[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 514 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 514

 Congratulating the students, parents, teachers, and administrators of 
 charter schools across the United States for ongoing contributions to 
   education and supporting the ideals and goals of the 11th annual 
  National Charter Schools Week, to be held May 2 through May 8, 2010.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 5, 2010

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Congratulating the students, parents, teachers, and administrators of 
 charter schools across the United States for ongoing contributions to 
   education and supporting the ideals and goals of the 11th annual 
  National Charter Schools Week, to be held May 2 through May 8, 2010.

Whereas charter schools deliver high-quality public education and challenge all 
        students to reach their potential;
Whereas charter schools promote innovation and excellence in public education;
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, 
        accountability, choice, and innovation;
Whereas, in exchange for flexibility and autonomy, charter schools are held 
        accountable by their sponsors for improving student achievement and for 
        the financial and other operations of the charter schools;
Whereas 40 States, the District of Columbia, and Guam have passed laws 
        authorizing charter schools;
Whereas 4,956 charter schools are operating nationwide, serving more than 
        1,600,000 students;
Whereas, in fiscal year 2010 and the 16 previous fiscal years, Congress has 
        provided a total of more than $2,734,370,000 in financial assistance to 
        the charter school movement through grants for planning, startup, 
        implementation, dissemination, and facilities;
Whereas numerous charter schools improve the achievements of students and 
        stimulate improvement in traditional public schools;
Whereas charter schools are required to 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;
Whereas charter schools often set higher and additional individual goals than 
        the requirements of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 
        (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.) to ensure that charter schools are of high 
        quality and truly accountable to the public;
Whereas charter schools give parents the freedom to choose public schools, 
        routinely measure parental satisfaction levels, and must prove their 
        ongoing success to parents, policymakers, and the communities served by 
        the charter schools;
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 doubling the Federal support for charter 
        schools, including replicating and expanding the highest performing 
        charter models to meet the dramatic demand created by the more than 
        365,000 children on charter school waiting lists; and
Whereas the 11th annual National Charter Schools Week is to be held May 2, 
        through May 8, 2010: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) congratulates the students, parents, teachers, and 
        administrators of charter schools across the United States for 
        ongoing contributions to education, the impressive strides made 
        in closing the persistent academic achievement gap in the 
        United States, and improving and strengthening the public 
        school system in the United States;
            (2) supports the ideals and goals of the 11th annual 
        National Charter Schools Week, a week-long celebration to be 
        held May 2 through May 8, 2010, in communities throughout the 
        United States; and
            (3) encourages the people of the United States to hold 
        appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities during 
        National Charter Schools Week to demonstrate support for 
        charter schools.
                                 <all>