[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Page 8142]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   CONGRATULATING CHARTER SCHOOLS FOR THEIR ONGOING CONTRIBUTIONS TO 
                               EDUCATION

  Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 556, which was submitted 
earlier today by Senator Landrieu.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 556) congratulating charter schools 
     and their students, parents, teachers, and administrators 
     across the United States for their ongoing contributions to 
     education, and for other purposes.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I am pleased today to rise in honor of 
National Charter School week. The role of charter schools has become 
increasingly important as these institutions have become one of the 
fastest-growing innovative forces in education policy. In the past 4 
years, 1,600 new charter schools opened and 500,000 additional public 
school students chose to enroll in charter schools. In the fall of 
2007, 350 new public charter schools opened and an additional 115,000 
public school students enrolled in these schools. Nationwide in 40 
States and Washington, DC, over 4,300 public charter schools enroll 
more than 1.2 million public school students.
  As many of you know, I have been a longtime advocate of charter 
schools, which not only help to better educate students, but can also 
help to build stronger, more prosperous cities. As incubators of 
innovation in education, public charter schools are an indispensable 
component of our Nation's educational landscape.
  Back home in New Orleans, in the aftermath of the catastrophic 
devastation from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita came an opportunity to 
recreate a public school system through bold innovation and community 
involvement. The educational entrepreneurship of public charter schools 
has been integral to the city's recovery. They are inspiring positive 
changes throughout the system, as other schools work to cultivate the 
same benefits. Our hope is that all public schools in New Orleans will 
enjoy the same entrepreneurship, independence, and community 
involvement that the public charter schools have fostered.
  Public charter schools were the first schools to open after the storm 
and they have since thrived. Today more than 57 percent of the city's 
public school students attend public charter schools, and more than 
half of our public schools are independently chartered, the highest 
percentage in the country.
  Moreover, public charter schools are gaining momentum and support 
around the Nation. The recently released 2008 Public Charter School 
Dashboard included a national opinion poll that found that more than 
three out of four voters favor giving parents more options when 
choosing a public school for their children.
  As we celebrate National Charter Schools Week with this resolution, 
it is my sincere hope that Congress will commit to supporting the 
growth of charter schools as critical tools for closing the achievement 
gap.
  Ms. KLOBUCHAR. 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 that any statements relating to the resolution be printed 
in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 556) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 556

       Whereas charter schools deliver high-quality education and 
     challenge all 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 4,300 charter schools are now operating 
     in 40 States and the District of Columbia, serving more than 
     1,200,000 students;
       Whereas, over the last 14 years, Congress has provided over 
     $2,237,256,000 in support to the charter school movement 
     through facilities financing assistance and grants for 
     planning, startup, implementation, and dissemination;
       Whereas many 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 schools, routinely measure parental satisfaction 
     levels, and must prove their ongoing success to parents, 
     policymakers, and their communities;
       Whereas over 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 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 school system;
       Whereas charter schools have enjoyed broad bipartisan 
     support from the President, Congress, State Governors and 
     legislatures, educators, and parents across the United 
     States; and
       Whereas the 9th annual National Charter Schools Week, to be 
     held May 5 through May 9, 2008, 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 the Senate--
       (1) acknowledges and commends charter schools and their 
     students, parents, teachers, and administrators across the 
     United States for their ongoing contributions to education, 
     especially their impressive results closing America's 
     persistent achievement gap, and improving and strengthening 
     our public school system.
       (2) supports the ideas and goals of the 9th annual National 
     Charter Schools Week; and
       (3) encourages 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.

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