Question regarding Poetry contest preliminary finals...... were the xxx-xxx student or students you refered to from Sonoran Science Academy and were they reciting Gulen? Please so not link the schools. In my and my children's experience with SSA and the poetry contest Gulen is not being taught or made an agenda. The fundamental question the article incites is...is SSA promoting a Gulen agenda to the students?....no.
It astounds me that you, Tim Vanderpool, would actually write such an irresponsible article. Do you know the agenda of these undisclosed parents (or parent) that you talked to? Maybe if you dig deeper into these parent’s true bias and their agenda you would be surprised, and find that you are helping them promote hatred and unfounded suspicion
Mr. Vanderpool, your article was filled with speculation. Where are your facts? You state that a Gulen educational agenda exists in both Turkey and the United States, but you have no facts that they are promoted by Sonoran Science Academy…just a few parents that seem naturally suspicious and small minded. What lesson was taught, what homework assigned, what conversation spoken that you could use as a fact. You wrote an article based on a bitter parent who was looking to hurt this school. And you used your position as a writer to mislead your readers about this school. You give me an actual fact that SSA is promoting this agenda to the students and I will then consider you a professional.
I am a parent of two student at Sonoran Science Academy for many years and never have heard of these fears or suspicions that these parents have of a Gulen agenda. And there is no atmosphere of fear that one can not speak their mind openly their. In contrast, myself and the parents that I have spoken to express an appreciation for Sonoran Science Academy’s ability to integrate many diverse cultures without promoting any agenda except that of the role of a solid education. And they do this with a diverse teaching staff. My daughter has teachers from many different backgrounds and religions. Her science and math teachers are from Turkey and they have excelled her knowledge of science and math immensely, no other agenda.
Why would you print those parent’s opinions and prejudices without doing your research? And you are irresponsible to state in a misleading manner that “those who make such claims are flirting with trouble”. Are you a professional journalist or a professional fear monger? You know what Mr. Karatas meant when he said "I'm hoping that they know that these are defamatory allegations which may put them in trouble later on. These are excelling schools. ... I hope they are aware of what they're doing." They are trying to hurt one of the few schools that is doing a good job teaching our kids.
You, Mr. Vanderpool wrote an irresponsible article about people who would see a good school that was taught by good people become the center of suspicion and prejudice. Instead you and these few parents need to analyze your own prejudices and ignorance. You and those parents should consider yourselves slanderers.
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Mr. Vanderpool, your article was filled with speculation. Where are your facts? You state that a Gulen educational agenda exists in both Turkey and the United States, but you have no facts that they are promoted by Sonoran Science Academy…just a few parents that seem naturally suspicious and small minded. What lesson was taught, what homework assigned, what conversation spoken that you could use as a fact. You wrote an article based on a bitter parent who was looking to hurt this school. And you used your position as a writer to mislead your readers about this school. You give me an actual fact that SSA is promoting this agenda to the students and I will then consider you a professional.
I am a parent of two student at Sonoran Science Academy for many years and never have heard of these fears or suspicions that these parents have of a Gulen agenda. And there is no atmosphere of fear that one can not speak their mind openly their. In contrast, myself and the parents that I have spoken to express an appreciation for Sonoran Science Academy’s ability to integrate many diverse cultures without promoting any agenda except that of the role of a solid education. And they do this with a diverse teaching staff. My daughter has teachers from many different backgrounds and religions. Her science and math teachers are from Turkey and they have excelled her knowledge of science and math immensely, no other agenda.
Why would you print those parent’s opinions and prejudices without doing your research? And you are irresponsible to state in a misleading manner that “those who make such claims are flirting with trouble”. Are you a professional journalist or a professional fear monger? You know what Mr. Karatas meant when he said "I'm hoping that they know that these are defamatory allegations which may put them in trouble later on. These are excelling schools. ... I hope they are aware of what they're doing." They are trying to hurt one of the few schools that is doing a good job teaching our kids.
You, Mr. Vanderpool wrote an irresponsible article about people who would see a good school that was taught by good people become the center of suspicion and prejudice. Instead you and these few parents need to analyze your own prejudices and ignorance. You and those parents should consider yourselves slanderers.