[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 73 (Monday, May 5, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H3036-H3038]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CONGRATULATING CHARTER SCHOOLS
Mr. TIERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to
the resolution (H. Res. 1168) congratulating charter schools and their
students, parents, teachers, and administrators across the United
States for their ongoing contributions to education, and for other
purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 1168
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 40 States and the District of Columbia have passed
laws authorizing charter schools;
Whereas over 4,300 charter schools are now serving
approximately 1,200,000 children;
Whereas over the last 14 years, Congress has provided over
$2,262,257,000 in support to
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the charter school movement through startup financing
assistance and grants for planning, implementation, and
dissemination;
Whereas over 365,000 children are on charter school waiting
lists nationally;
Whereas charter schools improve their students' achievement
and can 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 must continually demonstrate their
ongoing success to parents, policymakers, and their
communities, some charter schools routinely measure parental
satisfaction levels, and all give parents new freedom to
choose their public school;
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 ninth annual National Charter Schools Week, to
be held May 5 through May 9, 2008, 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 the House of Representatives--
(1) 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) supports the ninth annual National Charter Schools
Week; and
(3) joins the President in 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.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Massachusetts (Mr. Tierney) and the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr.
Boustany) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Massachusetts.
General Leave
Mr. TIERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which
Members may insert material relevant to H. Res. 1168 into the Record.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Massachusetts?
There was no objection.
Mr. TIERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, this measure supports the designation of May 5 to May 9,
2008, as National Charter Schools Week and recognizes the growing
charter school movement in our Nation.
Since their inception in 1991, charter schools have grown by leaps
and bounds to address various needs of our Nation's public school
students. Diverse charter schools across the country offer innovative
instruction.
With site-based control and flexibility, charter schools can make
timely decisions about how to structure the school day, which
curriculum best suits the needs of their students and, additionally,
charter schools may form important partnerships with parents and the
surrounding community.
This week charter schools across the country will celebrate the ninth
annual National Charter Schools Week. This year's theme, ``Growing
Excellence,'' encourages charter schools to share their successes as
part of the effort to reform public education in our country.
Today there are almost 4,300 public charter schools operating in 40
States. Their combined force serves over 1.2 million students, and 61
percent of charter schools report significant waiting lists. These
waiting lists of nearly 365,000 students nationally are enough to fill
over 1,100 new charter schools. Between 300 and 400 new public charter
schools open each year, and nearly 150,000 new students enroll in
charter schools annually.
The growing charter school movement is said to be providing
opportunities for many historically underserved communities.
Nationally, it is said that charter schools disproportionately serve
minority and low-income students. It is reported that 58 percent of
charter school students are minorities, and 52 percent qualify for free
and reduced-price lunch, and many charter schools are able to achieve
impressive academic results.
H. Res. 1168 expresses support for National Charter Schools Week and
recognizes the charter school movement's 16-year history providing
public education options based on innovation, flexibility and community
partnerships.
The committee urges our colleagues to pass this resolution.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BOUSTANY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1168,
congratulating charter schools and their students, parents, teachers
and administrators across the United States for their ongoing
contributions to education.
This week has been designated as the ninth annual National Charter
Schools Week, and it is entirely appropriate that we take a few minutes
to recognize the contributions that charter schools make every day in
the lives of millions of children. Charter schools are innovative
public schools with a simple interest in providing a quality education
to children in their community. They explore new educational
approaches, such as longer school days or an extended school year, and
are free from most rules and regulations governing conventional public
schools. Every day, however, charter schools face unarguable facts of
free-market pressures.
{time} 1530
Unlike traditional public schools, charter schools must demonstrate
the success of their students' academic achievements to parents,
policymakers, and their communities or they face closure. From the time
the first charter school opened its doors, they have risen to the
challenge.
For example, charter schools made an important contribution to
rebuild and strengthen Louisiana after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita,
particularly in New Orleans.
More often than not, charter schools meet the student achievement and
accountability requirements under No Child Left Behind in the same
manner as traditional public schools, but often set higher individual
goals to ensure that they are of high quality and truly accountable to
the public. Yet despite these innovative approaches and promising
reports of parental satisfaction, charter schools across the country
have struggled through a myriad of obstacles to create successful
schools.
We should support the $272.6 million included in the President's
fiscal year 2009 budget request for the public charter school programs
authorized under No Child Left Behind. These programs provide key
points in the development of charter schools, helping cover the
extraordinary costs of launching successful charters, disseminating
their successful innovations to other public schools, and providing
financial incentives to State governments and private lenders that help
enable schools to build and renovate facilities. These programs have
been a tremendous success helping to create public charter schools all
across the country that work to improve academic achievement for low-
income students.
It is my hope that the charter community will continue to build on
its 15-year history of providing a high-quality option in public
education that is based on innovation, freedom from red tape, and
partnership between parents and educators, an option that is giving new
hope to disadvantaged and minority families across the country.
I urge my colleagues to support the resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back
the balance of my time.
Mr. TIERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Tierney) that the House suspend the
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1168, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. BONNER. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a
quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not
present.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
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Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.
The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.
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