[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 60 (Tuesday, May 4, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4850-S4851]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     CONGRATULATING CHARTER SCHOOLS

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 351, which was 
submitted earlier today by Senator Gregg.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 351) congratulating charter schools 
     and their students, parents, teachers, and administrators 
     across the United States for their ongoing contributions to 
     education, and for other purposes.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, today my colleagues, Senators Lieberman, 
Frist, Carper, Dole, Sununu, Alexander, Domenici, Craig, Coleman, 
Landrieu, Durbin, DeWine, and Brownback joined me in submitting S. Res. 
351, a resolution to designate the week of May 3 through May 7, 2004 as 
National Charter Schools Week. This year marks the 12th anniversary of 
the opening of the Nation's first charter school in Minnesota. We have 
come a long way since that auspicious moment when one teacher, 
collaborating with parents, started a public school specifically 
designed to meet the needs of the students in the community.
  Today, we have almost 3,000 charter schools serving nearly 750,000 
students in 37 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. 
Charter schools are immensely popular. Forty percent report having 
waiting lists, and there are enough students on these waiting lists to 
fill another 1,000 average-sized charter schools. Survey after survey 
shows parents are overwhelmingly satisfied with their children's 
charter schools.
  Charter schools are popular for a variety of reasons. They are 
generally free from the burdensome regulations and policies that govern 
traditional public schools. They are founded and run by principals, 
teachers, and parents who share a common vision of education, a vision 
which guides each and every decision made at the schools, from hiring 
personnel to selecting curricula. Furthermore, charter schools are held 
accountable for student performance in a very unique way--if they fail 
to educate their students well and meet the goals of their charters, 
they are shut down.
  Since each charter school represents the unique vision of its 
founders, these schools vary greatly, but all strive for excellence.
  For example, Summit Middle School in Boulder, CO is a charter school 
serving grades 6 through 8 in mixed-age classes grouped by interest, 
motivation, ability, developmental level, and mastery of previous 
material. Summit provides a choice at the middle school level for 
students interested in a more rigorous and individualized academic 
program, and its students--admitted without regard to past academic 
accomplishment or prior testing--have risen to the challenge. In 2003, 
Summit was one of 214 public and private elementary and secondary 
schools nationwide, and the only public middle school

[[Page S4851]]

in Colorado, to be named a No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon School in 
recognition of its students' outstanding performance on State tests.
  Here in the District of Columbia, the Capital City Public Charter 
School serves 227 students and has more than 400 students on its 
waiting list after only four years of operation. The award-winning 
school uses an innovative approach to learning based on two research-
based, nationally recognized education models that promote rigorous 
academic and character standards--and the results speak for themselves. 
Students at Capital City are making significant, measurable academic 
progress with solid gains in both reading and math. In 2003, Capital 
City achieved all six goals outlined for District charter schools on 
academic progress and excellence on the SAT-9 tests. Two new charter 
schools modeled after Capital City are expected to open in the District 
this fall, further increasing options for students and parents.
  These are but a few of the success stories in the charter school 
movement, which includes a wide range of schools serving a variety of 
different learning needs and styles, often at a lower cost than 
traditional public schools.
  I expect that we will see the popularity of charter schools continue 
to expand. Two years ago, the President signed into law the No Child 
Left Behind Act, which gives parents in low-performing schools the 
option to transfer their children to another public school. No Child 
Left Behind also provides school districts with the option of 
converting low-performing schools into charter schools. I believe these 
provisions will strengthen the charter school movement by creating more 
opportunities for charter school development. And as parents exercise 
their right to school choice and ``vote with their feet'', the demand 
for charter schools will increase.
  I commend the ever-growing number of people involved in the charter 
school movement, from parents and teachers to community leaders and 
members of the business community. Together, they have led the charge 
in education reform and have started a revolution with the potential to 
transform our system of public education. Districts with a large number 
of charter schools have reported that they are becoming more customer 
service-oriented, increasing interaction with parents, and creating new 
education programs, many of which are similar to those offered by 
charter schools. These improvements benefit all our students, not just 
those who choose charter schools.
  I encourage my colleagues to visit a charter school this week to 
witness firsthand the ways in which these innovative schools are making 
a difference, both in the lives of the students they serve as well as 
in the community in which they reside.
  Mr. LIEBERMAN. Mr. President, I rise today as an original cosponsor 
of this resolution to support the designation of May 3 through May 7, 
2004 as National Charter Schools Week. I urge my colleagues to support 
this resolution to recognize and honor the success of charters schools 
across the nation. I strongly believe that charter schools enrich our 
nation and enhance our public education system by providing diverse and 
innovative educational options for parents and their children.
  Currently, nearly 3,000 charter schools are operating in 37 States 
and the District of Columbia and are serving about 750,000 students. We 
must continue to sponsor and encourage the development of charter 
schools. The fact is that nearly 40 percent of charter schools report 
having a waiting list. Indeed, with these students, we could fill over 
1,000 new charter schools.
  One of the many positive aspects of the charter movement is that it 
has managed to bring together educators, parents, community activities, 
business leaders, and politicians from across the political spectrum to 
support a common goal of better educating our children by offering more 
choice and more accountability within our public schools. In many 
cases, charter schools are built from the ground up by educational 
leaders and thinkers, working with teachers, parents and local leaders, 
to reinvent the public school with fresh ideas and expanded options. To 
their credit, studies have shown that student achievement gains in 
public schools are substantial and that charter schools are serving a 
higher percentage of low-income and minority students than the 
traditional school system.
  Now, more than ever, we must continue to support and encourage the 
charter movement to give parents and children meaningful public school 
choices, particularly to children in low-performing schools. I am, 
therefore, most pleased to join my distinguished colleague from New 
Hampshire, Mr. Gregg, along with Senators Carper, Durbin, DeWine, 
Coleman, Landrieu, Dole, Sununu, Domenici, Craig, Alexander and Frist, 
in recognizing the success of charter schools and the value they add to 
public education. I also commend the Charter School Leadership Council 
and express my full support for the activities planned this week to 
celebrate charter schools, teachers and developers, and the parents and 
children they serve.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motion to 
reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements relating to 
the resolution be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 351) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 351

       Whereas charter schools deliver high-quality education and 
     challenge our 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 41 States, the District of Columbia, and the 
     Commonwealth of Puerto Rico have passed laws authorizing 
     charter schools;
       Whereas nearly 3,000 charter schools are now operating in 
     37 States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of 
     Puerto Rico and serving 750,000 students;
       Whereas over the last 10 years, Congress has provided more 
     than $1,000,000,000 in support to the charter school movement 
     through facilities financing assistance and grants for 
     planning, startup, implementation, and dissemination;
       Whereas 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 school, routinely measure parental satisfaction 
     levels, and must prove their ongoing success to parents, 
     policymakers, and their communities;
       Whereas nearly 40 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 1,000 average-sized 
     charter schools;
       Whereas charter schools nationwide serve a higher 
     percentage of low-income and minority students than the 
     traditional public system;
       Whereas charter schools have enjoyed broad bipartisan 
     support from the Administration, Congress, State Governors 
     and legislatures, educators, and parents across the United 
     States; and
       Whereas the fifth annual National Charter Schools Week, to 
     be held May 3 to 7, 2004, is an event sponsored by charter 
     schools and grassroots charter school organizations across 
     the United States to recognize the significant impact, 
     achievements, and innovations of charter schools: Now, 
     therefore, be it--
       Resolved, That--
       (1) the Senate acknowledges and commends charter schools 
     and their students, parents, teachers, and administrators 
     across the United States for their ongoing contributions to 
     education and improving and strengthening our public school 
     system;
       (2) the Senate supports the fifth annual National Charter 
     Schools Week; and
       (3) it is the sense of the Senate that the President should 
     issue a proclamation calling on the people of the United 
     States to conduct appropriate programs, ceremonies, and 
     activities to demonstrate support for charter schools during 
     this weeklong celebration in communities throughout the 
     United States.




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