From the 2012 platform of the Republican Party of Texas:
Foreign Culture Charter Schools in Texas – We oppose public funding of charter schools which receive money from foreign entities. We demand that these Charter Schools have accountability and transparency to local parents, taxpayers, the State of Texas, as do current public schools, including U.S. citizenship of public school trustees.
“Texas GOP rejects ‘critical thinking’ skills. Really.”, Valerie Strauss, Answer Sheet blog (Washington Post), July 9, 2012. Full text of the 2012 platform is available from the Republican Party of Texas.
The platform doesn’t name names, but is most likely referring to Harmony Public Schools, which are among the highest-ranked schools in Texas. Harmony’s ties to Fethullah Gulen have been scrutinized. “U.S. charter schools tied to powerful Turkish imam”, 60 Minutes, May 13, 2012. Also, the Texas Education Agency recently closed an audit that found Harmony had spent some federal funds for low-income or disabled students at the wrong campus or for non-eligible payroll costs; the school says it has improved its transparency. “Auditors say funds misspent for Harmony campuses”, Lindsay Kastner, San Antonio Express-News, July 31, 2012.
It’s hard to argue with Harmony’s success, though.
