[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 76 (Thursday, May 8, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3980-S3981]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    SENATE RESOLUTION 556--CONGRATULATING CHARTER SCHOOLS AND THEIR 
   STUDENTS, PARENTS, TEACHERS, AND ADMINISTRATORS ACROSS THE UNITED 
  STATES FOR THEIR ONGOING CONTRIBUTIONS TO EDUCATION, AND FOR OTHER 
                               PURPOSES.

  Ms. LANDRIEU (for herself, Mr. Alexander, Mr. Lieberman, Mr. Burr, 
Mr. Vitter, Mr. Gregg, Mr. Sununu, Mr. Allard, Mr. Isakson, and Mr. 
Carper) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and 
agreed to:

                              S. Res. 556

       Whereas charter schools deliver high-quality education and 
     challenge all 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 more than 4,300 charter schools are now operating 
     in 40 States and the District of Columbia, serving more than 
     1,200,000 students;
       Whereas, over the last 14 years, Congress has provided over 
     $2,237,256,000 in support to the charter school movement 
     through facilities financing assistance and grants for 
     planning, startup, implementation, and dissemination;
       Whereas many 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 schools, routinely measure parental satisfaction 
     levels, and must prove their ongoing success to parents, 
     policymakers, and their communities;
       Whereas over 50 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 1,100 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 President,

[[Page S3981]]

     Congress, State Governors and legislatures, educators, and 
     parents across the United States; and
       Whereas the 9th 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 Senate--
       (1) acknowledges and commends charter schools and their 
     students, parents, teachers, and administrators across the 
     United States for their ongoing contributions to education, 
     especially their impressive results closing America's 
     persistent achievement gap, and improving and strengthening 
     our public school system.
       (2) supports the ideas and goals of the 9th annual National 
     Charter Schools Week; and
       (3) encourages 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.

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