III 110th CONGRESS 2d Session S. RES. 556 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES May 8, 2008 Ms. Landrieu (for herself, Mr. Alexander, Mr. Lieberman, Mr. Burr, Mr. Vitter, Mr. Gregg, Mr. Sununu, Mr. Allard, Mr. Isakson, and Mr. Carper) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to 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 all students to reach their potential; Whereas charter schools provide thousands of families with diverse and innovative educational options for their children; Whereas charter schools are public schools authorized by a designated public entity that are responding to the needs of our communities, families, and students and 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 40 States and the District of Columbia have passed laws authorizing charter schools; Whereas more than 4,300 charter schools are now operating in 40 States and the District of Columbia, serving more than 1,200,000 students; Whereas, over the last 14 years, Congress has provided over $2,237,256,000 in support to the charter school movement through facilities financing assistance and grants for planning, startup, implementation, and dissemination; Whereas many charter schools improve their students' achievement and stimulate improvement in traditional public schools; Whereas charter schools must meet the student achievement accountability requirements under 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 schools, routinely measure parental satisfaction levels, and must prove their ongoing success to parents, policymakers, and their communities; Whereas over 50 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 1,100 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 President, Congress, State Governors and legislatures, educators, and parents across the United States; and Whereas the 9th annual National Charter Schools Week, to be held May 5 through May 9, 2008, 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

That the Senate— (1)acknowledges and commends charter schools and their students, parents, teachers, and administrators across the United States for their ongoing contributions to education, especially their impressive results closing America’s persistent achievement gap, and improving and strengthening our public school system; (2)supports the ideas and goals of the 9th annual National Charter Schools Week; and (3)encourages 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.