[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 134 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 134

 Congratulating the students, parents, teachers, and administrators at 
      charter schools across the United States for their ongoing 
 contributions to education and supporting the ideas and goals of the 
 10th annual National Charter Schools Week, May 3 through May 9, 2009.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 6, 2009

 Ms. Landrieu (for herself, Mr. Alexander, Mr. Lieberman, Mr. Carper, 
Mr. Bayh, Mr. Burr, Mr. Gregg, and Mr. Vitter) submitted the following 
             resolution; which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Congratulating the students, parents, teachers, and administrators at 
      charter schools across the United States for their ongoing 
 contributions to education and supporting the ideas and goals of the 
 10th annual National Charter Schools Week, May 3 through May 9, 2009.

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 respond to the needs of communities, families, and students 
        in the United States and promote 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 approximately 4,700 charter schools are now operating in 40 States and 
        the District of Columbia, serving more than 1,400,000 students;
Whereas, during the last 14 years, Congress has provided more than 
        $2,478,288,000 in financial assistance to the charter school movement 
        through facilities financing assistance and grants for planning, 
        startup, implementation, and dissemination;
Whereas many charter schools improve the achievements of students 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 
        (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.) in the same manner as traditional public 
        schools and often set higher and additional individual goals to ensure 
        that charter schools are of high quality and truly accountable to the 
        public;
Whereas charter schools give parents new freedom to choose public schools, 
        routinely measure parental satisfaction levels, and must prove their 
        ongoing success to parents, policymakers, and their communities;
Whereas more than 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 more than 1,100 average-sized charter schools;
Whereas the President has called for increased Federal support for replicating 
        and expanding high-performing charter schools to meet the dramatic 
        demand created by the more than 365,000 children on charter school 
        waiting lists; and
Whereas the 10th annual National Charter Schools Week is May 3 through May 9, 
        2009: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) congratulates the students, parents, teachers, and 
        administrators of charter schools across the United States for 
        their ongoing contributions to education, especially their 
        impressive results in closing the persistent achievement gap in 
        the United States, and improving and strengthening the public 
        school system in the United States;
            (2) supports the ideas and goals of the 10th annual 
        National Charter Schools Week, a week-long celebration to be 
        held May 3 through May 9, 2009, in communities throughout the 
        United States; and
            (3) encourages the people of the United States to conduct 
        appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities during 
        National Charter Schools Week to demonstrate support for 
        charter schools.
                                 <all>