighs the huge controversy surrounding this school. How else can it be explained that not one of these entities had reservations about partnering with the Kenilworth charter school? Even before the Dec 2013 FBI raid, the school was under investigation by the state of Louisiana as of summer 2011, partly because its sister school, run by the same Pelican Foundation that runs Kenilworth, was shut down by the state due to serious abuses.
The Creole, a Baton Rouge online news outlet, gave a very positive picture of the Kenilworth school in its piece on the Math Olympiad:
"Eric Lewis, Director of the Louisiana Black Alliance for Educational Options, commended Kenilworth for organizing and hosting the Olympiad.
"'By celebrating academic pursuits, schools like Kenilworth are reinforcing the positive messages parents are giving to their children,' Lewis said. 'This is a great event for Louisiana, and BAEO is proud to be a sponsor.'
"Kenilworth Science and Technology Charter School, a middle school, has an academic focus on STEM, which stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Kenilworth has achieved consistent academic growth since its conversion from a failed public school to a state-sanctioned charter school in 2009."
Again, that last paragraph is obviously extracted verbatim from the school's PR materials. Should a newspaper reprint such PR claims without critically examining them? The Creole didn't print a word about the FBI raid on Kenilworth here either.
The Creole article further noted that
"Partners for The Olympiad include the LSU Department of Mathematics, Greater Baton Rouge Industrial Alliance and the Black Alliance for Educational Options. The event is sponsored by Coca-Cola."
Evidently, a math olympiad is so wonderful that it completely outweighs the huge controversy surrounding this school. How else can it be explained that not one of these entities had reservations about partnering with the Kenilworth charter school? Even before the Dec 2013 FBI raid, the school was under investigation by the state of Louisiana as of summer 2011, partly because its sister school, run by the same Pelican Foundation that runs Kenilworth, was shut down by the state due to serious abuses.
Why the STEM sell works on public officials
Gulen charter schools seem to have little difficulty getting public officials to attend their STEM events. As just one of innumerable examples, here is an excerpt from the
LISA Academy's newsletter of Jan 2014 (this is a Gulen charter school in Little Rock, Arkansas):
"STEM and Science Fair SUCCESSES!
...We were fortunate to have both Senator Jane English and UALR Professor Dr. Kaufman join us for our STEM luncheon, where LISA Academy Board Member Senator English hosted the program and Dr. Kaufman discussed the importance of STEM education in our ever changing digital world. We also had a special guest, Susan Hutchinson, wife of Asa Hutchinson , Former Arkansas Congressman and U.S. Attorney. We are thankful for her participation. ..."
These incessant invitations for state legislators, senators, and other public officials are in fact political lobbying in which Gulenist administrators exploit their high-performing students to make a good impression. Why do so many public officials accept these invitations, and go on to praise the school? Largely it is because they find it politically expedient to show that they support STEM education. They see charter schools as part of public education, and believe it reflects well on themselves to be enthused when a school purports to be promoting STEM.
Unfortunately, these public officials are not considering that they should be more even-handed. Many other public schools have enthusiastic students and great successes in STEM education. It is inappropriate to praise a single school simply because it is extremely aggressive about seeking attention from public officials. Further, praising a charter school amounts to advertising a private business.
Gulen charter schools seem to have little difficulty getting public officials to attend their STEM events. As just one of innumerable examples, here is an excerpt from the
LISA Academy's newsletter of Jan 2014 (this is a Gulen charter school in Little Rock, Arkansas):
"STEM and Science Fair SUCCESSES!
...We were fortunate to have both Senator Jane English and UALR Professor Dr. Kaufman join us for our STEM luncheon, where LISA Academy Board Member Senator English hosted the program and Dr. Kaufman discussed the importance of STEM education in our ever changing digital world. We also had a special guest, Susan Hutchinson, wife of Asa Hutchinson , Former Arkansas Congressman and U.S. Attorney. We are thankful for her participation. ..."
These incessant invitations for state legislators, senators, and other public officials are in fact political lobbying in which Gulenist administrators exploit their high-performing students to make a good impression. Why do so many public officials accept these invitations, and go on to praise the school? Largely it is because they find it politically expedient to show that they support STEM education. They see charter schools as part of public education, and believe it reflects well on themselves to be enthused when a school purports to be promoting STEM.
Unfortunately, these public officials are not considering that they should be more even-handed. Many other public schools have enthusiastic students and great successes in STEM education. It is inappropriate to praise a single school simply because it is extremely aggressive about seeking attention from public officials. Further, praising a charter school amounts to advertising a private business.
Why the STEM sell works on parents
By and large, parents put the interests of their child above the interests of society, even to the point of a willingness to overlook flagrant abuses if they believe their child is getting a leg up in career preparedness. This dynamic greatly favors Gulen charter schools. It does not matter how many articles are published about related-party deals in charter schools, or the shady practices of the Gulen Movement, or lies told by Gulenist administrators. If a parent believes their child will get a better education at a school, that is usually all they care about.
Parental hysteria regarding college admissions, education, and preparing their child for a career is at an all-time high in the US. Our economy is flagging, the middle class is either struggling or sinking into poverty, and busy parents, when they're not worried about keeping their own jobs, fret about how their child will survive in such a milieu. As noted above, the media and public officials propagate the idea that better STEM education is the answer to this worry.
There is enough information available by now to put the pieces together. Most Gulen charter schools seem to manage to get higher standardized test scores than their sending districts, which generally is the metric used to define a "successful" school. In Turkey, it is widely known that the Gulen Movement gives its members answers to state exams. It is widely known that the Gulen Movement has software and IT capabilities that allow it to eavesdrop on, for example, the Prime Minister of Turkey himself. How much imagination does it take to extrapolate from this that gaining access to test questions and answers here in the US might well lie within this group's capabilities? Or that they would naturally use the same methods to advance themselves here in the US that they have used to great success in Turkey?
Why do most parents not question their school's test scores? The answer is that thinking about it is unpleasant. A parent is happier to believe they made a great choice in sending their child to a charter school. They want to believe their child is getting a better education. The more that some parents believe this, the more it reinforces other parents' beliefs as well.
Compounding all this is the fact that by labeling themselves as "STEM" schools, by continually talking about "excellence" and being "high-performing," and by concentrating resources on a small group of top-performing, award-winning students (while neglecting others) the Gulen charter schools are able to recruit a small pool of students who excel at math. These students do indeed get opportunities that they might not have at another public school. (Regular district schools have many protections built into their policies to ensure equal treatment for all students.) The Gulenist intense emphasis on contests and awards is appealing to many high-performing students, and strokes the egos of their parents. This creates a pool of a small number of parent devotees who adore the school because it provides such a favorable and flattering environment for their math whiz child. These parents help the school advertise itself. They are also respected by other parents, who buy into a sort of "trickle-down education" idea. If the school is good for top-performing math whizzes, they reason, it has to be good for their average-performing child too. In actuality, the Gulen charter school curriculum for most students is mundane, inconsistent and disorganized. How could it be otherwise, when the principal spends all his time visiting politicians and organizing events to attract press attention instead of actually running the school? Yet as long as the test score numbers look good and the top students get in the local paper for their awards, most parents (and public officials) will not question beyond this.
Gulenist adminstrators have studied and perfected the demeanor that impresses parents. Before arriving in the US, they already honed their technique in their private schools and tutoring halls in Turkey and Central Asia, which also had to be marketed to a parent population highly stressed about college prospects. Most Gulenists working in the schools are young men in their 20s or early 30s. They wear suits, have excellent manners, and speak constantly in earnest tones of STEM education, of excellence, of the awards their students have garnered, and of college admissions. They project an air of constant hard work, dedication, and extreme sincerity. Junior teachers are required to not only to "volunteer" to tutor after school and on Saturdays, but to act as if they love it, which leaves parents in awe of their dedication. One wonders if there are regular workshops in Saylorsburg where all this acting is practiced.
By and large, parents put the interests of their child above the interests of society, even to the point of a willingness to overlook flagrant abuses if they believe their child is getting a leg up in career preparedness. This dynamic greatly favors Gulen charter schools. It does not matter how many articles are published about related-party deals in charter schools, or the shady practices of the Gulen Movement, or lies told by Gulenist administrators. If a parent believes their child will get a better education at a school, that is usually all they care about.
Parental hysteria regarding college admissions, education, and preparing their child for a career is at an all-time high in the US. Our economy is flagging, the middle class is either struggling or sinking into poverty, and busy parents, when they're not worried about keeping their own jobs, fret about how their child will survive in such a milieu. As noted above, the media and public officials propagate the idea that better STEM education is the answer to this worry.
There is enough information available by now to put the pieces together. Most Gulen charter schools seem to manage to get higher standardized test scores than their sending districts, which generally is the metric used to define a "successful" school. In Turkey, it is widely known that the Gulen Movement gives its members answers to state exams. It is widely known that the Gulen Movement has software and IT capabilities that allow it to eavesdrop on, for example, the Prime Minister of Turkey himself. How much imagination does it take to extrapolate from this that gaining access to test questions and answers here in the US might well lie within this group's capabilities? Or that they would naturally use the same methods to advance themselves here in the US that they have used to great success in Turkey?
Why do most parents not question their school's test scores? The answer is that thinking about it is unpleasant. A parent is happier to believe they made a great choice in sending their child to a charter school. They want to believe their child is getting a better education. The more that some parents believe this, the more it reinforces other parents' beliefs as well.
Compounding all this is the fact that by labeling themselves as "STEM" schools, by continually talking about "excellence" and being "high-performing," and by concentrating resources on a small group of top-performing, award-winning students (while neglecting others) the Gulen charter schools are able to recruit a small pool of students who excel at math. These students do indeed get opportunities that they might not have at another public school. (Regular district schools have many protections built into their policies to ensure equal treatment for all students.) The Gulenist intense emphasis on contests and awards is appealing to many high-performing students, and strokes the egos of their parents. This creates a pool of a small number of parent devotees who adore the school because it provides such a favorable and flattering environment for their math whiz child. These parents help the school advertise itself. They are also respected by other parents, who buy into a sort of "trickle-down education" idea. If the school is good for top-performing math whizzes, they reason, it has to be good for their average-performing child too. In actuality, the Gulen charter school curriculum for most students is mundane, inconsistent and disorganized. How could it be otherwise, when the principal spends all his time visiting politicians and organizing events to attract press attention instead of actually running the school? Yet as long as the test score numbers look good and the top students get in the local paper for their awards, most parents (and public officials) will not question beyond this.
Gulenist adminstrators have studied and perfected the demeanor that impresses parents. Before arriving in the US, they already honed their technique in their private schools and tutoring halls in Turkey and Central Asia, which also had to be marketed to a parent population highly stressed about college prospects. Most Gulenists working in the schools are young men in their 20s or early 30s. They wear suits, have excellent manners, and speak constantly in earnest tones of STEM education, of excellence, of the awards their students have garnered, and of college admissions. They project an air of constant hard work, dedication, and extreme sincerity. Junior teachers are required to not only to "volunteer" to tutor after school and on Saturdays, but to act as if they love it, which leaves parents in awe of their dedication. One wonders if there are regular workshops in Saylorsburg where all this acting is practiced.
Everyone wants to be part of fixing STEM education - even the Sewer Department
With all the urgent talk about increasing preparedness of our workforce through better STEM education, everyone likes to show that they are doing something. Even Chicago's Metropolitan Water Reclamation District joined in recently, showing themselves to be somewhat out of their depth in issuing a proclamation honoring Horizon Science Academy Belmont, a Gulen charter school in Chicago. The tragicomic details can be read in a very insightful column by Chicago-based Tim Furman, one of the nation's top education bloggers.
The lesson is clear: before enthusiastically throwing in support for Gulen charter schools (or any other charter schools) because of STEM, STEM, STEM, these schools need to be closely examined. Both their actual performance, and the issue of whether it outweighs the abuses, need to be assessed in a level-headed and objective manner.
With all the urgent talk about increasing preparedness of our workforce through better STEM education, everyone likes to show that they are doing something. Even Chicago's Metropolitan Water Reclamation District joined in recently, showing themselves to be somewhat out of their depth in issuing a proclamation honoring Horizon Science Academy Belmont, a Gulen charter school in Chicago. The tragicomic details can be read in a very insightful column by Chicago-based Tim Furman, one of the nation's top education bloggers.
The lesson is clear: before enthusiastically throwing in support for Gulen charter schools (or any other charter schools) because of STEM, STEM, STEM, these schools need to be closely examined. Both their actual performance, and the issue of whether it outweighs the abuses, need to be assessed in a level-headed and objective manner.