[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 60 (Tuesday, May 16, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E835]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     IN SUPPORT OF CHARTER SCHOOLS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 16, 2006

  Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise in support of 
the seventh annual National Charter Schools Week, and to congratulate 
charter schools and their students, parents, teachers, and 
administrators for their commitment to innovation in public education.
  I am proud to represent the district that is home to the first 
charter school in the United States, City Academy, which opened in St. 
Paul, Minnesota in 1992. Minnesota was the first state to pass charter 
school legislation in 1991. Today there are more than 120 charter 
schools in Minnesota that enroll more than 20,000 students.
  Charter schools fulfill an important role in our nation's public 
education system. They encourage new ways of learning and require 
strong partnerships with the community. Charter schools often provide 
children who struggle in a traditional classroom the opportunity to 
thrive and grow.
  In St. Paul and surrounding community there are more than two dozen 
charter schools. Each one provides a unique learning environment for 
its students--from the Academia Cesar Chavez Charter School which 
integrates Latino cultural values in its learning environment to the 
Community of Peace Academy that provides a violence-free environment 
for inner city children. Each of the charter schools in my district 
have focused their missions around a core set of values in order to 
provide a quality educational experience for their students.
  It is with appreciation that I rise today to commend the teachers and 
students of charters schools, and the communities that support them, 
for their contributions and achievements.

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