[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 62 (Monday, May 3, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4609-S4610]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              RECOGNITION OF NATIONAL CHARTER SCHOOLS DAY

 Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I rise this morning to recognize 
the contribution of charter schools to the education of our nation's 
children. Today, on Charter Schools Day, we celebrate the hard labor 
and accomplishments of charter school teachers, parents, and students.
  In 1993, Michigan became the ninth state to grant citizens the 
freedom to establish charter schools. Many public school educators had 
found that the complex labyrinth of federal and state regulations 
prevented them from providing their students the best education 
possible. The Michigan State Legislature passed charter school 
legislation to provide regulatory relief for educators, ensure school 
accountability, and encourage educators to innovate. The following 
year, Congress established the public Charter Schools program which 
authorized $15 million for the Department of Education to support the 
development, initial implementation, and evaluation of charter schools. 
During the 105th Congress, I voted for the Charter School Expansion Act 
of 1998 which increased federal charter school funding to $100 million.
  Mr. President, charter schools are integral to our nation's education 
system because they empower citizens to develop schools which meet the 
needs of their local communities. One fine example of charter school 
innovation may be found in Michigan's Saginaw County. Four year ago, 
the Saginaw County Intermediate School District opened their 
Transitional Academy. This school was designed to educate juvenile 
offenders and provide them with an individualized education that would 
allow them to return to their regular schools and graduate with their 
classmates. Today, I am pleased to report that the Saginaw County 
Transitional Academy has not only graduated a majority of their 
students, but that these students have remained crime free.
  Charter schools are also successful because they empower parents to 
send their children to the public school of their choice. Last year, 
Michigan parents sent 30,000 children to charter schools, an increase 
from 21,000 in 1997. Throughout the nation, charter school 
organizations report that most, if not all, schools have large waiting 
lists.

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These lists symbolize the healthy competition that charter schools have 
created within the public school system.
  However, a charter school's primary mission is to educate its 
students. Standardized testing has revealed that a charter school 
education has a dramatic impact on its students. All public schools in 
Michigan, including charter schools, administer the Michigan Education 
Assessment Program test. Between 1997 and 1998, Michigan charter 
schools exam results kept pace or surpassed those of traditional public 
schools. In fact, half of all charter schools in 1998 doubled or 
tripled the number of students receiving satisfactory scores in one or 
more subjects. These results indicate that charter schools are truly 
improving education.
  In closing, I wish to honor charter school students, who work day 
after day to develop their skills and gifts. These students are the 
future of our nation and contribute to the vibrant life found 
throughout the countryside and cities of America. I applaud them for 
their efforts and congratulate them on this important day, Charter 
Schools Day.

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