[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 123 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 123

Designating April 28, 2003, through May 2, 2003, as ``National Charter 
                Schools Week'', and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 29, 2003

 Mr. Gregg (for himself, Mr. Lieberman, Mr. Frist, Mr. Alexander, Mr. 
  Carper, and Mr. Bayh) submitted the following resolution; which was 
               referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Designating April 28, 2003, through May 2, 2003, as ``National Charter 
                Schools Week'', and for other purposes.

Whereas charter schools are public schools authorized by a designated public 
        body and operating on the principles of accountability, parental 
        involvement, choice, and autonomy;
Whereas in exchange for the flexibility and autonomy given to charter schools, 
        they are held accountable by their sponsors for improving student 
        achievement and for their financial and other operations;
Whereas 39 States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico 
        have passed laws authorizing charter schools;
Whereas 39 States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico 
        will have received substantial assistance from the Federal Government by 
        the end of the current fiscal year for planning, startup, and 
        implementation of charter schools since their authorization in 1994 
        under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 
        et seq.);
Whereas 36 States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico 
        are serving nearly 700,000 students in almost 2,700 charter schools 
        during the 2002-2003 school year;
Whereas charter schools can be vehicles for improving student academic 
        achievement for the students who attend them, for stimulating change and 
        improvement in all public schools, and for benefiting all public school 
        students;
Whereas charter schools must meet the same Federal student academic achievement 
        accountability requirements as all public schools, and often set higher 
        and additional goals, to ensure that they are of high quality and truly 
        accountable to the public;
Whereas charter schools assess and evaluate students annually and often more 
        frequently, and charter school student academic achievement is directly 
        linked to charter school existence;
Whereas charter schools give parents new freedom to choose their public school, 
        charter schools routinely measure parental approval, and charter schools 
        must prove their ongoing and increasing success to parents, 
        policymakers, and their communities;
Whereas more than two-thirds of charter schools report having a waiting list, 
        the average size of such a waiting list is more than one-half of the 
        school's enrollment, and the total number of students on all such 
        waiting lists is enough to fill another 1,000 average-sized charter 
        schools;
Whereas students in charter schools nationwide have similar demographic 
        characteristics as students in all public schools;
Whereas charter schools in many States serve significant numbers of students 
        from families with low incomes, minority students, and students with 
        disabilities, and in a majority of charter schools almost half of the 
        students are considered at risk or are former dropouts;
Whereas charter schools have enjoyed broad bipartisan support from the 
        Administration, Congress, State Governors and legislatures, educators, 
        and parents across the Nation; and
Whereas charter schools are laboratories of reform and serve as models of how to 
        educate children as effectively as possible: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) designates April 28, 2003, through May 2, 2003, as 
        ``National Charter Schools Week'';
            (2) honors the 11th anniversary of the opening of the 
        Nation's first charter school;
            (3) acknowledges and commends the growing charter school 
        movement and charter schools, teachers, parents, and students 
        across the Nation for their ongoing contributions to education 
        and improving and strengthening the Nation's public school 
        system;
            (4) supports the goals of National Charter Schools Week, an 
        event sponsored by charter schools and charter school 
        organizations across the Nation and established to recognize 
        the significant impacts, achievements, and innovations of the 
        Nation's charter schools; and
            (5) requests that the President issue a proclamation 
        calling on the people of the United States to conduct 
        appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities to demonstrate 
        support for charter schools in communities throughout the 
        Nation.
                                 <all>