[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 66 (Wednesday, May 5, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H3150-H3152]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
NATIONAL CHARTER SCHOOL WEEK
Ms. CHU. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the
resolution (H. Res. 1149) supporting the goals and ideals of National
Charter School Week, to be held May 2 through May 8, 2010.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 1149
Whereas charter schools deliver high-quality education and
challenge our students to reach their potential;
Whereas charter schools promote innovation and excellence
in public education;
Whereas charter schools provide hundreds of 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 39 States, the District of Columbia, and Guam have
passed laws authorizing charter schools;
Whereas 4,956 charter schools, an increase of 292 schools
from last school year, are now serving almost 1,500,000
children;
Whereas over the last 16 years, Congress has provided
substantial support to the charter school movement through
startup grants for planning, implementation, and
dissemination of charter schools;
Whereas over 365,000 children are on charter school waiting
lists nationally;
Whereas charter schools improve their students' achievement
and often 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 11th annual National Charter Schools Week, to
be held May 2 through May 8, 2010, 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) supports the goals and ideals of the 11th annual
National Charter Schools Week;
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(2) 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; and
(3) calls 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 gentlewoman from
California (Ms. Chu) and the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Bishop) each will
control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from California.
General Leave
Ms. CHU. Madam Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which
Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on House
Resolution 1149 into the Record.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from California?
There was no objection.
Ms. CHU. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1149, a
resolution in support of the goals and ideals of National Charter
School Week from May 2 through May 8, 2010, and to recognize the
growing charter school movement in our Nation.
Since their inception in 1991, charter schools have offered a
competitive education to many of our Nation's public school students
and have helped drive school reforms across the country. Charter
schools across the United States support diverse and innovative
instruction and learning models. With autonomy and flexibility, charter
schools can make timely decisions about how to structure the school
day, which curricula best suits the needs of their students, and which
types of staff will enrich the school communities. Additionally,
quality charter schools form important partnerships with parents and
with their surrounding communities.
This week, charter schools across the country will celebrate the 11th
annual National Charter School Week. It is a great time to highlight
the role these schools serve in driving education innovation and
reform.
Today, there are almost 5,000 public charter schools, which are
operating in 39 States and in the District of Columbia. They serve more
than 1.5 million students, with many more students on waiting lists. To
address this demand, many States and districts are welcoming charters
to their neighborhoods. With the start of the school year, over 400 new
public charter schools opened their doors to nearly 170,000 new
students.
The growing charter school movement is also providing opportunities
for many historically underserved communities. Nationally, charter
schools serve a high percentage of minority and low-income students. In
fact, 58 percent of charter school students are minorities, and 35
percent qualify for free and reduced priced lunches. Quality charter
schools are often able to achieve impressive academic results.
Madam Speaker, once again, I express my support for National Charter
School Week, and I recognize the charter school movement and its 18-
year history of promoting a high-quality public educational option--an
option that is innovative, flexible, and responsive to community needs.
I thank Representative Bishop for introducing this resolution, and I
urge my colleagues to support this bill.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BISHOP of Utah. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, as you know, it is very difficult for me to speak
without chalk in my hand at any given time.
Today, I rise to support House Resolution 1149, supporting the goals
and ideals of National Charter School Week, which is being held now.
Actually, it runs from May 2 through May 8 of this year. This week has
been designated as the 11th annual Charter School Week.
Charter schools are innovative public schools that have unique
freedoms and responsibilities. They explore new educational approaches,
and they are free from some rules and regulations governing traditional
public schools. In exchange for this freedom, charter schools are held
to a higher level of accountability than traditional public schools
might be.
Charter schools must demonstrate the success of their students'
academic achievements to parents, to policymakers, to authorizers, and
to their communities or face closure. Many charter schools have met and
have exceeded in this challenge. Most charter schools meet necessary
student achievement and accountability requirements, and they often set
higher individual goals to ensure that they are of high quality and are
truly accountable to the public. However, despite these innovative
approaches and promising reports of parental satisfaction, charter
schools often face unique and unusual obstacles in creating and
replicating successful schools.
One such obstacle is State caps, which limit their growth. Twenty-six
States and the District of Columbia have some type of limit, or cap, on
charter school growth. Most caps restrict the number of charter schools
allowed. Others limit the number of students that a single school may
serve. These caps prohibit effective charter schools from being created
and replicated and, thereby, from serving students in need, oftentimes
in niche needs.
It is essential that Congress continues to support public charter
school programs and that it continues to recognize the unique
attributes and benefits of charter schools. These programs provide
support for the development of charter schools. These programs have
helped to create a public charter school system all across this
country--schools that work to improve academic achievement, oftentimes
for low-income students.
It is important that the charter community is able to continue to
provide a high-quality option based on innovation, on freedom from red
tape, and on partnerships between parents and educators and that it is
able to continue to give hope, oftentimes to disadvantaged and at-risk
students across this Nation.
It is, indeed, one of those good things that we are doing in our
school system, and I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res.
1149 which recognizes the important impact charter schools have on
students across the nation who attend them.
Charter schools have been one of the fastest-growing innovative
forces in education policy. In the past 4 years, 1,600 new charter
schools opened and 500,000 additional public school students chose to
enroll in charter schools nationwide.
In my home state of New Jersey, 68 approved charter schools serve
more than 22,000 students in pre-kindergarten through grade 12. These
schools, through creative solutions and selfless dedication, provide an
invaluable service to children caught in failing public school systems.
I have been a longtime advocate of school choice. Giving parents
options for their child's education not only helps to better educate
students, but can also help to build stronger, more prosperous
communities. As incubators of innovation in education, charter schools
challenge other schools to do better.
Not every child in America is fortunate enough to attend a high
performing public school or has the means to afford a first-rate
private or parochial education. And, we all know the story of many
failing public schools across the nation: Low graduation rates. High
dropout rates. Low mathematics and reading scores. Charter schools,
school vouchers and other programs that give families a choice in their
child's education have and will continue to make a significant and
positive impact on those statistics.
We can no longer be distracted by the ideological battles surrounding
educational choice and competition while children graduate without the
skills to succeed here at home, or even less so in our global economy.
Madam speaker, I close today in appreciation for the teachers and
students of charter schools, and the communities and private donors
that support them, for their contributions and achievements and I
encourage my colleagues to do the same.
Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my
time.
Ms. CHU. Madam Speaker, I urge passage of House Resolution 1149, and
I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Chu) that the House suspend the rules
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1149.
[[Page H3152]]
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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