[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 6]
[House]
[Pages 8399-8404]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   CONGRATULATING CHARTER SCHOOLS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES FOR THEIR 
                       CONTRIBUTIONS TO EDUCATION

  Mr. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 218) congratulating charter schools and their 
students, parents, teachers, and administrators across the United 
States for their ongoing contributions to education, and for other 
purposes.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                              H. Res. 218

       Whereas charter schools deliver high-quality education and 
     challenge our students to reach their potential;
       Whereas charter schools provide thousands of our families 
     with diverse and innovative educational options for their 
     children;
       Whereas charter schools are public schools authorized by a 
     designated public entity and are responding to the needs of 
     our communities, families, and students and are 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 41 States, the District of Columbia, and the 
     Commonwealth of Puerto Rico have passed laws authorizing 
     charter schools;
       Whereas nearly 3,300 charter schools are now operating in 
     40 States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of 
     Puerto Rico and are serving approximately 900,000 students;
       Whereas over the last 10 years, Congress has provided more 
     than $1,500,000,000 in support to the charter school movement 
     through facilities' financing assistance and grants for 
     planning, startup, implementation, and dissemination;
       Whereas charter schools improve their students' achievement 
     and stimulate improvement in traditional public schools;
       Whereas charter schools must meet the student achievement 
     accountability requirements included by the No Child Left 
     Behind Act of 2001, and contained in 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 school, charter schools routinely measure 
     parental satisfaction levels, and charter schools must prove 
     their ongoing success to parents, policymakers, and their 
     communities;
       Whereas nearly 40 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 1,000 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 Administration, the Congress, State 
     Governors and legislatures, educators, and parents across the 
     United States; and
       Whereas the sixth annual National Charter Schools Week, to 
     be held May 1 to 7, 2005, 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--
       (1) the House of Representatives 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 
     the public school system of the United States;
       (2) the House of Representatives supports the sixth annual 
     National Charter Schools Week; and
       (3) it is the sense of the House of Representatives that 
     the President should issue a proclamation calling on 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.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Nevada (Mr. Porter) and the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Kildee) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Porter).


                             General Leave

  Mr. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
on H. Res. 218.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Nevada?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 218. This resolution 
honors our Nation's charter schools and the students, parents, 
teachers, administrators and other individuals involved for their hard 
work and dedication to providing a quality public education.
  This week, May 1 through May 7, has been designated National Charter 
Schools Week. During this week, charter school organizations and others 
around the United States recognize these schools for their continued 
contributions to education. The Nation's charter schools deliver high-
quality education and challenge students to reach their potential.
  Forty-one States, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, have 
passed laws authorizing charter schools. Since the first charter school 
law was passed in 1991, almost 3,300 charter schools now serve nearly 
900,000 students in 40 States, the District of Columbia and Puerto 
Rico.
  Specifically, I am pleased to honor the 19 charter schools in the 
State of Nevada that serve nearly 4,500 students. Nevada first passed 
charter school legislation in 1997. As a co-sponsor of that 
legislation, our first charter school opened in 1998 and in 1999 school 
year.
  The State charter school legislation was revised in 1999, lending 
teachers more room for creativity and allowing charter schools the 
ability to offer an extended school day as well as an extended school 
year.
  In my own community, the Andre Agassi College Prepatory Academy 
serves as a model for other charter schools across the Nation. Designed 
to enhance a child's character, respect, motivation and self-
discipline, Agassi Prep, as the school has been nicknamed, was created 
specifically to improve skill levels and combat lowered academic 
expectations among the community's most challenged children.
  Advanced technology, smaller class sizes, and extended school hours 
are

[[Page 8400]]

just some of practices that Agassi Prep utilizes to achieve a higher 
standard of education.
  I commend the charter schools in the State of Nevada and across this 
great Nation for recognizing the immense need for improved education 
and for their commitment to improving student achievement for students 
who attend these schools.
  At charter schools nationwide, almost half of the students are 
considered at-risk or are former dropouts. Charter schools serve a 
significant number of minority students, students with disabilities, 
and students from lower income families.
  These schools give opportunity and freedom to students and parents 
who otherwise not might not have had the chance to receive a quality 
education.
  Nearly 40 percent of charter schools report having a waiting list. 
And the total number of students on all such waiting lists is enough to 
fill another 1,000 average-sized charter schools. By allowing parents 
and students to choose their public schools, charter schools can 
stimulate change and benefit all public students.
  In exchange for flexibility and autonomy, public charter schools are 
held accountable by their sponsors for improving student achievement 
and for their administration.
  Charter schools respond to the needs of America's communities 
families and students while promoting the principles of quality, 
choice, and innovation.
  Charter schools must meet the same No Child Left Behind student 
achievement accountability requirements as other public schools and 
often set higher and additional individual goals to ensure that they 
are all high quality and truly accountable to the public.
  According to the Center for Education Reform, as many as 15 studies 
find that students who frequently enter charters significantly are 
below the normal grade level. These students then achieve the same or 
even higher gains as compared to their surrounding district's 
demographically-compared schools, or even the State average.
  A report from America's Charter School Finance Corporation called 
``Take Me on a Reading Adventure,'' cites research from several States 
that shows greater gains and/or higher scores in reading for charter 
schools as compared to their traditional school peers.
  Charter schools have enjoyed broad bipartisan support from the 
administration, the Congress, State governors and legislators, 
educators and parents across the Nation. The Sixth Annual National 
Charter School Week held this week, May 1 through May 7, 2005, 
recognizes the significant impacts, achievements and innovations of our 
Nation's charter schools.
  Through this resolution, Congress today acknowledges and commends the 
charter school movement and charter schools' students, teachers, 
parents, and administrators across the United States for their ongoing 
contributions to education and improving and strengthening our Nation's 
public schools.
  I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H. Res. 218 discusses the impact which charter schools 
are having on our educational system. Charter schools, while relatively 
new, like all public schools, have continued to garner both accolades 
and criticism for role they play.
  Recent studies by the American Federation of Teachers and the 
Economic Policy Institute have raised questions about whether charter 
schools are outperforming traditional public schools. These studies 
have generated a great deal of debate from both detractors and 
supporters of charter schools.
  The one thing that does seem clear is that charter schools on the 
aggregate are not performing on the level most hoped they would. 
Regardless of whether you are a supporter of charter schools, we can 
all agree on the importance of a strong public school system. This 
system, including charter schools, continues to educate ninety percent 
of American students. Our public schools must have the resources and 
the focus on quality to ensure that our children get the best education 
possible regardless of race, ethnicity, disability, status or whether 
they can speak English.
  It is our public school system that I rise to support today.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio 
(Mr. Boehner) and chairman of the committee.
  Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 218, to 
recognize charter schools and their students, parents, teachers and 
administrators across the United States for their ongoing contributions 
to education.
  This week is the Sixth Annual National Charter Schools Week and a 
great opportunity for Congress to honor charter schools and those 
involved in the role they play in reforming and improving our Nation's 
public education system.

                              {time}  1430

  Charter schools are public schools that agree to improved academic 
achievement and accountability in financial and other operations, in 
exchange for increased flexibility and independence. Greater autonomy 
allows charter schools to focus on increasing academic achievement for 
individual students, rather than complying with bureaucratic paperwork.
  Charter schools are subject to all the same No Child Left Behind 
achievement goals as other public schools, but with greater flexibility 
in how they improve student success. Increased flexibility allows 
charter schools to use varied educational methods and techniques while 
accounting for results.
  Almost 3,300 charter schools serve around 900,000 students in 40 
States, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico; and nearly 40 percent of 
these charter schools have waiting lists.
  Charter schools are adept at meeting the specific needs of the local 
communities in which they are located and are particularly devoted to 
serving low-income communities. Nationwide, almost half of charter 
schools serve students considered at-risk or who have previously 
dropped out of school. Charter school students share similar 
demographic characteristics with students in all public schools, and 
charter schools serve significant numbers of students from low-income 
families, minority students, and students with disabilities.
  Because charter schools often serve students with limited access to 
educational options, these innovative public schools allow many parents 
and students freedom of choice that otherwise would not be available. 
And studies show that the increase in educational options, including 
access to charter schools, is improving outcomes for students.
  According to the Center for Education Reform, 15 studies show that 
students frequently enter charter schools significantly below grade 
level. These students will then progress at or above the gains being 
made in surrounding districts, demographically comparable schools, or 
at the State average.
  In December, Harvard University released a comprehensive, long-term 
study comparing student academic achievement at charter schools and 
traditional public schools, and I will enter the executive summary of 
that report in the Record at this point and share just one of the most 
compelling facts.

Achievement in Charter Schools and Regular Public Schools in the United 
                 States: Understanding the Differences

                         (By Caroline M. Hoxby)


                                abstract

       This study compares the reading and mathematics proficiency 
     of charter school students to that of their fellow students 
     in neighboring public schools. Ninety-nine percent of all 
     elementary students in charter schools are included in the 
     study. The charter schools are compared to the schools that 
     their students would most likely otherwise attend: the 
     nearest regular public school with a similar racial 
     composition (the ``matched'' school). Compared to students in 
     the matched regular public school, charter

[[Page 8401]]

     students are 5.2 percent more likely to be proficient in 
     reading and 3.2 percent more likely to be proficient in math 
     on their state's exams. Students in charter schools that have 
     been in operation longer are more likely to have a 
     proficiency advantage over their peers in the matched regular 
     public school. In reading, the advantage is 2.5 percent for a 
     charter school that has been operating 1 to 4 years, 5.2 
     percent for a school operating 5 to 8 years, and 10.1 percent 
     for a school operating 9 to 11 years. Also, charter school 
     students are more likely to have a proficiency advantage if 
     their school has funding that is at least forty percent of 
     that enjoyed by regular public schools. The results suggest 
     that charter schools are especially likely to raise the 
     achievement of students who are poor or Hispanic.


                          executive secretary

       This study compares the reading and mathematics proficiency 
     of charter school students in the United States to that of 
     their fellow students in neighboring public schools. Because 
     charter schools are public entities, their students take 
     state exams. Thus, this study is based on schools that enroll 
     approximately 99 percent of elementary students who attend 
     charter schools. The charter schools are compared to the 
     schools that their students would most likely otherwise 
     attend: the nearest regular public school with a similar 
     racial composition (the ``matched'' school).
       Compared to students in the matched public school, charter 
     students are 5.2 percent more likely to be proficient in 
     reading and 3.2 percent more likely to be proficient in math 
     on their state's exams. Charter schools that have been in 
     operation longer have a greater proficiency advantage over 
     the matched public schools. For example, in reading, the 
     advantage is 2.5 percent for a charter school that has been 
     operating 1 to 4 years, 5.2 percent for a school operating 5 
     to 8 years, and 10.1 percent for a school operating 9 to 11 
     years.
       The results show that charter schools are especially likely 
     to raise the achievement of students who are poor or 
     Hispanic. This is a useful finding because charter schools 
     serve students who are disproportionately likely to be 
     minorities or poor.
       Charter school students are more likely to have a 
     proficiency advantage if their state has a strong charter 
     school law that gives the schools autonomy and that ensures 
     that charter schools get funding equal to at least 40 percent 
     of the total per-pupil funding of regular public schools.
       In states where charter schools are well-established, 
     charter school students' advantage in proficiency tends to be 
     greater. For instance, in Arizona, fourth grade charter 
     students are about 10 percent more likely to be proficient in 
     reading and math than students in the matched regular public 
     schools. In California, the corresponding proficiency 
     advantages are 9 percent in reading and 5 percent in math. In 
     Colorado, the corresponding proficiency advantages are 12 
     percent in reading and 14 percent in math.
       North Carolina is the only state in which charter students' 
     proficiency is statistically significantly lower, by 4 
     percent, in both reading and math, compared to students in 
     the nearest public school. In addition, Texas' charter 
     students appear to be statistically significantly less 
     proficient in math (not reading).
       By adjusting for schools that serve at-risk students, the 
     study focuses on regular charter schools that are expected to 
     meet the same standards as traditional public schools. The 
     study's ``matching'' method compares charter schools to 
     public schools that are likely to share the same 
     neighborhood, same economic conditions, and the same 
     population of students and parents. The selection of a 
     neighboring public school as the point of comparison ensures 
     that the groups of students being compared are as similar as 
     possible. It is also likely that the public school selected 
     for comparison was the school that most of the charter school 
     students would have attended, had there been no charter 
     school.
       A national study like this one is useful because it is 
     comprehensive. Nevertheless, it is useful to complement 
     studies like this one with studies based on randomization. 
     Because many charter schools have more applicants than 
     places, they routinely hold lotteries, which allow 
     scientific, random assignment studies to be conducted. The 
     key advantage of randomization-based studies is that the 
     charter school students and regular public school students 
     are comparable not only in terms of race, ethnicity, and 
     income, but also on subtle dimensions like motivation and 
     aptitude. Multiple studies based on randomization are 
     underway. The first such study (Hoxby and Rockoff 2004) finds 
     that a large system of Chicago charter schools raised math 
     and reading scores by about 6 percentiles among students who 
     entered in grade 5 or below.
       Because charter schools enroll only 1.5 percent of 
     students, it is important to include nearly all of them in a 
     study. Results based on only a small sample of charter school 
     students (for instance, studies that rely on the 3 percent 
     sample of the National Assessment of Educational Progress) 
     cannot be used to draw conclusions about states' charter 
     school policies. A study that relies on a 3 percent sample of 
     1.5 percent of American students is a study based on only 
     0.045 percent of students. In contrast, this study uses data 
     that are sufficient for detailed investigations of charter 
     school students' proficiency, nationwide.

  The study, completed by Harvard economics professor Caroline Hoxby, 
found charter schools overall are more likely to raise the academic 
achievement of students who are poor or minority, and show a larger 
effect on reading and math proficiency when they operate in areas that 
have a high percentage of students who are poor, African American, or 
Hispanic. Charter schools serve the very students who need help the 
most, and they are getting results.
  Charter schools have benefited from a strong degree of bipartisan 
support at the local, State, and national levels. This was evidenced in 
2001 by the efforts of both Republicans and Democrats in Congress to 
expand access to charter schools through the bipartisan No Child Left 
Behind Act. In the last 10 years, Congress has provided $1.5 billion to 
support charter schools through facilities' financing assistance and 
grants for planning, startup, implementation, and dissemination.
  Through this resolution honoring National Charter Schools Week, 
Congress is recognizing the continued success demonstrated by charter 
schools and acknowledging the benefits that charter schools provide to 
our local communities. Charter schools provide parents with a wider 
variety of educational choices. This not only helps the students who 
attend those charter schools but also helps to take some of the 
pressure off traditional public schools that might be struggling to 
improve.
  I want to thank my colleague, the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Porter), 
for introducing this resolution and urge my colleagues to join me in 
strong support for our Nation's charter schools.
  Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the 
gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton).
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Michigan for 
yielding me time, and I thank him and I thank the gentleman from Nevada 
for bringing this resolution in support of charter schools to the 
floor.
  Mr. Speaker, charter schools are one of the most innovative 
developments in the history of public education in our country, and 
they came from the bottom up. They have not developed out of State 
governments or the like. They have come from searches within 
jurisdictions for all alternative public schools, and this is what they 
are.
  In the District of Columbia, we think of the charter schools as an 
alternative public school system because there are so many of them. We 
have 43 charter schools in this one city alone, and that is the largest 
number of charter schools per capita in the United States.
  Why are there so many charter schools? We feel strongly in the 
District of Columbia that public money must go to public schools, and 
it is understood that here and throughout the United States public 
schools which have to take every child are often overcrowded and 
underfunded, have had a very tough time making up for what particularly 
the most disadvantaged children do not bring to school. As a result, 
public schools in many jurisdictions show low scores for children in 
those schools.
  What is a parent to do? What parents increasingly do is look for a 
public alternative to their public schools. They want better schools, 
but the public is very clear that it wants public money for public 
schools. If we have any doubt about that, remember that even this House 
has never voted a voucher bill for, nor has the Senate, anywhere except 
for the District of Columbia where you can undemocratically do anything 
you want to do, but for everybody else they have listened to what 
people say and that is, yeah, we will punish you if one dime goes to 
anything but a publicly accountable public school.
  Looking for a way to deal with the fact that, yes, many public 
schools do not show the progress they should, it seems to me we have to 
look to the paradigm that the public itself has created, and those are 
charter schools.

[[Page 8402]]

There is no better place to begin than in the District of Columbia 
where people have simply voted with their feet. When they did not like 
their school, they have gone to a nearby charter school.
  They have advantages. They are not the advantage discussed in this 
resolution, where it says, whereas charter schools improve students' 
achievement. That is very controversial. I do not know whether they do 
or not. All I know is that there are studies that say that they do and 
studies that say they do not.
  I want to say to my goods friends on the other side who are with me 
in support of charter schools, our case does not rest on that. If my 
colleagues understood how difficult it was to deal with education in 
the inner city, they would understand that the fact that they come so 
close ought to be enough; that parents want them as an alternative; 
that they are small; that they are flexible; that they are in their 
neighborhoods; that sometimes they are specialized. That is enough.
  We have got a long way to go before we find the elixir for bringing 
particularly disadvantaged children to where they should be; but if we 
just look at what some of these schools in the District of Columbia, 
like just by some of their names, District of Columbia Bilingual 
School, that is totally a bilingual charter school.
  The SEED school, this is the first public live-in school in the 
District of Columbia. These children do not go home during the week. 
They do not go home at night. So they have money from us per capita 
from the school budget, and they raise other money; and these children 
actually live in a public charter school like a boarding school.
  There is the Marriott Hospitality Public Charter High School, where 
children, besides learning the general high school curriculum, also 
prepare themselves to go into the hospitality field, which is the most 
important industry in this region.
  Here is another one, the Washington Mathematics, Science and 
Technology School. And these are some of the reasons that parents have, 
in fact, sometimes chosen alternative schools here in the District of 
Columbia: the public school test scores are better. They are better and 
systematically better, but my colleagues do not see me here saying 
public schools are better because their scores are better.
  The fact is that each kind of school has broad benefits that parents 
have chosen and both kinds of schools are accountable to parents and to 
the public for the dollars spent.
  I do believe that they stimulate competition, unlike private schools 
which do not stimulate any competition at all. Private schools in the 
District of Columbia, which can take whatever children they want to or 
not, are no competition for the District of Columbia; but if there is a 
charter school in one's neighborhood, the principal will look to see 
what that charter school is doing.
  The superintendent today has announced a plan because there are a few 
charter schools that are very good and they must take every child, but 
there are a few charter schools that are very good about actually 
pairing those charter schools with some charter schools in their 
neighborhood which are not doing as well.
  With No Child Left Behind we have a problem we are seeing all over 
the country. You have got to find yourself a better school. Well, guess 
what. Those schools are all full so there is no place to transfer now. 
Everybody ought to wish for charter schools because there is a publicly 
accountable school with a public dollar that perhaps one can transfer 
to. They are opening fast, but not fast enough for us here.
  There is no real substitute in any civilized society for a public 
school system; but particularly when parents are not satisfied with 
their public schools, it does seem to me that charter schools offer the 
alternative and the only alternative we ought to fund.
  The District received the first Federal funds, first funds from this 
Congress for charter schools. That was when Speaker Gingrich was here. 
He knew that he profoundly opposed school vouchers. He worked with me 
on charter school funding for the District of Columbia. That paved the 
way for charter school funding which is now available to every State in 
the Union.
  We had mothers who went to schools with private school vouchers. The 
vouchers that this Congress mandated be paid for in the District of 
Columbia were fully paid for by private funds, but we said you do not 
have to pay for them. You have been raising money every year; we will 
pay for them. So we simply transferred public funds for the private 
funds which have been sending these same children to school.
  Well, the mothers came to me who had been going to school on the 
private funds, and I said you are my folks and I understand why you are 
looking for alternative schools. Tell me more. I wanted them to know 
why I opposed vouchers from public funds for private schools; and I was 
amazed at how many of them said, Congresswoman, we wanted to go to a 
charter school, but they were all full. So, look, we wanted a better 
school, and that is why they chose and were pleased to get these 
vouchers.
  Well, of course, I argued since charter schools are what the people 
of District of Columbia want, if you have got any extra money, 
Congress, please give it to us for charter schools. We said, oh, no, 
you are the District of Columbia; we can experiment on you. We can do 
anything undemocratically to do what we want to do, and we will do some 
undemocratic things to you that our people would punish us for doing if 
we did it to them.
  So now our folks are still hungry for even more charter schools, and 
we have got people going to private schools as well.
  I am going to put in the Record what our charter schools have done 
because each year we have a climbing up. This is how people vote. They 
vote with their feet. This is what a market system is about. Ask people 
what they want. This is what democracy is. Ask people what they want, 
and they will choose what they want. Do not impose on them what you 
want.
  In our city, since most of our Catholic schools which would be the 
alternative schools in the Northwest and most of our most deprived 
children are in the Southeast, the first year of the vouchers, we had 
most of the children in middle class and better schools, thank you very 
much. Then there was an outcry, which I can see, whether they can do 
any better this time. I can tell my colleagues it is very much harder 
to do better if you are from a very disadvantaged neighborhood in far 
Southeast and there is a Catholic school over here in this part of town 
and you have got a voucher to go there. That is not going to work in 
the District.
  What will work in the District is what the people in the District 
have embraced, and that is, if there is to be an alternative, let it be 
a publicly accountable school.
  The District of Columbia, unlike many jurisdictions, has absolutely 
eliminated charter schools that were not doing what they were supposed 
to do.

                              {time}  1445

  So we know what to do when they work. We know what to do when they do 
not work.
  I am pleased to see the spread of charter schools. I believe that 
every district has to decide for itself. In this region, for example, 
in Maryland and Virginia, where Republicans have the majority of the 
Congress, they cannot even get charter schools, and yet there are 
hundreds of thousands of poor Hispanic and black children who might 
decide that was a good alternative for them, not to mention the 
children elsewhere in those States, but they cannot even get charter 
schools, which are publicly accountable charter schools to be embraced 
in their districts. That is how much people in their districts want 
every public dollar to go to the public school system.
  When I argued that on this floor, they said, who do you think you 
are, somebody voted by the people or the District of Columbia? Well, we 
were not, but we are going to tell you what

[[Page 8403]]

to do with your schools. Well, we have led the way on what to do if 
your schools do not work. Designed, publicly accountable schools, which 
parents agree should be the alternative that they want.
  This is still America. This is still a democracy. Nothing is felt 
more deeply than who decides how a person's child will be educated. It 
was wrong for this Congress to decide for us rather than to decide on 
the alternative you now come to the floor to embrace.
  Mr. Speaker, I very much thank the gentleman for yielding me this 
time.
  Mr. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boehner).
  Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman once again 
yielding me this time, and I am glad that our friend from D.C. was here 
to honor the contributions of charter schools, because clearly here in 
D.C. charter schools have had a significant impact on providing 
educational opportunities for children who, in many cases, are stuck in 
some very, very bad schools.
  Now, I appreciate the support of the charter schools week resolution 
by my friend from D.C., but let me try to answer part of the charges 
that were outlined in terms of her opposition to other forms of school 
choice.
  We know that in our large urban centers, we have a difficult time 
educating low-income children who need our help the most. No place is 
more evident than right here in the District of Columbia, where we 
spend over $13,000 per student and have some of the worst schools in 
all of America. We have similar problems in other large urban districts 
and, clearly, charter schools have been an opportunity for some 
students to escape these dreadful schools and have a chance.
  All of us know that without a chance at a decent education, none of 
us would be here, but without a decent education, many of those 
children will never ever have a chance at the American dream. I have 
always believed if we are to reform education in America, if we are 
going to give every child and every parent of a child a chance at a 
good education, the way to do that is to provide more choices and more 
options for parents around the country so that they can choose schools 
that they believe are in their best interest.
  In some communities, charter schools might be the answer. Here in the 
District of Columbia, clearly they are growing. Dayton, Ohio, part of 
my congressional district, probably has more charter schools per capita 
than any large urban center in America. And it is providing a very good 
opportunity for students to escape the Dayton public schools and enter 
the charter school of their choice.
  But it should not be the only choice. There are a lot of parochial 
schools, private schools, Christian schools all over America that 
parents want to choose. We all know that if you have money, you have 
choice. Middle income, higher income, you have all the choice you want 
because you can get your child into the school you think is best for 
them. But if you are poor and you cannot move, you have no choice. And 
if there is not a charter school in your particular neighborhood, you 
do not have any choice. You are stuck, stuck and condemned to an 
education that will never help lift you out of poverty and never give 
you a chance at the American dream.
  That is why other forms of choice, I think, are important. That is 
why I and others were involved in helping the mayor here in the 
District of Columbia and other parents here in the District who wanted 
a scholarship program. We provided $15 million to help some low-income 
children get into a private school and it has helped. It has helped 
about 1,100 children here in the District in giving them another 
option. I think, frankly, it is a good option.
  I was at two of those schools this morning. I was at St. Francis 
DeSalles Elementary School, and I was at St. Anthony's Elementary 
School, both over in the northeast part of town; and both schools, part 
of the 13 schools that make up the city's Center Consortium. These are 
13 very poor Catholic schools here in the District, who I have been 
involved with over the last few years to help raise them private money 
to help provide scholarships, to help keep those schools open in those 
very poor neighborhoods. Last week, I visited four schools in the 
southeast part of town, in Anacostia. I did not realize Anacostia was 
as large as it is, but it is very large and it is very poor.
  And the fact that those schools are there provide more children more 
choices, more opportunities to have a chance. I saw kindergartners this 
morning reading at a first-grade level at both of these Catholic 
elementary schools. Yes, they have some students that are there because 
they get D.C. scholarships; others are there because of the generosity 
of an awful lot of people who want to keep these schools open and 
provide a choice for those parents and those students.
  It is this competition from the public schools, the charter schools, 
the private schools that I believe will make our school system better 
and will help all of them. Growing up in sports and growing up in a 
large family, I know a little about competition, and competition makes 
all of us better. I believe that the increased competition we are 
seeing in the provision of an education, especially in the K through 12 
arena, has in fact made all of education better.
  Do we have a long way to go? We certainly do, but I believe that 
charter schools are playing an integral role in providing that 
competition. I think parochial schools, private schools, and Christian 
schools play a role in that competition as well. The more we can do to 
encourage parents to have more choice about where their kids can go to 
school, I think the better off those children will be and the better 
off our society will be.
  Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee).
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished 
gentleman for yielding me this time, and I want to also thank the 
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Kildee) for his years of service and 
commitment to education, not only of the children in his district but 
those in America.
  Mr. Speaker, I was moved by the accounting and recounting by the 
gentlewoman from the District of Columbia, particularly because of her 
leadership on these issues regarding the educating of the children in 
this district, but I rise to speak of the climate in Texas. And I might 
say that my children have been in both private and public schools.
  As I listened to the distinguished chairman of the Committee on 
Education and the Workforce, I would simply say that much of what he 
has said I agree with, and that is that all of us would want to 
emphasize the excellence of education for our children and no one is 
condemning private schools. The simple statement is, however, that the 
public school system was the underpinnings of the founding of this 
Nation and has made us the great Nation that we are today; that private 
schools, obviously, welcome and deserve our private funding and our 
support and encouragement. But charter schools, which we congratulate 
today, and public schools, stand as entities which we can account for 
and which can be accountable to the taxpayers.
  I want to congratulate charter schools in my district, the KIPP 
School, the Knowledge is Power Program; the 3D Academy, a school that 
emphasizes the ``Yes I Can'' innovative approach to education, which 
has been making a significant impact on education across the Nation. 
The Dominion Academy, which teaches children from first to eighth grade 
about business and capitalism and other ways of financing and investing 
in America; and then the WALIPP Boys Academy that focuses on young men, 
African-American men, to teach them confidence and character and 
integrity. But yet the charter schools in our community in Texas are 
accountable.
  And, frankly, that is the difference and the distinction between the 
question of vouchers and charter schools and public schools. In my 
district right now, Mr. Speaker, we have the leadership of our school 
district, the Houston Independent School District, suggesting that 
three schools need to be closed, three schools with enormous

[[Page 8404]]

history, two of them happen to be Kashmir High School and Yates High 
School. These are two of our oldest schools in the African-American 
community.
  How unfortunate that the school district, rather than investing in 
those schools, with all the richness of history, all the outstanding 
alumni, all those individuals who are doctors and lawyers and teachers 
and leaders of the community, and business persons who would want to 
invest back into the public school that they graduated from, and yet 
our district is talking of closing them or privatizing them.
  That is why we need to speak about excellence and congratulate today 
the charter schools, because they have taken the resources and they are 
accountable and they teach in a unique way, each of them with their own 
definition and character, and they are educating our children and they 
are accountable. Likewise, the public school system must be accountable 
as well.
  Our independent school district in Houston must be accountable to 
these historic schools. I visited one of these schools yesterday. I had 
two of the schools with me on Friday afternoon. They have school pride. 
They are wearing their uniform. They have band uniforms. It may not be 
perfect, but these kids want to succeed. And it is important to note, 
Mr. Speaker, that these children I met with, Kashmir High School and 
Yates High School and Sam Houston that is in the District of my good 
friend and colleague, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Green), that these 
youngsters have the desire to learn and they have applauded those who 
are working with them, their teachers and principals. So I am asking 
for an opportunity to be given to them to learn. That is a public 
school.
  But today, I stand on the House floor congratulating charter schools 
because they work simultaneously and parallel with our public schools. 
They are a wonderful fit and they give parents the opportunity to 
increase the excellence of their children. I believe that our only 
challenge is to reaffirm excellence in education in America and to 
educate our children, because they are not only our future, they are 
our todays.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be here today to speak about the 
benefits of charter schools and their ability to deliver high-quality 
education and challenge our students to reach their potential. Charter 
schools provide thousands of our families with diverse and innovative 
educational options for their children.
  I have had the pleasure to visit a charter school in my district, 
KIPP 3D Academy. KIPP stands for Knowledge is Power Program, and this 
is an innovative approach to education which has been making a 
significant impact all over the country. Charter Schools are a unique 
opportunity for students to access other methods of education, and 
after visiting with the 3D Academy students, I can see how excited they 
are for learning. Charter schools are public schools authorized by a 
designated public entity and are responding to the needs of our 
communities, families, and students and promote the principles of 
quality, choice, and innovation.
  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. 
During my visit to KIPP 3D Academy, I was able to see their substantial 
progress with their students, and how their strict curriculum embodied 
their slogan that Knowledge is Power.
  Nearly 3,000 charter schools are now operating in 37 States, the 
District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and serving 
750,000 students.
  Charter schools improve their students' achievement and stimulate 
improvement in traditional public schools. They also give parents new 
freedom to choose their public school, charter schools routinely 
measure parental satisfaction levels, and charter schools must prove 
their ongoing success to parents, policymakers, and their communities.
  Charter schools nationwide serve a higher percentage of low-income 
and minority students than the traditional public system. These schools 
have enjoyed broad bipartisan support from the Administration, the 
Congress, State Governors and legislatures, educators, and parents 
across the United States.
  The sixth annual National Charter Schools Week is this week. This 
event is sponsored by charter schools and grassroots charter school 
organizations across the United States to recognize the significant 
impacts, achievements, and innovations of charter schools. I am pleased 
to join my colleagues in the House of Representatives to acknowledge 
and commend 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.
  Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 218, supporting 
the sixth annual National Charter Schools Week and honoring the 
outstanding achievements charter schools have made.
  As a former educator, I understand the importance of charter schools. 
These schools are educational laboratories, as they allow students to 
learn and grow in a non-traditional sense. Charter schools are an 
alternative to public schools that allow for trial, experimentation and 
development. With a freedom to employ innovative techniques, charter 
schools, year after year, continue to provide academic excellence and 
prepare our youth for higher education, the workforce and their future.
  The State of New Jersey has 52 approved charter schools. These 
schools serve nearly 14,000 students statewide in pre-kindergarten 
through 12th grade. In 2004, 16 applications were filed in New Jersey 
for new charter schools with hopes of openings in 2005 and 2006. Many 
of these applications are for schools in some of New Jersey largest 
cities, including Newark, Camden and Jersey City.
  My district is fortunate enough to have eight exceptional charter 
schools that offer students a diverse educational opportunity, rigorous 
curricula, and an outstanding learning environment.
  One of these schools, the Princeton Charter School in Mercer County 
became the first charter school accredited by the American Academy of 
Liberal Education in April of 2002. In addition to this esteemed 
recognition, the Princeton Charter School was also recently named a No 
Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon school. This award is given to schools 
that meet the national goals and high standards of educational 
excellence.
  Another school in my district, the Greater Brunswick Charter School 
in Middlesex County will be the subject of a documentary film that will 
feature the middle school students who have worked hard to develop a 
class project based on the Buck Institute's model for project based 
learning. This documentary will be produced in conjunction with the 
Buck Institute for Education, the Rutgers University Center for Media 
Studies, and the George Lucas Education Foundation. The documentary 
will be available online through the George Lucas Education Foundation 
website.
  I applaud the students, teachers, administrators and parents of 
charter schools for all of their hard work and commitment to the 
educational community of charter schools. Charter schools continue to 
grow in number in New Jersey and across the country, offering students 
an exceptional educational opportunity with room for innovation and 
development.
  Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Boozman). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Porter) that the House 
suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 218.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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