Soner Tarim of the Gulen Movement writes a letter to the parents of Harmony Science Academy

Picture of Soner Tarim as he shows the reporter and NY Times staff around the expensive Harmony Science facilities.

We thought Soner was going to have a moment of honesty and finally admit his lifelong connections to the Gulen Movement from the time he was a young boy studying at one of Gulen's "lighthouses".  Soner has disappointed us all and continues down the wrong path of lying about the OBVIOUS strong ties to the Gulen Movement and the numerous Gulen NGOs in Texas.  They are ALL interrelated, but what do you expect from a man that continues to lie about the so-called waiting list, it increases 9,000-40,000.  Poor Soner, the schools will continue to downslide if he doesn't "come clean" with American Tax payers, wait till Soner et al request more bond financing.  My sources tell us that they have already spent the last $90 million like irresponsible drunk Turkish sailors.
PLEASE ENJOY BLOGGER'S NOTES IN RED

 

http://www.harmonytx.org/news/122/letter-to-stakeholders-on-ny-times-article/

To the Harmony Public Schools Community:

A disappointing article on charter schools in this week’s New York Times attempts to put Harmony Public Schools in Texas in a context that is not accurate, necessitating this brief response. Many of us at Harmony Schools cooperated extensively with the Times on this story over the last several months, providing documents, interviews, tours and dozens of detailed responses to specific questions in good faith.  But, as sometimes happens, the end result was not entirely what we had hoped.   If this is not the truth that was printed why doesn't Soner sue the NY Times?  After all suing the media or jailing them is a favorite past time of the Gulen Movement.   Read your WORDS Soner, you provided documents, interviews, tours and responses.  

Specifically:

• Repeating an old  accurate story, the article alleges connections where there are none many. As we told the Times reporter repeatedly, Harmony Schools do not teach religion and have no affiliation with Fetullah Gulen or the so-called Gulen movement  yet the article repeatedly states and implies that such an affiliation exists, based on a composite of innuendo, circumstantial evidence and rumors.Admission in the PBS Article, Harmony participates in the SAME brand of Turkish Olympiads that over 500 Gulen Schools participate in.  This approach is disappointing, but perhaps not surprising, since the absence of a connection is not “news.”  The facts are clear:  We do not teach religion at all and we are not affiliated with any movement.   Soner, your connections to the Gulen Movement are obvious even Ray Charles could see it.  Soner Tarim is even on the board of the Gulen Insitute, Soner has made countless references to Fethullah Gulen being influential on his decision to open the schools.  Check out on this blog the Texas Monthly article.  Ms. Saul put together an extensive hierarchy list of Gulen NGOs and how they are all tied back to Gulen. Let us refresh your memory here is the posting and original articles cited for PBS and your layers of local Gulen front groups:
  

  http://harmonyparenttruth.blogspot.com/2011/01/harmony-science-academy-another-fluff_21.html
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  http://harmonyparenttruth.blogspot.com/2011/02/harmony-science-academy-gulen-school.html
• The article also questions whether “the schools are using taxpayer money to benefit the Gulen movement.” Since we have no affiliation with the Gulen movement, it is absurd and inaccurate for the Times to suggest that taxpayer funds are benefitting them.  At Harmony Public Schools of Texas, taxpayer funds are used solely to support operations and educate students, and we do so at a superior level and a lower cost per student than non-charter public schools.  Harmony is not superior just because Soner says so.  They are below standard as the schools in Turkey are, they do nothing well except promote the schools via Marketing, Public Relations and advertising.  Harmony (Cosmos) spends a huge amount on promoting the schools, they even have TV commercials.  Why would you need to advertise so much if you have a "so-called" waiting list?  Karen Hughes is very expensive but not even she can save you from your lies. 
• With regard to contracts and purchasing, we use a bidding or procurement process set out by the state of Texas, and Harmony Public Schools do not discriminate on the basis of gender, national origin, ethnicity, religion, or disability in its programs, employment, admissions or selection of vendors. A range of factors, including price, product availability, and demonstrated ability to deliver are evaluated in selecting vendors, and all the criteria for “best value” have to be met, not just low price.  The NY Times Article forgot to mention the Turkish operated painting company you paid $3 million to.  Rainbow Painting, interestingly their address is a house in a residential neighborhood--nice keeping it all in the family.
• Finally, the article contains a clear anti-immigrant bias, and suggests that Harmony, one of the most successful charter school programs in the country, is somehow suspect because our founders immigrated to America from Turkey. As you all know, Harmony was founded by Turkish-Americans who saw a need and an opportunity to help Texas schoolchildren in the fields of math, science and technology, and we are proud of our heritage and of what we have accomplished. Importantly, our schools have become more diverse every year, and we will continue to diversify as we continue to grow. It was not anti-immigrant or anti-Moslem, this is your ONLY defense?  To gloss over your BEHAVIORS and ACTIONS by crying "victim"  Soner you don't win because many of us are Islam and we are watching your behaviors.  You on the other hand are discriminating against Americans, women and American culture every day.  Care to discuss Crouch vs. Harmony Science Academy?  Talk about your behaviors and be accountable show some of that Turkish Character you teach American students.
• The bottom line is that Harmony Public School operations and business practices in Texas are overseen and audited by the Texas Education Agency and, like every other state charter school in Texas, Harmony follows and complies with all applicable state laws and regulations. As we told the Times, at no time during our 10-year history has the Texas Education Agency found Harmony Schools to be out of compliance with state regulations.  Correct and TEA has been asleep at the wheel with little resources to oversee your group of bandits.  9 auditors for 500 schools we are underfunded and your group is taking advantage of this oversight. (for now)

Sadly, the impressive achievements of Harmony students - the real measure of success for any school – were barely mentioned in the article, despite being provided to the Times.   You mean like glossing over the arrest of the pervert you hired at the Waco campus that was arrested for diddling an underage student?  Or perhaps successfully paying off the rape victim at your Tulsa Dove Science Academy campus.    Shame on your Soner.  Tell the truth.

We have sent a brief Letter to the Editor to the Times, and we encourage you to post your comments on the article on the Times website at: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/07/education/07charter.html 
 Here is a few more postings with their original articles cited to refresh your memory about your constant reference to Gulen and Harmony Science Schools.  Maybe you should go back to working at the Fish Hatchery after all fish swim in "schools" perhaps you were confused about having experience with "schools"  

http://harmonyparenttruth.blogspot.com/2011/03/harmony-science-academy-gulen-inspired.html

http://harmonyparenttruth.blogspot.com/2011/01/gulen-charter-school-harmony-science_13.html

Finally, if you have any questions or concerns about Harmony Schools or issues raised in the Times article, please contact me directly at 713-343-3333, ext. 205.  Recorded message for the Cosmos Foundation a Gulenist ran front group that manages the schools as Concept Schools, Daisy Education and Willow Education do.  You fool no one.  America wins, Gulen Movement loses.  Yes, Soner there will be MANY more questions and it won't stop until you are proud to admit your affiliation with Gulen and not ashamed of this.  Stand tall brother, stand tall and be proud!!!  We still stand by our offer to pay for that deposition and you will swear that there is no connections to the obvious.  Till then we remain watchful.

http://harmonyparenttruth.blogspot.com/2010/11/letter-to-harmony-science-academy.html
Sincerely,

Dr. Soner Tarim, CEO/Superintendent of Schools
Board member, Gulen Institute Houston, Texas

Harmony Public Schools