[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Pages 6424-6425]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    SENATE RESOLUTION 453--CONGRATULATING CHARTER SCHOOLS AND THEIR 
   STUDENTS, PARENTS, TEACHERS, AND ADMINISTRATORS ACROSS THE UNITED 
  STATES FOR THEIR ONGOING CONTRIBUTIONS TO EDUCATION, AND FOR OTHER 
                                PURPOSES

  Mr. ALEXANDER (for himself, Mr. Lieberman, Mr. Gregg, Mr. Frist, Mr. 
Carper, Mr. Vitter, Ms. Landrieu, Mr. Burr, Mr. Coleman, Mr. Allard, 
Mr. DeMint, and Mr. Martinez) submitted the following resolution; which 
was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 453

       Whereas charter schools deliver high-quality education and 
     challenge our students to reach their potential;
       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 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 40 States and the District of Columbia have passed 
     laws authorizing charter schools;
       Whereas more than 3,600 charter schools are now operating 
     in 40 States and the District of Columbia, serving more than 
     1,000,000 students;
       Whereas over the last 12 years, Congress has provided 
     nearly $1,775,000,000 in support to the charter school 
     movement through facilities financing assistance and grants 
     for

[[Page 6425]]

     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 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 give parents new freedom to choose 
     their public school, routinely measure parental satisfaction 
     levels, and must prove their ongoing success to parents, 
     policymakers, and their communities;
       Whereas nearly 56 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 1,100 average-sized 
     charter schools;
       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 seventh annual National Charter Schools Week, 
     to be held May 1 through 6, 2006, 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 Senate 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;
       (2) the Senate supports the seventh annual National Charter 
     Schools Week; and
       (3) it is the sense of the Senate that the people of the 
     United States should conduct appropriate programs, 
     ceremonies, and activities to demonstrate support for charter 
     schools during this week long celebration in communities 
     throughout the United States.

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