Hampden Charter School of Science

Hampden Charter School of Science

20 Johnson Road Chicopee , MA, 01022
Phone: 413-593-9090 Fax: 413-294-2648
Email: hcelik@hampdencharter.org
Web Site: http://www.hampdencharter.org

Helping to teach the joys of Turkish and Islamic culture through a Charter School of Science, devotees of Fetullah Gulen have opened similar schools around the country.

Dress Code – uniforms.  Absolutely no pork products permitted in the building – it is scientifically known to be harmful.

Hasan Arslan, Trustee
Pinar Karaaslan, Trustee
Volkan Yesilyurt, Chair
Nigar J Khan, Vice Chair
Huseyin Oktay, Treasurer
Zully Dinc, Secretary

Charter School Leader Harun Celik 413-593-9090 x200 413-294-2648
Curriculum Director Tarkan Topcuoglu 413-593-9090 x204 413-294-2648
English Language Learner Director Simona Collins 413-593-9090 x109 413-294-2648
SIMS Contact Louise A Demarco 413-593-9090 x206 —
School Business Official Harun Celik 413-593-9090 x200 413-294-2648

Founding members

• Recai M. Yucel, assistant professor of biostatistics at UMass;
• Nigar J. Khan, associate dean, UMass Graduate School;
• Deirdre W. Vinyard, deputy director, UMass writing program;
• Tuncay Bayrak, assistant professor, Western New England College School of Business
• Necmi Atmaca, budget director for National Envelope Corp., which has a Westfield facility;
• Americo F. Russo, corporate accounting manager, for Doncasters Storms Forge in Springfield.

 

 

More on Gulen Charter Schools from http://gulencharterschools.weebly.com/massachusetts-schools-hampden–pioneer.html

Massachusetts schools:  Hampden & Pioneer
Evidence of affiliation with Gulen Movement

Page created Jan 16, 2012  Last updated Jan 15, 2013

Hampden Charter School of Science (in Chicopee) and Pioneer Charter School of Science (in Everett) are publicly-funded charter schools in Massachusetts.  An earlier charter school planned in 2006, College Preparatory Charter School of Springfield, never materialized.

As this 2007 news article notes, the group that tried to found College Preparatory Charter School of Springfield applied again a year later to start the Hampden school.Pioneer Charter School of Science was mentioned in Greg Toppo’s USA Today article of Aug 17, 2010 entitled “Objectives of charter schools with Turkish ties questioned.”INSIDER DEALS: Gulen charter schools contract to Gulenist companies for various goods and services.

In July 2011, a building permit (see screenshot below from businesswest.com website) was issued to the Gulenist corporation Ace It Education, Inc. to perform a $35000 renovation of classrooms at Hampden Charter School of Science.  This is surprising, given that in the charter application for Pioneer Charter School of Science, it is stated that “Nurcan Civelek is currently director and teacher at the ACE-IT Education Center, a non-profit tutoring and home-schooling center for K-12.”  An IRS Bulletin from 2005 announced that Ace It Education had failed to maintain its 501(c)3 nonprofit status, yet it continues to file IRS 990 forms, indicating its status may have been reinstated.  How it manages to be in both the tutoring and the construction business is unclear.

Records of the Corporations Division of the state of Massachusetts show that Ace It Education, Inc. went through several name changes.  In the past, it was named Friendship Foundation, Inc. and then Turkish Cultural Center Boston, Inc.

An entity named Turkish Cultural Center Boston is a member organization of the Turkic American Alliance, the umbrella organization for the Gulen Movement in the US.

The address 500 Revere St, Revere MA 02151 used by Ace It Education on some of its IRS Form 990s is an address also used by the Boston Dialogue Foundation, another Gulenist organization. Thus, the contract with Ace It Education illustrates how money flows from the charter schools to the Gulen Movement.

Further evidence of Ace It Education performing construction work for Hampden Charter School of Science is shown by the following, which also clearly shows the website of Ace It Education as turkishcenterboston.org:

Crossing the line of church-state separation for publicly-funded schools

The Perimeter Primate/Charter School Scandals blogger found the following information about Ace It Education in a 2007 piece on the muslimmedianetwork.com website: “The students, who come from Revere and other nearby cities, are part of a homeschooling organization called Ace It Education. The organization offers first through fifth grade.

The students learn Qur’an, Arabic, and Islamic studies in addition to regular school subjects. They meet Monday through Friday for six hours a day at the Boston Dialogue Foundation and are taught by a staff of five full and part-time teachers. Ace It Education functions like a full-time Islamic school, but for various logistical reasons, such as lack of space and the difficulty of complying with Massachusetts school regulations, the organization has chosen to keep its homeschooling status, at least for another year.”

Transfer of Hampden property from Ace It Education to Johnson Road Properties

In January 2013, Ace It Education sold the property at 20 Johnson Road, Chicopee MA, which is the site of Hampden Charter School, to another Gulenist corporation named Johnson Road Properties, Inc.  Corporate officers include Melih Yildirim, Mesut Sahin (misspelled Mesut Sabin) and Faruk Apaydin (misspelled Paruk Apaydim).

More evidence of the Gulen connection:Hampden and Pioneer share characteristics with other schools in the nationwide chain of Gulen charter schools:

The h1bwage.com website shows 23 H-1B visa petitions filed by Pioneer Charter School of Science in the period 2002-2010.  This included a Spanish teacher, a Turkish teacher and an accountant.

As shown on their website, Hampden uses TIE, a program developed by the GulenistAccord Institute of Education Research and used by many other Gulen charter schools, including ones in California, Nevada, Utah and Arizona.  The line “Technology Integrated Education (TIE) is the distinguishing program of Hampden Charter School of Science, which integrates Math, Science, Social Science and Language Arts classes with technology education in a fun and comprehensive way“ can be found (with school name changed) on the websites of Hampden; Paragon Science Academy AZ; Magnolia Science Academy CA; Beehive Science and Technology Academy UT; Sonoran Science Academy AZ (all are Gulen charter schools) and also at Richmond Education Foundation, which tried to found a Gulen charter school in Virginia in 2011.  (All links live as of Jan 2012).

The 2010-11 Hampden student handbook letter is identical to the one used by many other Gulen charter schools.The text string “instills in our students values such as accountability, compassion, integrity, tolerance and leadership” used in Hampden’s application is also used by the Harmony Public Schools chain in Texas, and Discovery School in Tulsa, Oklahoma (Gulen charter schools).

Hampden is mentioned on one of Gulen’s websites in connection with a student winning second place in the folklore category at the Turkish Language Olympiads  (Gulenist competition).    http://tr.fgulen.com/content/view/18312/11/
Hampden’s participation in Turkish Olympiads is also mentioned in a Cihan News article.  Cihan is a Gulenist news agency.

Additional connections to the Gulen Movement and the nationwide network of Gulen charter schools are shown by the multiple affiliations, both past and present, of the following individuals:

Aziz Aghayev, a.k.a. Aziz Agayev

• Pioneer Charter School of Science
• Hampden Charter School of Science
• Business Representative, Truebright Science Academy  (Gulen charter school in PA)

Faruk Apaydin

• Corporate Officer, Johnson Road Properties, Inc  (Massachusetts corporation that purchased Hampden Charter School of Science site at 20 Johnson Rd, Chicopee MA, from Ace It Education)
• Corporate Officer, Apple Educational Services
• Member, Interfaith Dialog Center (now renamed Peace Islands Institute) NJ  (Gulenist organization)
• Nile Language School  (Gulenist business)

 

Lisa Atmaca

• Founding board member, Hampden Charter School of Science
• Founding board member, College Preparatory Charter School of Springfield(would-be Gulen charter school)
• (spouse Necmi Atmaca)

Necmi Atmaca 

• Founding board member, Hampden Charter School of Science
• Founding board member, College Preparatory Charter School of Springfield(would-be Gulen charter school)

Yucel Aydos

• Science teacher, Hampden Charter School of Science
• Brooklyn Amity School  (private Gulen school)

Tuncay Bayrak 

• Founding board member, Hampden Charter School of Science
• Applicant, College Preparatory Charter School of Springfield (unsuccessful Gulen charter school attempt)
• Corporate Officer, Turkish American Society Western Massachusetts (Gulenist, member of Turkic American Alliance) 

Harun Celik

• Hampden Charter School of Science
• Bergen Arts and Science Charter School  (Gulen charter school in NJ)
• Wife Dilyara affiliated with Turkish Cultural Center Western Massachusetts(Gulenist)

Maral Charyeva

• Founding Board Member, Hampden Charter School of Science
• Studied at International Turkmen-Turkish University, Turkmenistan (Gulenist institution)

Bekir Cinar

• Governing Board, Pioneer Charter School of Science
• Governing Board of the Magnolia Educational & Research Foundation (charter holder of Magnolia Science Academy chain of Gulen charter schools in CA)
• Speaker at Gulen Conference in London, 2007 (co-wrote paper with Yuksel Alp Aslandogan, who has connections to several Gulen charter schools and Gulenist organizations)

Murat Citir

• College Preparatory Charter School of Springfield (would-be Gulen charter school)
• Beehive Science and Technology Academy  (Gulen charter school in Utah)

Ali Kemal Civelek, a.k.a. Kemal Ali Civelek

• Husband of Nurcan Civelek, founding board member, Pioneer Charter School of Science
• Aurora International (a.k.a. Winport; Gulenist corporation selling furnishings to Harmony Public Schools, Gulen charter schools in Texas)
• Texas Turkish American Chamber of Commerce  (Gulenist organization)
• Boston Dialogue Foundation  (Gulenist organization)
• Institute of Interfaith Dialog  (Gulenist organization)

Nurcan Civelek 

• Founding board member, Pioneer Charter School of Science
• Ace It Education Foundation, a.k.a. Ace-It Education Center  (Gulenist corporation that has contracted to Gulen charter schools for educational services)
• Wife of Ali Kemal Civelek, a.k.a. Kemal Ali Civelek

Fehmi Damkaci

• Founding Board Member, Pioneer Charter School of Science (as per news article)
• Syracuse Academy of Science  (Gulen charter school)
• GENIUS Olympiad  (Gulenist competition)
• Turkish Cultural Center Syracuse  (Gulenist organization)
• Turkish Cultural Center Binghampton  (Gulenist organization)
• Terra Science and Education Inc  (Gulenist corporation; leases buildings to Gulen charter schools)

Yasin Demirbas

• MCAS Test Coordinator, After-School Coordinator, Pioneer Charter School of Science
• School Director, High School, Bergen Arts and Science Charter School  (Gulen charter school in NJ)

Nuh Gedik

• Pioneer Charter School of Science
• Boston Dialogue Foundation  (Gulenist organization)
• Board member, Dialog Foundation, Reseda CA  (Gulenist organization; charter holder of Magnolia Science Academy chain, later renamed Magnolia Education and Research Foundation)
• Author of articles in Fountain Magazine  (Gulenist publication; Fethullah Gulen writes lead article for each issue)
• Guest Speaker, Accord Institute for Education Research AMSP camp (these camps are typically attended by students from Gulen charter schools in CA, NV, AZ and UT; Accord is a Gulenist corporation that contracts to these schools)

Nihat Guvercin

• Author of application form for Hampden Charter School of Science
• Passaic Arts and Science Charter School  (Gulen charter school in NJ)
• Harmony Science Academy Dallas  (Gulen charter school in TX)
• Cosmos Foundation  (Gulenist organization)

Soner Gokbulut 

• Science teacher, Hampden Charter School of Science
• Teacher, Pioneer Academy of Science  (private Gulen school in NJ)
• Truebright Science Academy Charter School  (Gulen charter school in PA)

Eylem Barish Icin a.k.a. Barish Icin, Eylem Icin, E. Barish Icin

• Pioneer Charter School of Science  (under name Barish Icin)
• Lead petitioner, Raritan Arts And Science Charter School, failed Gulen charter school attempt (under name Eylem Icin)
• Central Jersey College Prep   (Gulen charter school; under name E. Barish Icin)

Ilyas Inanir

• Executive Director, Ace It Education (as listed by Manta website) (corporation that Hampden Charter School contracts to)
• Board member, Boston Dialogue Foundation (IRS Form 990, 2009)  (Gulenist)
• Board member, Raritan Turkish American Foundation (IRS Form 990, 2007)  (Gulenist)
• Board of Trustees, Milky Way Education Center, Inc.  (Gulenist; member of Turkic American Alliance)

 

Recep C. Kendircioglu

• Hampden Charter School of Science
• Founding Board Member, Harmony Science Academy Houston (Gulen charter school TX)
• Board President, TABID-Massachusetts  (Gulenist; member of Turkic American Alliance)

Nigar J Khan

• Founding board member, Hampden Charter School of Science
• Founding board member, College Preparatory Charter School of Springfield(would-be Gulen charter school)

Murat Kilic

• Lead Applicant, Queen City Academy Charter School (proposed Gulen charter school in Maine that replicates Pioneer Charter School of Science)
• Lead Applicant; Chairman, Board of Trustees, Pioneer Charter School of Science
• Board, Boston Dialogue Foundation
• President, Ace It Education, a.k.a. Friendship Foundation

Huseyin Kocaman

• Ace It Education (corporation that Hampden Charter School of Science contracts to)
• Turkish Cultural Center Western Massachusetts  (Gulenist)
• Board of Directors, TABID-Massachusetts  (Gulenist; member of Turkic American Alliance)

Murat Mutlu

• Judge, Hampden Charter School of Science science fair
• Ace-It Education (corporation that Hampden Charter School of Science contracts to)

Huseyin Oktay

• Hampden Charter School of Science
• University of Massachusetts Rumi Club  (Gulenist)
• Participant at Turkish Festival organized by Boston Dialogue Foundation(Gulenist)

Erhan Ozduran

• Business Manager, Hampden Charter School of Science
• District Financial Manager, Harmony Public Schools
• Accountant, Target Design and Management, LLC (a.k.a. TDM, Gulenist corporation in TX)

Mustafa Ozdemir

• Pioneer Charter School of Science
• Boston Dialogue Foundation  (Gulenist organization)

Kadir A Peker

• Founding board member, Pioneer Charter School of Science
• Board member, Milkyway Education Center (corporation running Pioneer Academy of Science, NJ Gulen school and Turkic American Alliance member)
• Faculty, Meliksah University  (Gulenist institution in Turkey)
• Studied at Ankara Fen Lisesi  (Gulen school in Turkey)

Fatih Porikli

• Pioneer Charter School of Science
• President, 2009, TABID – Turkish American Business Improvement & Development, Boston  (Gulenist organization)
• Wife Sevda Porikli is on board of Turkish Cultural Center Western Massachusetts (Gulenist organization)
• In thesis, mentions Zafer Sahinoglu (TCC Western Mass); Kadir A. Peker (Founding board member of Pioneer Charter School of Science), Recep Senturk (Journal of Economic and Social Studies, now at Fatih University), Erhan Yilmaz (would-be founder of Richmond Science Academy) as friends.  The listed affiliations of all these individuals are Gulenist.

Mesut Sahin

• Corporate Officer, Johnson Road Properties, Inc  (Massachusetts corporation that purchased Hampden Charter School of Science site at 20 Johnson Rd, Chicopee MA, from Ace It Education)
• Corporate Officer, Apple Educational Services
• “Volunteer,” Interfaith Dialog Center (now renamed Peace Islands Institute) NJ  (Gulenist organization)

Zafer Sahinoglu

• Treasurer, Ace It Education (corporation that Hampden Charter School of Science contracts to)
• Board of Trustees, Turkish Cultural Center Western Massachusetts (Gulenist)
• President, Turkish Cultural Center Boston  (Gulenist)

Tarkan Topcuoglu

• Hampden Charter School of Science
• Putnam Science Academy  (private Gulen school in CT)
• Lead person, Central Jersey College Prep  (Gulen charter school in NJ)

Ilyas Unlu

• Project Administrator, Hampden Charter School Of Science
• Science Teacher/ Project Administrator, Pioneer Charter School Of Science

Elmira Usmanova a.k.a. Elmira Usmonova

• Founding board member, Hampden Charter School of Science
• Founding board member, College Preparatory Charter School of Springfield (would-be Gulen charter school)

Carin M Yasli

• Founding board member, Pioneer Charter School of Science
• Boston Dialogue Foundation  (Gulenist)

Volkan Yesilyurt

• Hampden Charter School of Science
• Lead petitioner, College Preparatory Charter School of Springfield  (would-be Gulen charter school)
• Organizer of 2010 iftar dinner sponsored by Rumi Club and Turkish Cultural Center(Gulenist organizations)

Melih Yildirim

• Corporate Officer, Johnson Road Properties, Inc  (Massachusetts corporation that purchased Hampden school site from Ace It Education)
• Signer of loan forgiveness letter to Fulton Science Academy (Gulen charter school in Georgia).  Letterhead said “Sema Education and Health Development Co. Inc.; this Gulenist corporation shares/d an address and phone number with the Turkish Cultural Center New York (prominent Gulenist organization)
• Candela Network  (Gulenist corporation)
• Apple Educational Services (vendor connected to many northeast Gulen charter schools)
• Member, TABID-Brooklyn (Turkish American Business Improvement and Development Council) (Gulenist organization)

Arif Yilmaz

• Ace It Education (corporation that Hampden Charter School of Science contracts to)
• Turkish Cultural Center Western Massachusetts  (Gulenist, member of Turkic American Alliance)

Recai M Yucel

• Hampden Charter School of Science
• Founding board member, College Preparatory Charter School of Springfield(would-be Gulen charter school)
• Turkish Cultural Center Albany  (Gulenist organization)