[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 109 (Wednesday, August 5, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1561]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   TO COMMEMORATE THE OPENING OF CHARTER SCHOOLS IN PEMBROKE PINES, 
                                FLORIDA

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. PETER DEUTSCH

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, August 5, 1998

  Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate the City of Pembroke 
Pines for responding to our community's concerns regarding the 
education of our youth. In an effort to ease some of the overcrowding 
and to better prepare students for the challenges they will face in the 
new millennium, the City of Pembroke Pines has taken the bold 
initiative of creating the nation's first elementary charter school 
owned and operated by a municipality. On August 29, 1998, Mayor Alex 
Fekete, Vice Mayor Frank Ortis, City Manager Charles Dodge, and 
Commissioners William Armstrong and Susan Katz will proudly participate 
in the ribbon cutting ceremony for this innovative educational facility 
which represents the first fruition of their vision for greater 
educational opportunity in South Florida.
  As members of the school's advisory board, along with the school 
principal, parents, and business representatives, they will oversee the 
day-to-day operation of the school in a partnership that will, as Mayor 
Fekete so nicely states, ``bring education back closer to the people.'' 
The school will focus on the core disciplines and modern educational 
technology. Perhaps more importantly, it will emphasize character 
development as well as parental and community involvement.
  To ensure a nurturing ambiance conducive to intellectual, emotional, 
and social development, class size will be limited to a maximum of 25 
students, and a fully accredited teacher as well as a teacher's aide 
will be assigned to each class. The school will deliver high quality 
education while being more cost effective than other schools managed by 
the district. The per student station cost for the Pembroke Pines 
Charter School comes to $8,600 in contrast to the $13,000 per station 
average for the state schools.
  I commend the efforts of these elected officials, Mayor Alex Fekete, 
Vice Mayor Frank Ortis, City Manager Charles Dodge, and Commissioners 
William Armstrong and Susan Katz, who dared to take a step in a new 
direction. The rest of our country will be closely watching the 
progress of this new educational alternative and may soon follow the 
innovative lead of these municipal officials. I share in their 
excitement because this Charter School provides another creative option 
for public education. Our future resides in our children, and our 
schools must commit themselves to excellence as they strive to better 
prepare them for the next century.

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