[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 64 (Tuesday, May 8, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Page S2986]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        CONGRATULATING CHARTER SCHOOLS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES

  Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 447, submitted early today.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 447) congratulating the students, 
     parents, teachers, and administrators of charter schools 
     across the United States for ongoing contributions to 
     education, and supporting the ideals and goals of the 13th 
     annual National Charter Schools Week, to be held May 6 
     through May 12, 2012.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to 
reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or 
debate, and any statements related to the resolution be printed in the 
Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 447) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 447

       Whereas charter schools deliver high-quality public 
     education and challenge all students to reach their 
     potential;
       Whereas charter schools promote innovation and excellence 
     in public education;
       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--
       (1) respond to the needs of communities, families, and 
     students in the United States; and
       (2) promote the principles of quality, accountability, 
     choice, and innovation;
       Whereas, in exchange for flexibility and autonomy, charter 
     schools are held accountable by their sponsors for improving 
     student achievement and for the financial and other 
     operations of the charter schools;
       Whereas 40 States, the District of Columbia, and Guam have 
     passed laws authorizing charter schools;
       Whereas, as of the date of approval of this resolution, 
     5,275 charter schools are serving more than 2,000,000 
     children;
       Whereas in fiscal year 2011 and the 18 previous fiscal 
     years, Congress has provided a total of more than 
     $3,000,000,000 in financial assistance to the charter school 
     movement through grants for planning, startup, 
     implementation, dissemination, and facilities;
       Whereas numerous charter schools improve the achievements 
     of students and stimulate improvement in traditional public 
     schools;
       Whereas charter schools are required to meet the student 
     achievement accountability requirements under the Elementary 
     and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.) 
     in the same manner as traditional public schools;
       Whereas charter schools often set higher and additional 
     individual goals than the requirements of the Elementary and 
     Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.) to 
     ensure that charter schools are of high quality and truly 
     accountable to the public;
       Whereas charter schools--
       (1) give parents the freedom to choose public schools;
       (2) routinely measure parental satisfaction levels; and
       (3) must prove their ongoing success to parents, 
     policymakers, and the communities served by the charter 
     schools;
       Whereas more than 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 more than 1,100 
     average-sized charter schools; and
       Whereas the 13th annual National Charter Schools Week is 
     scheduled to be held May 6 through May 12, 2012: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) congratulates the students, parents, teachers, and 
     administrators of charter schools across the United States 
     for--
       (A) ongoing contributions to education;
       (B) the impressive strides made in closing the persistent 
     academic achievement gap in the United States; and
       (C) improving and strengthening the public school system in 
     the United States;
       (2) supports the ideals and goals of the 13th annual 
     National Charter Schools Week, a week-long celebration to be 
     held May 6 through May 12, 2012, in communities throughout 
     the United States; and
       (3) encourages the people of the United States to hold 
     appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities during 
     National Charter Schools Week to demonstrate support for 
     charter schools.

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