[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 85 (Thursday, May 16, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S3760]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





SENATE RESOLUTION 699--CONGRATULATING THE STUDENTS, PARENTS, TEACHERS, 
  AND LEADERS OF CHARTER SCHOOLS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES FOR MAKING 
ONGOING CONTRIBUTIONS TO EDUCATION AND SUPPORTING THE IDEALS AND GOALS 
  OF THE 25TH ANNUAL NATIONAL CHARTER SCHOOLS WEEK, TO BE HELD MAY 12 
                          THROUGH MAY 18, 2024

  Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina (for himself, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Cassidy, 
Mr. Johnson, Mr. Risch, Mr. Crapo, Mrs. Hyde-Smith, Mr. Hickenlooper, 
Mr. Hagerty, Mr. Tillis, Mr. Tuberville, Mr. Carper, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. 
Cramer, Mr. Cruz, Mr. Rubio, Ms. Hassan, Mr. McConnell, Mrs. Britt, Mr. 
Booker, Mr. Braun, and Mrs. Blackburn) submitted the following 
resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 699

       Whereas charter schools are public schools that do not 
     charge tuition and enroll any student who wants to attend, 
     often through a random lottery when the demand for enrollment 
     is outmatched by the supply of available charter school 
     seats;
       Whereas high-performing public charter schools deliver a 
     high-quality public education and challenge all students to 
     reach their potential for academic success;
       Whereas high-quality public charter schools promote 
     innovation and excellence in public education;
       Whereas public charter schools throughout the United States 
     provide millions of families with diverse and innovative 
     educational options for the children of those families;
       Whereas high-performing public charter schools and charter 
     management organizations are increasing student achievement 
     and attendance rates at institutions of higher education;
       Whereas public charter schools are authorized by a 
     designated entity and--
       (1) respond to the needs of communities, families, and 
     students in the United States; and
       (2) promote the principles of quality, accountability, 
     choice, high-performance, and innovation;
       Whereas, in exchange for flexibility and autonomy, public 
     charter schools are held accountable by the authorizers of 
     the public charter schools for improving student achievement 
     and for sound financial and operational management;
       Whereas public 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 public charter schools often set high expectations 
     for students to ensure that the public charter schools are of 
     high quality and truly accountable to the public;
       Whereas 45 States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and 
     Puerto Rico have public charter schools;
       Whereas, as of the 2021 to 2022 school year, approximately 
     8,000 public charter schools served approximately 3,700,000 
     children in the United States;
       Whereas enrollment in public charter schools grew from 
     660,000 students in 2002, to 3,700,000 students in 2021, a 
     more than five-fold increase in 20 years;
       Whereas in the United States--
       (1) in 270 school districts, more than 10 percent of public 
     school students are enrolled in public charter schools; and
       (2) in at least 26 school districts, at least 30 percent of 
     public school students are enrolled in public charter 
     schools;
       Whereas high-quality public charter schools improve the 
     achievement of students enrolled in the charter schools and 
     collaborate with traditional public schools to improve public 
     education for all students;
       Whereas public charter schools--
       (1) give parents the freedom to choose public schools;
       (2) routinely measure parental satisfaction levels; and
       (3) must prove the ongoing success of the charter schools 
     to parents, policymakers, and the communities served by the 
     charter schools or risk closure;
       Whereas a 2023 report from the Center for Research on 
     Education Outcomes at Stanford University found significant 
     improvements for students from low-income backgrounds in 
     public charter schools, and when compared to peers in 
     traditional public schools, each year, those students 
     completed the equivalent of 16 more days of learning in 
     reading and 6 more days of learning in math; and
       Whereas the 25th Annual National Charter Schools Week is 
     scheduled to be celebrated the week of May 12 through May 18, 
     2024: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) congratulates the students, families, teachers, 
     leaders, and staff of public charter schools across the 
     United States for--
       (A) making ongoing contributions to public education;
       (B) making impressive strides in closing the academic 
     achievement gap in schools in the United States, particularly 
     in schools with some of the most disadvantaged students in 
     both rural and urban communities; and
       (C) improving and strengthening the public school system 
     throughout the United States;
       (2) supports the ideals and goals of the 25th Annual 
     National Charter Schools Week, a week-long celebration to be 
     held May 12 through May 18, 2024, 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 
     high-quality public charter schools.

                          ____________________