[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 218 Introduced in House (IH)]






109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 218

 Congratulating charter schools and their students, parents, teachers, 
     and administrators across the United States for their ongoing 
          contributions to education, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 19, 2005

   Mr. Porter (for himself and Mr. Boehner) submitted the following 
 resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the 
                               Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Congratulating charter schools and their students, parents, teachers, 
     and administrators across the United States for their ongoing 
          contributions to education, and for other purposes.

Whereas charter schools deliver high-quality education and challenge our 
        students to reach their potential;
Whereas charter schools provide thousands of our families with diverse and 
        innovative educational options for their children;
Whereas charter schools are public schools authorized by a designated public 
        entity and are responding to the needs of our communities, families, and 
        students and are promoting the principles of quality, choice, and 
        innovation;
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 41 States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico 
        have passed laws authorizing charter schools;
Whereas nearly 3,300 charter schools are now operating in 40 States, the 
        District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and are 
        serving approximately 900,000 students;
Whereas over the last 10 years, Congress has provided more than $1,500,000,000 
        in support to the charter school movement through facilities' financing 
        assistance and grants for planning, startup, implementation, and 
        dissemination;
Whereas charter schools improve their students' achievement and stimulate 
        improvement in traditional public schools;
Whereas charter schools must meet the student achievement accountability 
        requirements included by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, and 
        contained in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, in the 
        same manner as traditional public schools, and often set higher and 
        additional individual goals, to ensure that they are of high quality and 
        truly accountable to the public;
Whereas charter schools give parents new freedom to choose their public school, 
        charter schools routinely measure parental satisfaction levels, and 
        charter schools must prove their ongoing success to parents, 
        policymakers, and their communities;
Whereas nearly 40 percent of charter schools report having a waiting list, and 
        the total number of students on all such waiting lists is enough to fill 
        over 1,000 average-sized charter schools;
Whereas charter schools nationwide serve a higher percentage of low-income and 
        minority students than the traditional public school system;
Whereas charter schools have enjoyed broad bipartisan support from the 
        Administration, the Congress, State Governors and legislatures, 
        educators, and parents across the United States; and
Whereas the sixth annual National Charter Schools Week, to be held May 1 to 7, 
        2005, is an event sponsored by charter schools and grassroots charter 
        school organizations across the United States to recognize the 
        significant impacts, achievements, and innovations of charter schools: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That--
            (1) the House of Representatives acknowledges and commends 
        charter schools and their students, parents, teachers, and 
        administrators across the United States for their ongoing 
        contributions to education and improving and strengthening the 
        public school system of the United States;
            (2) the House of Representatives supports the sixth annual 
        National Charter Schools Week; and
            (3) it is the sense of the House of Representatives that 
        the President should issue a proclamation calling on the people 
        of the United States to conduct appropriate programs, 
        ceremonies, and activities to demonstrate support for charter 
        schools during this week-long celebration in communities 
        throughout the United States.
                                 <all>