[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 56 (Tuesday, May 3, 2005)]
[House]
[Pages H2751-H2756]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CONGRATULATING CHARTER SCHOOLS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES FOR THEIR
CONTRIBUTIONS TO EDUCATION
Mr. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the
resolution (H. Res. 218) congratulating charter schools and their
students, parents, teachers, and administrators across the United
States for their ongoing contributions to education, and for other
purposes.
The Clerk read as follows:
H. Res. 218
Whereas charter schools deliver high-quality education and
challenge our students to reach their potential;
Whereas charter schools provide thousands of our families
with diverse and innovative educational options for their
children;
Whereas charter schools are public schools authorized by a
designated public entity and are responding to the needs of
our communities, families, and students and are 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 3,300 charter schools are now operating in
40 States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of
Puerto Rico and are serving approximately 900,000 students;
Whereas over the last 10 years, Congress has provided more
than $1,500,000,000 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 included by the No Child Left
Behind Act of 2001, and contained in 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, charter schools routinely measure
parental satisfaction levels, and charter schools 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 school system;
Whereas charter schools have enjoyed broad bipartisan
support from the Administration, the Congress, State
Governors and legislatures, educators, and parents across the
United States; and
Whereas the sixth annual National Charter Schools Week, to
be held May 1 to 7, 2005, is an event sponsored by charter
schools and grassroots charter school organizations across
the United States to recognize the significant impacts,
achievements, and innovations of charter schools: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That--
(1) the House of Representatives 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
the public school system of the United States;
(2) the House of Representatives supports the sixth annual
National Charter Schools Week; and
(3) it is the sense of the House of Representatives 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 week-long celebration in communities
throughout the United States.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Nevada (Mr. Porter) and the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Kildee) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Porter).
General Leave
Mr. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks
on H. Res. 218.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Nevada?
There was no objection.
Mr. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 218. This resolution
honors our Nation's charter schools and the students, parents,
teachers, administrators and other individuals involved for their hard
work and dedication to providing a quality public education.
This week, May 1 through May 7, has been designated National Charter
Schools Week. During this week, charter school organizations and others
around the United States recognize these schools for their continued
contributions to education. The Nation's charter schools deliver high-
quality education and challenge students to reach their potential.
Forty-one States, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, have
passed laws authorizing charter schools. Since the first charter school
law was passed in 1991, almost 3,300 charter schools now serve nearly
900,000 students in 40 States, the District of Columbia and Puerto
Rico.
Specifically, I am pleased to honor the 19 charter schools in the
State of
[[Page H2752]]
Nevada that serve nearly 4,500 students. Nevada first passed charter
school legislation in 1997. As a co-sponsor of that legislation, our
first charter school opened in 1998 and in 1999 school year.
The State charter school legislation was revised in 1999, lending
teachers more room for creativity and allowing charter schools the
ability to offer an extended school day as well as an extended school
year.
In my own community, the Andre Agassi College Prepatory Academy
serves as a model for other charter schools across the Nation. Designed
to enhance a child's character, respect, motivation and self-
discipline, Agassi Prep, as the school has been nicknamed, was created
specifically to improve skill levels and combat lowered academic
expectations among the community's most challenged children.
Advanced technology, smaller class sizes, and extended school hours
are just some of practices that Agassi Prep utilizes to achieve a
higher standard of education.
I commend the charter schools in the State of Nevada and across this
great Nation for recognizing the immense need for improved education
and for their commitment to improving student achievement for students
who attend these schools.
At charter schools nationwide, almost half of the students are
considered at-risk or are former dropouts. Charter schools serve a
significant number of minority students, students with disabilities,
and students from lower income families.
These schools give opportunity and freedom to students and parents
who otherwise not might not have had the chance to receive a quality
education.
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 another 1,000 average-sized charter schools. By allowing parents
and students to choose their public schools, charter schools can
stimulate change and benefit all public students.
In exchange for flexibility and autonomy, public charter schools are
held accountable by their sponsors for improving student achievement
and for their administration.
Charter schools respond to the needs of America's communities
families and students while promoting the principles of quality,
choice, and innovation.
Charter schools must meet the same No Child Left Behind student
achievement accountability requirements as other public schools and
often set higher and additional individual goals to ensure that they
are all high quality and truly accountable to the public.
According to the Center for Education Reform, as many as 15 studies
find that students who frequently enter charters significantly are
below the normal grade level. These students then achieve the same or
even higher gains as compared to their surrounding district's
demographically-compared schools, or even the State average.
A report from America's Charter School Finance Corporation called
``Take Me on a Reading Adventure,'' cites research from several States
that shows greater gains and/or higher scores in reading for charter
schools as compared to their traditional school peers.
Charter schools have enjoyed broad bipartisan support from the
administration, the Congress, State governors and legislators,
educators and parents across the Nation. The Sixth Annual National
Charter School Week held this week, May 1 through May 7, 2005,
recognizes the significant impacts, achievements and innovations of our
Nation's charter schools.
Through this resolution, Congress today acknowledges and commends the
charter school movement and charter schools' students, teachers,
parents, and administrators across the United States for their ongoing
contributions to education and improving and strengthening our Nation's
public schools.
I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, H. Res. 218 discusses the impact which charter schools
are having on our educational system. Charter schools, while relatively
new, like all public schools, have continued to garner both accolades
and criticism for role they play.
Recent studies by the American Federation of Teachers and the
Economic Policy Institute have raised questions about whether charter
schools are outperforming traditional public schools. These studies
have generated a great deal of debate from both detractors and
supporters of charter schools.
The one thing that does seem clear is that charter schools on the
aggregate are not performing on the level most hoped they would.
Regardless of whether you are a supporter of charter schools, we can
all agree on the importance of a strong public school system. This
system, including charter schools, continues to educate ninety percent
of American students. Our public schools must have the resources and
the focus on quality to ensure that our children get the best education
possible regardless of race, ethnicity, disability, status or whether
they can speak English.
It is our public school system that I rise to support today.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio
(Mr. Boehner) and chairman of the committee.
(Mr. BOEHNER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks, and include extraneous material.)
Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 218, to
recognize charter schools and their students, parents, teachers and
administrators across the United States for their ongoing contributions
to education.
This week is the Sixth Annual National Charter Schools Week and a
great opportunity for Congress to honor charter schools and those
involved in the role they play in reforming and improving our Nation's
public education system.
{time} 1430
Charter schools are public schools that agree to improved academic
achievement and accountability in financial and other operations, in
exchange for increased flexibility and independence. Greater autonomy
allows charter schools to focus on increasing academic achievement for
individual students, rather than complying with bureaucratic paperwork.
Charter schools are subject to all the same No Child Left Behind
achievement goals as other public schools, but with greater flexibility
in how they improve student success. Increased flexibility allows
charter schools to use varied educational methods and techniques while
accounting for results.
Almost 3,300 charter schools serve around 900,000 students in 40
States, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico; and nearly 40 percent of
these charter schools have waiting lists.
Charter schools are adept at meeting the specific needs of the local
communities in which they are located and are particularly devoted to
serving low-income communities. Nationwide, almost half of charter
schools serve students considered at-risk or who have previously
dropped out of school. Charter school students share similar
demographic characteristics with students in all public schools, and
charter schools serve significant numbers of students from low-income
families, minority students, and students with disabilities.
Because charter schools often serve students with limited access to
educational options, these innovative public schools allow many parents
and students freedom of choice that otherwise would not be available.
And studies show that the increase in educational options, including
access to charter schools, is improving outcomes for students.
According to the Center for Education Reform, 15 studies show that
students frequently enter charter schools significantly below grade
level. These students will then progress at or above the gains being
made in surrounding districts, demographically comparable schools, or
at the State average.
In December, Harvard University released a comprehensive, long-term
study comparing student academic achievement at charter schools and
[[Page H2753]]
traditional public schools, and I will enter the executive summary of
that report in the Record at this point and share just one of the most
compelling facts.
Achievement in Charter Schools and Regular Public Schools in the United
States: Understanding the Differences
(By Caroline M. Hoxby)
abstract
This study compares the reading and mathematics proficiency
of charter school students to that of their fellow students
in neighboring public schools. Ninety-nine percent of all
elementary students in charter schools are included in the
study. The charter schools are compared to the schools that
their students would most likely otherwise attend: the
nearest regular public school with a similar racial
composition (the ``matched'' school). Compared to students in
the matched regular public school, charter students are 5.2
percent more likely to be proficient in reading and 3.2
percent more likely to be proficient in math on their state's
exams. Students in charter schools that have been in
operation longer are more likely to have a proficiency
advantage over their peers in the matched regular public
school. In reading, the advantage is 2.5 percent for a
charter school that has been operating 1 to 4 years, 5.2
percent for a school operating 5 to 8 years, and 10.1 percent
for a school operating 9 to 11 years. Also, charter school
students are more likely to have a proficiency advantage if
their school has funding that is at least forty percent of
that enjoyed by regular public schools. The results suggest
that charter schools are especially likely to raise the
achievement of students who are poor or Hispanic.
executive secretary
This study compares the reading and mathematics proficiency
of charter school students in the United States to that of
their fellow students in neighboring public schools. Because
charter schools are public entities, their students take
state exams. Thus, this study is based on schools that enroll
approximately 99 percent of elementary students who attend
charter schools. The charter schools are compared to the
schools that their students would most likely otherwise
attend: the nearest regular public school with a similar
racial composition (the ``matched'' school).
Compared to students in the matched public school, charter
students are 5.2 percent more likely to be proficient in
reading and 3.2 percent more likely to be proficient in math
on their state's exams. Charter schools that have been in
operation longer have a greater proficiency advantage over
the matched public schools. For example, in reading, the
advantage is 2.5 percent for a charter school that has been
operating 1 to 4 years, 5.2 percent for a school operating 5
to 8 years, and 10.1 percent for a school operating 9 to 11
years.
The results show that charter schools are especially likely
to raise the achievement of students who are poor or
Hispanic. This is a useful finding because charter schools
serve students who are disproportionately likely to be
minorities or poor.
Charter school students are more likely to have a
proficiency advantage if their state has a strong charter
school law that gives the schools autonomy and that ensures
that charter schools get funding equal to at least 40 percent
of the total per-pupil funding of regular public schools.
In states where charter schools are well-established,
charter school students' advantage in proficiency tends to be
greater. For instance, in Arizona, fourth grade charter
students are about 10 percent more likely to be proficient in
reading and math than students in the matched regular public
schools. In California, the corresponding proficiency
advantages are 9 percent in reading and 5 percent in math. In
Colorado, the corresponding proficiency advantages are 12
percent in reading and 14 percent in math.
North Carolina is the only state in which charter students'
proficiency is statistically significantly lower, by 4
percent, in both reading and math, compared to students in
the nearest public school. In addition, Texas' charter
students appear to be statistically significantly less
proficient in math (not reading).
By adjusting for schools that serve at-risk students, the
study focuses on regular charter schools that are expected to
meet the same standards as traditional public schools. The
study's ``matching'' method compares charter schools to
public schools that are likely to share the same
neighborhood, same economic conditions, and the same
population of students and parents. The selection of a
neighboring public school as the point of comparison ensures
that the groups of students being compared are as similar as
possible. It is also likely that the public school selected
for comparison was the school that most of the charter school
students would have attended, had there been no charter
school.
A national study like this one is useful because it is
comprehensive. Nevertheless, it is useful to complement
studies like this one with studies based on randomization.
Because many charter schools have more applicants than
places, they routinely hold lotteries, which allow
scientific, random assignment studies to be conducted. The
key advantage of randomization-based studies is that the
charter school students and regular public school students
are comparable not only in terms of race, ethnicity, and
income, but also on subtle dimensions like motivation and
aptitude. Multiple studies based on randomization are
underway. The first such study (Hoxby and Rockoff 2004) finds
that a large system of Chicago charter schools raised math
and reading scores by about 6 percentiles among students who
entered in grade 5 or below.
Because charter schools enroll only 1.5 percent of
students, it is important to include nearly all of them in a
study. Results based on only a small sample of charter school
students (for instance, studies that rely on the 3 percent
sample of the National Assessment of Educational Progress)
cannot be used to draw conclusions about states' charter
school policies. A study that relies on a 3 percent sample of
1.5 percent of American students is a study based on only
0.045 percent of students. In contrast, this study uses data
that are sufficient for detailed investigations of charter
school students' proficiency, nationwide.
The study, completed by Harvard economics professor Caroline Hoxby,
found charter schools overall are more likely to raise the academic
achievement of students who are poor or minority, and show a larger
effect on reading and math proficiency when they operate in areas that
have a high percentage of students who are poor, African American, or
Hispanic. Charter schools serve the very students who need help the
most, and they are getting results.
Charter schools have benefited from a strong degree of bipartisan
support at the local, State, and national levels. This was evidenced in
2001 by the efforts of both Republicans and Democrats in Congress to
expand access to charter schools through the bipartisan No Child Left
Behind Act. In the last 10 years, Congress has provided $1.5 billion to
support charter schools through facilities' financing assistance and
grants for planning, startup, implementation, and dissemination.
Through this resolution honoring National Charter Schools Week,
Congress is recognizing the continued success demonstrated by charter
schools and acknowledging the benefits that charter schools provide to
our local communities. Charter schools provide parents with a wider
variety of educational choices. This not only helps the students who
attend those charter schools but also helps to take some of the
pressure off traditional public schools that might be struggling to
improve.
I want to thank my colleague, the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Porter),
for introducing this resolution and urge my colleagues to join me in
strong support for our Nation's charter schools.
Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the
gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton).
Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Michigan for
yielding me time, and I thank him and I thank the gentleman from Nevada
for bringing this resolution in support of charter schools to the
floor.
Mr. Speaker, charter schools are one of the most innovative
developments in the history of public education in our country, and
they came from the bottom up. They have not developed out of State
governments or the like. They have come from searches within
jurisdictions for all alternative public schools, and this is what they
are.
In the District of Columbia, we think of the charter schools as an
alternative public school system because there are so many of them. We
have 43 charter schools in this one city alone, and that is the largest
number of charter schools per capita in the United States.
Why are there so many charter schools? We feel strongly in the
District of Columbia that public money must go to public schools, and
it is understood that here and throughout the United States public
schools which have to take every child are often overcrowded and
underfunded, have had a very tough time making up for what particularly
the most disadvantaged children do not bring to school. As a result,
public schools in many jurisdictions show low scores for children in
those schools.
What is a parent to do? What parents increasingly do is look for a
public alternative to their public schools. They want better schools,
but the public is very clear that it wants public money for public
schools. If we have any doubt about that, remember that even this House
has never voted a voucher bill for, nor has the Senate, anywhere except
for the District of Columbia where
[[Page H2754]]
you can undemocratically do anything you want to do, but for everybody
else they have listened to what people say and that is, yeah, we will
punish you if one dime goes to anything but a publicly accountable
public school.
Looking for a way to deal with the fact that, yes, many public
schools do not show the progress they should, it seems to me we have to
look to the paradigm that the public itself has created, and those are
charter schools. There is no better place to begin than in the District
of Columbia where people have simply voted with their feet. When they
did not like their school, they have gone to a nearby charter school.
They have advantages. They are not the advantage discussed in this
resolution, where it says, whereas charter schools improve students'
achievement. That is very controversial. I do not know whether they do
or not. All I know is that there are studies that say that they do and
studies that say they do not.
I want to say to my goods friends on the other side who are with me
in support of charter schools, our case does not rest on that. If my
colleagues understood how difficult it was to deal with education in
the inner city, they would understand that the fact that they come so
close ought to be enough; that parents want them as an alternative;
that they are small; that they are flexible; that they are in their
neighborhoods; that sometimes they are specialized. That is enough.
We have got a long way to go before we find the elixir for bringing
particularly disadvantaged children to where they should be; but if we
just look at what some of these schools in the District of Columbia,
like just by some of their names, District of Columbia Bilingual
School, that is totally a bilingual charter school.
The SEED school, this is the first public live-in school in the
District of Columbia. These children do not go home during the week.
They do not go home at night. So they have money from us per capita
from the school budget, and they raise other money; and these children
actually live in a public charter school like a boarding school.
There is the Marriott Hospitality Public Charter High School, where
children, besides learning the general high school curriculum, also
prepare themselves to go into the hospitality field, which is the most
important industry in this region.
Here is another one, the Washington Mathematics, Science and
Technology School. And these are some of the reasons that parents have,
in fact, sometimes chosen alternative schools here in the District of
Columbia: the public school test scores are better. They are better and
systematically better, but my colleagues do not see me here saying
public schools are better because their scores are better.
The fact is that each kind of school has broad benefits that parents
have chosen and both kinds of schools are accountable to parents and to
the public for the dollars spent.
I do believe that they stimulate competition, unlike private schools
which do not stimulate any competition at all. Private schools in the
District of Columbia, which can take whatever children they want to or
not, are no competition for the District of Columbia; but if there is a
charter school in one's neighborhood, the principal will look to see
what that charter school is doing.
The superintendent today has announced a plan because there are a few
charter schools that are very good and they must take every child, but
there are a few charter schools that are very good about actually
pairing those charter schools with some charter schools in their
neighborhood which are not doing as well.
With No Child Left Behind we have a problem we are seeing all over
the country. You have got to find yourself a better school. Well, guess
what. Those schools are all full so there is no place to transfer now.
Everybody ought to wish for charter schools because there is a publicly
accountable school with a public dollar that perhaps one can transfer
to. They are opening fast, but not fast enough for us here.
There is no real substitute in any civilized society for a public
school system; but particularly when parents are not satisfied with
their public schools, it does seem to me that charter schools offer the
alternative and the only alternative we ought to fund.
The District received the first Federal funds, first funds from this
Congress for charter schools. That was when Speaker Gingrich was here.
He knew that he profoundly opposed school vouchers. He worked with me
on charter school funding for the District of Columbia. That paved the
way for charter school funding which is now available to every State in
the Union.
We had mothers who went to schools with private school vouchers. The
vouchers that this Congress mandated be paid for in the District of
Columbia were fully paid for by private funds, but we said you do not
have to pay for them. You have been raising money every year; we will
pay for them. So we simply transferred public funds for the private
funds which have been sending these same children to school.
Well, the mothers came to me who had been going to school on the
private funds, and I said you are my folks and I understand why you are
looking for alternative schools. Tell me more. I wanted them to know
why I opposed vouchers from public funds for private schools; and I was
amazed at how many of them said, Congresswoman, we wanted to go to a
charter school, but they were all full. So, look, we wanted a better
school, and that is why they chose and were pleased to get these
vouchers.
Well, of course, I argued since charter schools are what the people
of District of Columbia want, if you have got any extra money,
Congress, please give it to us for charter schools. We said, oh, no,
you are the District of Columbia; we can experiment on you. We can do
anything undemocratically to do what we want to do, and we will do some
undemocratic things to you that our people would punish us for doing if
we did it to them.
So now our folks are still hungry for even more charter schools, and
we have got people going to private schools as well.
I am going to put in the Record what our charter schools have done
because each year we have a climbing up. This is how people vote. They
vote with their feet. This is what a market system is about. Ask people
what they want. This is what democracy is. Ask people what they want,
and they will choose what they want. Do not impose on them what you
want.
In our city, since most of our Catholic schools which would be the
alternative schools in the Northwest and most of our most deprived
children are in the Southeast, the first year of the vouchers, we had
most of the children in middle class and better schools, thank you very
much. Then there was an outcry, which I can see, whether they can do
any better this time. I can tell my colleagues it is very much harder
to do better if you are from a very disadvantaged neighborhood in far
Southeast and there is a Catholic school over here in this part of town
and you have got a voucher to go there. That is not going to work in
the District.
What will work in the District is what the people in the District
have embraced, and that is, if there is to be an alternative, let it be
a publicly accountable school.
The District of Columbia, unlike many jurisdictions, has absolutely
eliminated charter schools that were not doing what they were supposed
to do.
{time} 1445
So we know what to do when they work. We know what to do when they do
not work.
I am pleased to see the spread of charter schools. I believe that
every district has to decide for itself. In this region, for example,
in Maryland and Virginia, where Republicans have the majority of the
Congress, they cannot even get charter schools, and yet there are
hundreds of thousands of poor Hispanic and black children who might
decide that was a good alternative for them, not to mention the
children elsewhere in those States, but they cannot even get charter
schools, which are publicly accountable charter schools to be embraced
in their districts. That is how much people in their districts want
every public dollar to go to the public school system.
When I argued that on this floor, they said, who do you think you
are, somebody voted by the people or the
[[Page H2755]]
District of Columbia? Well, we were not, but we are going to tell you
what to do with your schools. Well, we have led the way on what to do
if your schools do not work. Designed, publicly accountable schools,
which parents agree should be the alternative that they want.
This is still America. This is still a democracy. Nothing is felt
more deeply than who decides how a person's child will be educated. It
was wrong for this Congress to decide for us rather than to decide on
the alternative you now come to the floor to embrace.
Mr. Speaker, I very much thank the gentleman for yielding me this
time.
Mr. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boehner).
Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman once again
yielding me this time, and I am glad that our friend from D.C. was here
to honor the contributions of charter schools, because clearly here in
D.C. charter schools have had a significant impact on providing
educational opportunities for children who, in many cases, are stuck in
some very, very bad schools.
Now, I appreciate the support of the charter schools week resolution
by my friend from D.C., but let me try to answer part of the charges
that were outlined in terms of her opposition to other forms of school
choice.
We know that in our large urban centers, we have a difficult time
educating low-income children who need our help the most. No place is
more evident than right here in the District of Columbia, where we
spend over $13,000 per student and have some of the worst schools in
all of America. We have similar problems in other large urban districts
and, clearly, charter schools have been an opportunity for some
students to escape these dreadful schools and have a chance.
All of us know that without a chance at a decent education, none of
us would be here, but without a decent education, many of those
children will never ever have a chance at the American dream. I have
always believed if we are to reform education in America, if we are
going to give every child and every parent of a child a chance at a
good education, the way to do that is to provide more choices and more
options for parents around the country so that they can choose schools
that they believe are in their best interest.
In some communities, charter schools might be the answer. Here in the
District of Columbia, clearly they are growing. Dayton, Ohio, part of
my congressional district, probably has more charter schools per capita
than any large urban center in America. And it is providing a very good
opportunity for students to escape the Dayton public schools and enter
the charter school of their choice.
But it should not be the only choice. There are a lot of parochial
schools, private schools, Christian schools all over America that
parents want to choose. We all know that if you have money, you have
choice. Middle income, higher income, you have all the choice you want
because you can get your child into the school you think is best for
them. But if you are poor and you cannot move, you have no choice. And
if there is not a charter school in your particular neighborhood, you
do not have any choice. You are stuck, stuck and condemned to an
education that will never help lift you out of poverty and never give
you a chance at the American dream.
That is why other forms of choice, I think, are important. That is
why I and others were involved in helping the mayor here in the
District of Columbia and other parents here in the District who wanted
a scholarship program. We provided $15 million to help some low-income
children get into a private school and it has helped. It has helped
about 1,100 children here in the District in giving them another
option. I think, frankly, it is a good option.
I was at two of those schools this morning. I was at St. Francis
DeSalles Elementary School, and I was at St. Anthony's Elementary
School, both over in the northeast part of town; and both schools, part
of the 13 schools that make up the city's Center Consortium. These are
13 very poor Catholic schools here in the District, who I have been
involved with over the last few years to help raise them private money
to help provide scholarships, to help keep those schools open in those
very poor neighborhoods. Last week, I visited four schools in the
southeast part of town, in Anacostia. I did not realize Anacostia was
as large as it is, but it is very large and it is very poor.
And the fact that those schools are there provide more children more
choices, more opportunities to have a chance. I saw kindergartners this
morning reading at a first-grade level at both of these Catholic
elementary schools. Yes, they have some students that are there because
they get D.C. scholarships; others are there because of the generosity
of an awful lot of people who want to keep these schools open and
provide a choice for those parents and those students.
It is this competition from the public schools, the charter schools,
the private schools that I believe will make our school system better
and will help all of them. Growing up in sports and growing up in a
large family, I know a little about competition, and competition makes
all of us better. I believe that the increased competition we are
seeing in the provision of an education, especially in the K through 12
arena, has in fact made all of education better.
Do we have a long way to go? We certainly do, but I believe that
charter schools are playing an integral role in providing that
competition. I think parochial schools, private schools, and Christian
schools play a role in that competition as well. The more we can do to
encourage parents to have more choice about where their kids can go to
school, I think the better off those children will be and the better
off our society will be.
Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee).
(Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to revise
and extend her remarks.)
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished
gentleman for yielding me this time, and I want to also thank the
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Kildee) for his years of service and
commitment to education, not only of the children in his district but
those in America.
Mr. Speaker, I was moved by the accounting and recounting by the
gentlewoman from the District of Columbia, particularly because of her
leadership on these issues regarding the educating of the children in
this district, but I rise to speak of the climate in Texas. And I might
say that my children have been in both private and public schools.
As I listened to the distinguished chairman of the Committee on
Education and the Workforce, I would simply say that much of what he
has said I agree with, and that is that all of us would want to
emphasize the excellence of education for our children and no one is
condemning private schools. The simple statement is, however, that the
public school system was the underpinnings of the founding of this
Nation and has made us the great Nation that we are today; that private
schools, obviously, welcome and deserve our private funding and our
support and encouragement. But charter schools, which we congratulate
today, and public schools, stand as entities which we can account for
and which can be accountable to the taxpayers.
I want to congratulate charter schools in my district, the KIPP
School, the Knowledge is Power Program; the 3D Academy, a school that
emphasizes the ``Yes I Can'' innovative approach to education, which
has been making a significant impact on education across the Nation.
The Dominion Academy, which teaches children from first to eighth grade
about business and capitalism and other ways of financing and investing
in America; and then the WALIPP Boys Academy that focuses on young men,
African-American men, to teach them confidence and character and
integrity. But yet the charter schools in our community in Texas are
accountable.
And, frankly, that is the difference and the distinction between the
question of vouchers and charter schools and public schools. In my
district right now, Mr. Speaker, we have the leadership of our school
district, the Houston Independent School District, suggesting that
three schools need to be closed, three schools with enormous history,
two of them happen to be Kashmir High School and Yates High School.
These are two of our oldest schools in the African-American community.
[[Page H2756]]
How unfortunate that the school district, rather than investing in
those schools, with all the richness of history, all the outstanding
alumni, all those individuals who are doctors and lawyers and teachers
and leaders of the community, and business persons who would want to
invest back into the public school that they graduated from, and yet
our district is talking of closing them or privatizing them.
That is why we need to speak about excellence and congratulate today
the charter schools, because they have taken the resources and they are
accountable and they teach in a unique way, each of them with their own
definition and character, and they are educating our children and they
are accountable. Likewise, the public school system must be accountable
as well.
Our independent school district in Houston must be accountable to
these historic schools. I visited one of these schools yesterday. I had
two of the schools with me on Friday afternoon. They have school pride.
They are wearing their uniform. They have band uniforms. It may not be
perfect, but these kids want to succeed. And it is important to note,
Mr. Speaker, that these children I met with, Kashmir High School and
Yates High School and Sam Houston that is in the District of my good
friend and colleague, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Green), that these
youngsters have the desire to learn and they have applauded those who
are working with them, their teachers and principals. So I am asking
for an opportunity to be given to them to learn. That is a public
school.
But today, I stand on the House floor congratulating charter schools
because they work simultaneously and parallel with our public schools.
They are a wonderful fit and they give parents the opportunity to
increase the excellence of their children. I believe that our only
challenge is to reaffirm excellence in education in America and to
educate our children, because they are not only our future, they are
our todays.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be here today to speak about the
benefits of charter schools and their ability to deliver high-quality
education and challenge our students to reach their potential. Charter
schools provide thousands of our families with diverse and innovative
educational options for their children.
I have had the pleasure to visit a charter school in my district,
KIPP 3D Academy. KIPP stands for Knowledge is Power Program, and this
is an innovative approach to education which has been making a
significant impact all over the country. Charter Schools are a unique
opportunity for students to access other methods of education, and
after visiting with the 3D Academy students, I can see how excited they
are for learning. Charter schools are public schools authorized by a
designated public entity and are responding to the needs of our
communities, families, and students and promote the principles of
quality, choice, and innovation.
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.
During my visit to KIPP 3D Academy, I was able to see their substantial
progress with their students, and how their strict curriculum embodied
their slogan that Knowledge is Power.
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.
Charter schools improve their students' achievement and stimulate
improvement in traditional public schools. They also give parents new
freedom to choose their public school, charter schools routinely
measure parental satisfaction levels, and charter schools must prove
their ongoing success to parents, policymakers, and their communities.
Charter schools nationwide serve a higher percentage of low-income
and minority students than the traditional public system. These schools
have enjoyed broad bipartisan support from the Administration, the
Congress, State Governors and legislatures, educators, and parents
across the United States.
The sixth annual National Charter Schools Week is this week. This
event is sponsored by charter schools and grassroots charter school
organizations across the United States to recognize the significant
impacts, achievements, and innovations of charter schools. I am pleased
to join my colleagues in the House of Representatives to acknowledge
and commend 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.
Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 218, supporting
the sixth annual National Charter Schools Week and honoring the
outstanding achievements charter schools have made.
As a former educator, I understand the importance of charter schools.
These schools are educational laboratories, as they allow students to
learn and grow in a non-traditional sense. Charter schools are an
alternative to public schools that allow for trial, experimentation and
development. With a freedom to employ innovative techniques, charter
schools, year after year, continue to provide academic excellence and
prepare our youth for higher education, the workforce and their future.
The State of New Jersey has 52 approved charter schools. These
schools serve nearly 14,000 students statewide in pre-kindergarten
through 12th grade. In 2004, 16 applications were filed in New Jersey
for new charter schools with hopes of openings in 2005 and 2006. Many
of these applications are for schools in some of New Jersey largest
cities, including Newark, Camden and Jersey City.
My district is fortunate enough to have eight exceptional charter
schools that offer students a diverse educational opportunity, rigorous
curricula, and an outstanding learning environment.
One of these schools, the Princeton Charter School in Mercer County
became the first charter school accredited by the American Academy of
Liberal Education in April of 2002. In addition to this esteemed
recognition, the Princeton Charter School was also recently named a No
Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon school. This award is given to schools
that meet the national goals and high standards of educational
excellence.
Another school in my district, the Greater Brunswick Charter School
in Middlesex County will be the subject of a documentary film that will
feature the middle school students who have worked hard to develop a
class project based on the Buck Institute's model for project based
learning. This documentary will be produced in conjunction with the
Buck Institute for Education, the Rutgers University Center for Media
Studies, and the George Lucas Education Foundation. The documentary
will be available online through the George Lucas Education Foundation
website.
I applaud the students, teachers, administrators and parents of
charter schools for all of their hard work and commitment to the
educational community of charter schools. Charter schools continue to
grow in number in New Jersey and across the country, offering students
an exceptional educational opportunity with room for innovation and
development.
Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Boozman). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Porter) that the House
suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 218.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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