Concept Schools
Concept Schools manages 19 publicly funded charters schools in Ohio that operate under the names of Horizon Science Academy and Noble Academy.
Founded in Cleveland but now based in Chicago, Concept Schools is affiliated with Turkish Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen. A Cincinnati Enquirer investigation found Concept Schools annually imports dozens of foreign teachers in numbers that far surpass any other school system in the state. In total there are about 120 charter schools in America run by the Concept Schools organization. And while there appears to be no religious indoctrination occurring in the the school, there does seem to be plenty of misconduct with little to no oversight.
In June, 2014 federal agents raided 19 charter schools managed by Concept Schools, including three in Ohio.
A month later, a panel of teachers who formerly worked for the Horizon Science Academy of Dayton told the State Board of Education that they personally witnessed testing irregularities, teachers using racial slurs, an in-class groping game and an administrator who failed to tell parents that their 6th and 8th grade students engaged in oral sex at a school function. Copies of their testimony can be found here.
Their testimony was widely reported:
Former teachers at Turkish-run charter school allege test-cheating, discrimination, sexual activity
The Akron Beacon Journal
Charges of cheating and sexual harassment of students spark investigation of the Horizon Science Academy network
The Cleveland Plain Dealer
In September 2014, ProgressOhio launched a broad analysis of the 19 Ohio charters managed by Concept Schools. What we found were poor academic results, cheating on standardized tests, weak oversight, missing background checks and unqualified teachers. You can read our full report Concept Schools: Poor Results, Worse Oversight here.
