Quote
cyclops
For sure – I feel it’s a self inflicted purge – of course most of us old timers that have some grounding in Master – Disciple relationship know intuitively that a Master is a one to one relationship and has personal attachment and not someone who is thousands of miles away in Tokyo! SO what to do with the troublesome group of followers that know that this is all a made up chatter– well just push them out over time – then after a while all they will have are the condition Ikedabots that are programmed to the Ikeda is my Mentor – mantra – I have gone blue in the face talking with some YD about what they are saying and try to get them to do some critical thinking alas to no avail – their programming is complete – others YD that do see this as just a Cultish conditioning are pressured out as troublemakers – because they don’t see the true Master of Buddhism = Ikeda - For all of these Ikedabots I have no idea how much therapy these YD will need to get right headed once all of this plays out! SGI and the rest of the ilk will have a lot to account after Ikeda goes to Eagle Peak or will SGI just keep it going and enshrine Ikeda?

I think this is about right, SGI knows that it has a small contingient of well rounded, inquisitive individuals who are just not conforming to the party line. How best to deal with such a tricky problem? The simple answer is to push them out through strengthening the 'Ikeda dogma' which SGI knows we can't stand.
The well rounded, inquisitive people are far less likely to give up a massive portion of their time or money to SGI in any case so its not much of a loss.

Thats how I think they see it anyway.

DavidM - SPOT ON- On target – I had a good rapport with a Sr. Leader (up in the know) so I asked him directly about us members that don’t go for the “Ikeda is my mentor” nonsense - he said that those that don’t or won’t accept this concept will probably leave and the rest will stay! He guestimation was 10 to 20% would leave. I couldn’t believe what he was telling me. He said that this push was coming from Tokyo (no surprise there) insider information that enshrinement time is close @ hand he floated some ideas were of a Ikeda Gohonzon (sweet – please enough already) - So it looks like get rid of the chafe and build a new Ikeda centric SGI driven – Ikedabot worship – organization - WOW



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/11/2010 05:09AM by cyclops.

SGI's charter school, the Spirit of Knowledge Academy in Worcester, Massachusetts, is preparing to open this fall. They are currently advertising for five part-time teachers on cnn's website:

[www.schoolspring.com]

Job Details
Job ID: 38240
Application Deadline: Posted until Filled
Re-posted: August 8, 2010
Starting Date: August 11, 2010

Job Description
The Spirit of Knowledge Charter School’s 7th through 12th grade Worcester students will create value in their lives and the lives of others through high-standards academic learning, especially in math, science and technology, gaining admission to college and developing a positive character.

The unique features of our curriculum include the early start of intensive math and sciences, expanded time for sciences and math continuous and sequential 6-year academic program of multi-year courses (e.g. 6 years of each of Biology, Physics and Chemistry, 4 years of Computer Science, 6 years of Math), specific application of math and sciences to renewable energy and biotechnology.

Our student support service include expanded learning time, extensive academic supports, mandatory tutoring, a universal design for learning approach, RTI, data-driven instruction decisions, intensive character education, and a strong school culture based on the Soka philosophy.

Spirit of Knowledge Charter School Faculty Openings for August 11, 2010

Part-time teachers of 7-9 grades in the subjects of:

- Middle school Mathematics
- Middle school Physical Sciences
- High school Physics
- Middle/junior high school computers and technology
- ESL

Math and science or two science positions can be combined in a full time position.

Come join an educational experience that will change the way you think about education!

To apply
For all positions: submit resume, cover letter, license, transcripts and 3 current references from SUPERVISORS. Only complete packets will be considered.

For teachers (in addition to the above): Please respond to the following questions.


1. Describe a plan for including a third-grade reader in an 8th grade physics class. How would you differentiate both the instruction in the classroom and the homework? (Answer limited to 600 characters, including spaces)

2. You are a struggling teacher in a new school with a challenging curriculum and a philosophy you don’t quite understand but you want to make things better for your students and yourself. Describe what support from administration will look like. (Answer limited to 600 characters, including spaces)



Our Mission:

The Spirit of Knowledge Charter School’s 7th through 12th grade Worcester students will create value in their lives and the lives of others through high-standards academic learning, especially in math, science and technology, gaining admission to college and developing a positive character.

The Spirit of Knowledge Charter School plans to open in September 2010 with 156 students in grades 7, 8 and 9.

Come join an educational experience that will change the way you think about education!

The unique features of our curriculum include the early start of intensive math and sciences, expanded time for sciences and math (9-11 periods/week for sciences 6-8 periods for math, 3-4 periods of tutoring that could be also given to math and sciences), continuous and sequential 6-year academic program of multi-year courses (e.g. 6 years of each of Biology, Physics and Chemistry, 4 years of Computer Science, 6 years of Math), specific application of math and sciences to renewable energy and biotechnology.

Our student support service include expanded learning time, extensive academic supports, mandatory tutoring, a universal design for learning approach, RTI, data-driven instruction decisions, intensive character education, and a strong school culture based on the Soka philosophy. Soka Philosophy promotes the creation of value, which is a positive impact on peoples’ lives, in the realms of beauty, individual gain, and social good. Soka Education is a system of value-creating pedagogy. It emphasizes literacy, empirical teaching methodology, interdisciplinary approaches, discipline, positive reinforcement, character education, zero tolerance for bullying, an international outlook (global prospective), and parents as partners in the educational process.
------------------------end of the advertisement---------------------------------------------------------------------

Friends who are teachers tell me that this job description has managed to use most of the buzzwords in education today: "expanded time," "universal design for learning," "character education,"data-driven instruction," "interdisciplinary approaches," "differentiated instruction," "high standards," and "zero tolerance for bullying." Well, we knew SGI hired excellent copywriters.

What they don't say is equally interesting. They speak of the "Soka Education" and philosophy, and value creation -- and yet completely leave out anything about Buddhism, the Daishonin, or Ikeda. It's that old bait and switch again. I would not have joined SGI if I had known what it was really like. Surely Massachusetts would not have approved the SOKA Charter School if they had really known the truth about SGI and Ikeda. But, "beauty, individual gain, and social good..." or "literacy, discipline, positive reinforcement, character education, zero tolerance for bullying...." -- how can anyone object to those things?

VERY interesting question for applicants: "You are a struggling teacher in a new school with a challenging curriculum and a philosophy you don’t quite understand but you want to make things better for your students and yourself. Describe what support from administration will look like."

"A philosophy you don't quite understand," huh? What a weird question to ask! At what point are these teachers going to learn that their new place of work is actually affiliated with the Soka Gakkai, the Komeito Party, and Daisaku Ikeda?

Sounds like it will be Soka University, where sure, in theory the administration didn't discriminate against nonSGI professors; they just made them too miserable to stay! Hmm, where have we seen that tactic before?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/11/2010 05:44AM by tsukimoto.

Quote
tsukimoto

"A philosophy you don't quite understand," huh? What a weird question to ask! At what point are these teachers going to learn that their new place of work is actually affiliated with the Soka Gakkai, the Komeito Party, and Daisaku Ikeda?

Sounds like it will be Soka University, where sure, in theory the administration didn't discriminate against nonSGI professors; they just made them too miserable to stay! Hmm, where have we seen that tactic before?

This is very bad! What about the students and their parents?? I bet many students will enroll in the school and have no idea what kind of a school it is. Many parents will be attracted to the emphasis on early science and math learning. They will enthusiastically enroll their child there, thinking that they will receive a superior education. Not knowing what it really is. And our tax dollars support charter schools!!!!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/11/2010 10:48AM by quiet one.

@DavidM, You wrote, "SGI knows that it has a small contingent of well-rounded, inquisitive individuals who are just not conforming to the party line. How best to deal with such a tricky problem? The simple answer is to push them out through strengthening the 'Ikeda dogma' which SGI knows we can't stand.
The well rounded, inquisitive people are far less likely to give up a massive portion of their time or money to SGI in any case so its not much of a loss."
You know, when a few people wrote this before, I shrugged it off thinking they were being paranoid. Now I am not sure. I just spoke to another SGI member who has been struggling with my same issues for years. He suggested that maybe SGI does not want members/leaders who refuse to conform, that maybe they do want to get rid of us. I found it funny that he had come to the conclusion others here had come to. I really hope it is not true. Okay, I may catch some heat for this here: I don' t want SGI to fail. Perhaps I will change my mind, but I do suspect that SGI as it is gives some people a sense of purpose, meaning, joy, and satisfaction. It does not do that for me, although it once did. Because I remember being happy with it, I want to respect the rights of others to stick with it as is. As I have looked at other groups scrutinized and defrocked by RRI, I realize that lots of people are searching for organizations that give their lives meaning, direction, and joy. When I review what some of the others are doing or promoting, SGI does not look that bad because SGI does encourage people to chant daimoku, lots of it and I happen to believe that all of the organizational bull__ cannot overcome the power of chanting. Consequently, I don't see SGI as a scam or even as something particularly evil. Truthfully, SGI only pressured members to contribute financially in May and even then they never made a big deal about the dollar amount. Yes, the pubs and leaders are obsessed with Ikeda, but even that obsession is fueled by the desire to have members introduce more people to Nichiren Buddhism. After all, isn't the mentor-disciple paradigm there to increase membership by firing up young people about SGI? Sometimes I think I can detect what their underlying philosophy is, but I can also see how focusing the organization and members on an individual(Ikeda) will not work on the general population, at least not in middle-class countries. I have said it before: people with middle-class mentalities and opportunities do not look to a religious practice for material benefit. They rely on ambition, hard work, and tenacity--not on hero worship or magical practices.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 08/11/2010 11:49AM by doubtful.

@cyclops You wrote that a SR leader indicated that the organization is prepared to lose those who will not buy the Ikeda-mentor-disciple piece, and that "He said that this push was coming from Tokyo (no surprise there) insider information that enshrinement time is close @ hand he floated some ideas were of a Ikeda Gohonzon (sweet – please enough already) - So it looks like get rid of the chafe and build a new Ikeda centric SGI driven – Ikedabot worship – organization - WOW" This is was my first reaction a) I REALLY hope that is not true because I have shown remarkable restraint in not pushing my problems with the organization on SGI members, but if Ikeda appears on a Gohonzon I will not keep my mouth shut . b)But on second thought: Would it be wrong for a Gohonzon to acknowledge Ikeda's role in propagating Nichiren Buddhism? He has. After all, T'ien-t'ai and Dengyo appear on there already. When we chant we are not chanting to them for anything. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is down the center. That's where the focus is. I doubt SGI would ever move that somewhere else.@tsukimoto, You wrote in reference to the new Soka charter school opening in a few weeks,"What they don't say is equally interesting. They speak of the "Soka Education" and philosophy, and value creation -- and yet completely leave out anything about Buddhism, the Daishonin, or Ikeda. It's that old bait and switch again." My questions are 1) How long will it be before pictures of Ikeda start appearing in hallways or in the classrooms? 2) If the schools deliver what they promise are the schools a bad idea?



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 08/11/2010 12:15PM by doubtful.

Quote
doubtful
But on second thought: Would it be wrong for a Gohonzon to acknowledge Ikeda's role in propagating Nichiren Buddhism? He has. After all, T'ien-t'ai and Dengyo appear on there already. When we chant we are not chanting to them for anything. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is down the center. That's where the focus is. I doubt SGI would ever move that somewhere else

You can not be serious, can you? Okay if they would place him on a Gohonzon at least they would be frank about it .... but mentioning him alongside Luther King and Ganghi is bad enough , but T'ien-T'ai ??????
It was the members who made SGI what it was .... he is just busy quoting others Doubtful and this even at times incorrectly in order to find some strange comparison to HIS M/D-interpretation.

Quote
doubtful
I don' t want SGI to fail. Perhaps I will change my mind, but I do suspect that SGI as it is gives some people a sense of purpose, meaning, joy, and satisfaction.

To be honest I believe you don't want the idea to fail what YOU think SGI is about, but what YOU think SGI is about is not the same as ITS true nature.

Concerning the school business … has anyone of you thought about bringing this to the media's attention?

Quote
Rothaus
Concerning the school business … has anyone of you thought about bringing this to the media's attention?

Apparently, someone already has: [www.incitytimesworcester.org]

Another article from the Worcester Business Journal: [www.wbjournal.com]

Does anyone know if this Judith Sigolovsky is an SGI member?