[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 67 (Thursday, May 6, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E786]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      NATIONAL CHARTER SCHOOL WEEK

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Wednesday, May 5, 2010

  Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I stand before you today in 
support of H. Res. 1149, ``Supporting the goals and ideals of National 
Charter Schools Week, to be held May 2 through May 8, 2010''. I would 
like to begin by thanking my colleague Rep. Bishop for introducing this 
resolution in the House, as quality education should be at the top of 
our priorities list. I urge my colleagues to support and acknowledge 
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.
  Charter school programs such as Yes Prep, Harmony, WALIPP, and KIPP 
deliver high-quality education, challenge our students to reach their 
potential throughout the United States, and provide thousands of 
families with diverse and innovative educational options for their 
children. Charter schools improve their students' achievement and can 
stimulate improvement in traditional public schools as well. These 
unique, public schools are authorized by a designated public entity 
that is responding to the needs of our communities, families, and 
students and promoting the principles of quality, choice, and 
innovation.
  Charter schools take a revolutionary approach in educating our 
nation's students. Today, roughly 4,700 charter schools are now serving 
approximately 1,400,000 children in 40 states plus the District of 
Columbia and Puerto Rico this year. Charter schools continually 
demonstrate their ongoing success to parents, policymakers, and their 
communities. Some charter schools even routinely measure parental 
satisfaction levels while all give parents new freedom to choose their 
public school.
  Charter schools nationwide serve a higher percentage of low-income 
and minority students than the traditional public system and deliver a 
high quality education. Chartering is a radical educational innovation 
that is moving states beyond reforming existing schools to creating 
something entirely new. Chartering is at the center of a growing 
movement to challenge traditional notions of what public education 
means.
  Charter schools have demonstrated their commitment to high academic 
standards, small class sizes, innovative approaches and educational 
philosophies. Many parents choose charter schools for their small size 
and associated safety as charter schools serve an average of 250 
students.
  I am pleased that over the last 15 years, Congress has provided 
substantial support to the charter school movement through startup 
financing assistance and grants for planning, implementation, and 
dissemination. In addition, these schools have enjoyed broad bipartisan 
support from the administration, Congress, State Governors and 
legislatures, educators, and parents across the United States.
  The intention of most charter school legislation is to: increase 
opportunities for learning and access to quality education for all 
students, create choice for parents and students within the public 
school system, provide a system of accountability for results in public 
education, encourage innovative teaching practices, create new 
professional opportunities for teachers, encourage community and parent 
involvement in public education, and leverage improved public education 
broadly.
  Competition from charter schools has been shown to increase composite 
test scores in traditional district schools. Furthermore, twice as many 
registered voters favor charter schools as oppose them. The more people 
learn about charter schools, the more they like them. Congress must 
lend its support to these schools and their goals, especially since on 
average, the funding gap between charter schools and traditional 
schools is 22 percent, or $1,800 per pupil. The average charter school 
ends up with a total funding shortfall of nearly half a million 
dollars. Yet, 12 studies find that overall gains in charter schools are 
larger than other public schools; four find charter schools' gains 
higher in certain significant categories of schools and six find 
comparable gains to traditional schools. I ask my colleagues for their 
continued support of charter schools and urge them to support this 
resolution.

                          ____________________