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Parents for Educational Accountability Invites you to a Critical Briefing:

Discussion in 'Broadlands Community Issues' started by asackadorf, Dec 8, 2012.

  1. asackadorf

    asackadorf New Member

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    Parents for Educational Accountability Invites you to a Critical Briefing:

    "Should Loudoun County Taxpayers Fund the Loudoun Math IT Academy?"
    Wednesday, December 12, 2012, 7-9 p.m.

    Featuring Information that County Residents and their Elected Representatives Must Know About The Applicants, Their Associations and Other Reasons Why the Answer Should be 'No' (Frank Gaffney is expected to speak: http://www.centerforsecuritypolicy.org/1231.xml)

    Loudoun County Schools, 21000 Education Ct., Ashburn, VA Rm. 100 A

    Sponsored by Center for Security Policy
    contact: PEALoudoun@gmail.com
    www.guleninloudoun.weebly.com
     
  2. Fritz

    Fritz New Member

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    what is the issue with this that would interest Frank Gaffney to speak? Is he a resident of Loudoun? I'm not familiar with this academy. Thanks
     
  3. Zeratul

    Zeratul Well-Known Member

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    Check the local papers for research. Be careful not to get sucked into the "inflamed" part of this story. A quote from the Wash Post:

    "The Loudoun proposal, which is pending before the Virginia Board of Education, is patterned after a math-science charter school in Anne Arundel County that offers Turkish-language classes and has other connections to Turkey. Established in 2005, that school boasts some of the best standardized test scores in Maryland."

    It is the possible link to a Turkish Islamic cleric that is also causing concern for some.

    "(CBS News) Fethullah Gulen is the Turkish Islamic cleric at the center of a popular and growing movement, with millions of disciples who follow his teachings of tolerance, interfaith dialogue, and education. Some have even started a chain of successful charter schools here in the U.S., with an emphasis on math and science. Yet Gulen himself remains shrouded in mystery."
     
  4. Fritz

    Fritz New Member

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  5. asackadorf

    asackadorf New Member

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    the point is we are spending huge amounts of taxpayer money on LCPSs which are ranked among the best in the nation... Do we really need to spend taxpayer dollars on a charter school in Loudoun County? seriously? especially when we're building 2 or more new high schools in the near future (which will incur costs for teachers, administration, etc). If they want to build a private school then they can use their own money to do it.

    interesting link about Mr Gaffney... here's a link about the Southern Poverty Law Center that produced it: http://www.conservapedia.com/Southern_Poverty_Law_Center

    i offer another link to consider regarding Mr. Gaffney's background: http://www.uscc.gov/bios/2005bios/05_08_11bios/gaffney_frank.htm
     
  6. serendipity

    serendipity New Member

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    Morris Dees (co-founder and Chief Counsel of Southern Poverty Law Center) is a tireless and brave civil rights leader whose own life has been threatened many times since the late 60s and 70s for the extraordinary work he did to advance civil rights and civil liberties. He is a much honored individual especially for his work against hate groups such as the Ku Klux Klan. Regardless of political persuasion, he has earned the respect given him for his lifetime pursuit of equality for all Americans. If you google the SPLC you will find much better information than the site listed in the above post.
     
  7. Fritz

    Fritz New Member

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    asackadorf,

    I don't necessarily disagree about charter schools and the need for them, but to introduce intolerance for others as a reason for being against it makes for a completely different debate. And that is what Frank Gaffney is clearly about and in his own words even. Thanks for the post on SPLC, further makes my point. There's no need for intolerance and hate, there are plenty of serious issues that need to be solved in this neighborhood, county, state, country and world. We don't need to go back to the '60's and earlier and lose all the progress that has been made and at great sacrifice.

    Costs, the track record in Anne Arundel and elsewhere, the need for charter schools, etc are all plenty of reasons to discuss the merits of funding a charter school in Loudoun.
     
  8. Zeratul

    Zeratul Well-Known Member

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    Like I said... be careful not to get drawn into the "other" side of this debate. Fritz, I think you understand the concept of objective analysis and the need to focus on the right questions and concerns. As with most important issues such as this, I would hope that concerned residents would do their due diligence and research this issue objectively and fairly and not get caught in the rhetoric.
     
  9. afgm

    afgm Ashburn Farm Resident

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    What is it about Loudoun and knuckleheads like Frank Gaffney and Eugene Delgaudio?

    For those who don't know Eugene Delgaudio, Sterling Supervisor back in March 2012 officially was labeled by the SPLC for running a hate group. It's always special when another individual from Loudoun makes it onto the SPLC's list of hate.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugene_Delgaudio
     
  10. KTdid

    KTdid Well-Known Member

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    I agreed with your opening paragraph from your thread one week ago, but you lost me when you began to talk about Gulen Movement and religious cults.

    Mr. Gaffney is no longer viewed as credible by his former peers in Washington - I think it's unfortunate that he is the keynote speaker.
     
  11. asackadorf

    asackadorf New Member

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    the question is whether the county needs to fund this or not.. we live in a very wealthy county with a school budget approaching a billion dollars that has a successful track record and provides for all kids from those with special needs to high achievers accepted into Ivy League institutions.

    with respect to these unsavory issues (btw - i copied those from the website for information) lets at least determine whether these are red herrings or not through an open discussion, research, and facts.. a lot of money and commitment is on the line here... i know the affects of bigotry first hand, but silencing opposing / controversial views via the umbrella of political correctness can be dangerous.. just ask the victims of the fort hood shooting... and exposing the red herrings for what they are is important too..
     
  12. afgm

    afgm Ashburn Farm Resident

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    Gaffney = Red Herring

    That's all the research you need.
     
  13. asackadorf

    asackadorf New Member

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  14. lilpea

    lilpea Member

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    I didn't realize that the proposed Loudoun County Math & IT Charter School is actually an Islamist Gulen School.

    I know that Gaffney and his extreme views are widely rejected. Sorry , I don't put a lot of stock in Gaffney or his political positions. And I found it offensive & inappropriate that those who opposed the new Math/IT Charter school used biblical scripture during the various School Board Public Input meetings.
     

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