Of Idaho legislators, an attempted coup and charter schools

Of Idaho legislators, an attempted coup and charter schools:

OF IDAHO LEGISLATORS, AN ATTEMPTED COUP AND CHARTER SCHOOLS

Over the course of 2011, 13 Idaho legislators toured Turkey.

The lawmakers had to pay their own way halfway across the globe, but once they got to Turkey, their hotels, meals and travels were bankrolled by the Pacifica Institute, a group of Turkish-Americans. The group said its mission was “to develop social capital — the creation and extension of positive connections within and between disparate social networks.”

Senate President Pro Tem Brent Hill, R-Rexburg

During the trip, the lawmakers toured Turkish schools and universities. Senate President Brent Hill, R-Rexburg, said the tour provided lawmakers a chance to meet with political, education and business leaders.

Why are those trips of interest, five years after the fact? The Pacifica Institute is aligned with Turkish preacher Fethullah Gulen. And Gulen figures prominently in the fallout from Friday’s failed military coup in Turkey — although Gulen’s role in the coup is open to debate. Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan has blamed Gulen with orchestrating the attempted coup. Gulen has denied any involvement, and has accused Erdogan of staging the coup, NBC News reported Monday.

Also of note, in any discussion of Gulen and K-12 policy, is his role in the charter schools movement. As the Washington Post reported Saturday, Gulen has ties to 160 charter schools across the nation — which would constitute one of the nation’s largest charter school networks.

I wrote about the legislators’ trips to Turkey at the time, in my former life as an Idaho Statesman editorial writer and columnist. I hadn’t given those columns much thought until the weekend, when a fellow reporter reminded me of the Idaho-Gulen connection.

So, which legislators took the Pacifica Institute up on its invite?

The list includes five current legislators, in addition to Hill: outgoing Sen. Curt Of Idaho legislators, an attempted coup and charter schools:

Big Education Ape: Turkey widens post-coup purge, demands Washington hand over cleric | Reuters -http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2016/07/turkey-widens-post-coup-purge-demands.html

Big Education Ape: Fethullah Gulen Should Not Be Operating American Charter Schools. | deutsch29 -http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2016/07/fethullah-gulen-should-not-be-operating.html

Big Education Ape: Reclusive Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who lives in Pennsylvania, blamed for failed coup in Turkey - LA Times -http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2016/07/reclusive-muslim-cleric-fethullah-gulen.html

Big Education Ape: US would consider extradition request for exiled cleric -http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2016/07/us-would-consider-extradition-request.html


 Big Education Ape: Fethullah Gulen: The Islamic scholar Turkey blames for the failed coup - The Washington Post - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2016/07/fethullah-gulen-islamic-scholar-turkey.html

Big Education Ape: Jersey Jazzman: What We Don't Know About Gulen-Linked Charter Schools, And Why That's a Problem - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2016/07/jersey-jazzman-what-we-dont-know-about.html

Big Education Ape: Coup in Turkey: Is Fetullah Gulen Behind It? | Diane Ravitch's blog - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2016/07/coup-in-turkey-is-fetullah-gulen-behind.html

Big Education Ape: KILLING ED: 120 American Charter Schools and One Secretive Turkish Cleric -http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2016/01/killing-ed-120-american-charter-schools.html

 Big Education Ape: Update: Gulen Harmony charter school network accused of bias and self-dealing Dallas Morning News - http://go.shr.lc/1qV85Hm

Big Education Ape: Turkey Links Texas Charter Schools to Dissident - WSJ - http://go.shr.lc/1OW1ZfV

Big Education Ape: Magnolia Science Academy - A Gulen Charter School: Gulen Magnolia Science Academy links discussed at LAUSD board meeting -http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2016/06/magnolia-science-academy-gulen-charter.html