[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 9]
[House]
[Pages 11578-11581]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                SUPPORTING NATIONAL CHARTER SCHOOLS WEEK

  Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 382) supporting the goals and ideals of National 
Charter Schools Week, to be held May 3 through May 9, 2009.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 382

       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, the District of Columbia, and Guam have 
     passed laws authorizing charter schools;
       Whereas approximately 4,700 charter schools are now serving 
     approximately 1,400,000 children;
       Whereas over the last 15 years, Congress has provided 
     substantial support to the charter school movement through 
     startup financing assistance and grants for planning, 
     implementation, and dissemination;
       Whereas over 365,000 children are on charter school waiting 
     lists nationally;
       Whereas charter schools improve their students' achievement 
     and can 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 must continually demonstrate their 
     ongoing success to parents, policymakers, and their 
     communities, some charter schools routinely measure parental 
     satisfaction levels, and all give parents new freedom to 
     choose their public school;
       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 10th annual National Charter Schools Week, to 
     be held May 3 through May 9, 2009, 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 House of Representatives--
       (1) supports the goals and ideals of the 10th annual 
     National Charter Schools Week;
       (2) 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; and
       (3) calls on the people of the United States to conduct 
     appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities to 
     demonstrate support for charter schools during this weeklong 
     celebration in communities throughout the United States.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Colorado (Mr. Polis) and the gentleman from Delaware (Mr. Castle) will 
each control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Colorado.


                             General Leave

  Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which 
Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on House 
Resolution 382 into the Record.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Colorado?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. POLIS. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support the designation of May 3-May 9, 
2009, as ``National Charter Schools Week,'' and to recognize the 
growing charter school movement in our Nation.
  The charter school movement is grounded in the concepts of community

[[Page 11579]]

empowerment and parental involvement. The core idea behind charter 
schools is simple, yet powerful; seeking to serve the unique needs of 
all children, local communities, parents and educators come together to 
design, create, and manage schools that provide a high quality 
education through innovation, flexibility, autonomy, and a focus on 
results.
  Sometimes people ask me, what is a charter school? A charter school 
is simply a governance model. It is site-based government, where the 
decisions of who runs the school and the curriculum are left up to the 
folks most directly involved with the outcome.
  Charter schools date back to 1991, when Minnesota enacted the first 
charter school legislation. California followed suit in 1992. My home 
State of Colorado soon joined the growing movement in 1993.
  Since their inception, charter schools have grown by leaps and bounds 
to address the various needs of our Nation's public school students. 
Diverse charter schools across the country offer innovative 
instruction. With site-based control and flexibility, charter schools 
can make timely decisions about how to structure the school day, which 
curriculum best suits the needs of their students, and what type of 
staff and staff development will enrich their school community. 
Additionally, charter schools form important community partnerships 
with parents and businesses.
  This week, charter schools across the country will celebrate the 10th 
annual National Charter Schools Week. This year's theme, ``Promoting 
Innovation and Excellence,'' was inspired by President Obama. It 
celebrates and encourages charter schools to continue to share their 
successes as part of the effort to reform public education in our 
country.
  As a former chairman of the Colorado State Board of Education and the 
founder and superintendent of a system of charter schools that empower 
new immigrants and English language learners to succeed and live the 
American Dream, I have seen firsthand how innovation in the education 
system can achieve remarkable results. I also cofounded a charter 
school serving youths who are homeless or in unstable living 
conditions, the Academy of Urban Learning.
  I know how the power of educational opportunity can transform lives 
and serve the most at-risk youth. All of the entrepreneurial creativity 
around charter schools has been an important part of serving all 
Americans across our country.
  Today, there are almost 4,700 charter schools operating in 40 States 
that have charter school legislation, as well as the District of 
Columbia. Their combined force serves over 1.4 million students, and 61 
percent of charter schools report waiting lists. These waiting lists of 
nearly 365,000 students nationally are enough to fill over 1,100 new 
charter schools. To answer this growing need, between 300 and 400 new 
public charter schools open each year, and nearly 150,000 new students 
enroll in charter schools annually.
  The growing charter school movement is providing opportunities for 
many historically underserved communities. Nationally, charter schools 
disproportionately serve minority and low-income students. In fact, 58 
percent of charter school students are minorities and 52 percent 
qualify for free and reduced lunch. Many charter schools are able to 
achieve impressive academic results.
  In the charter school that I ran, 85 percent of the students are 
English language learners. In Colorado, 78 percent of our charters made 
Adequate Yearly Progress, or AYP, last year, and 55 percent of charters 
were rated excellent or high.
  In the Second Congressional District of Colorado that I represent, 
over 14,000 students attend one of our 26 charter schools, and almost 8 
out of 10 made Adequate Yearly Progress.
  Peak-to Peak Charter School in Lafayette was named by Newsweek the 
40th best high school in the Nation, out of 27,000 public high 
schools--quite a distinction. It is the only school in Colorado to rank 
in the top 100. This follows Peak to Peak High School's recognition by 
U.S. News and World Report as a 2008 Gold Medal School, ranking 47th in 
the Nation, and one of only two Colorado schools to rank in the top 
100.

                              {time}  1330

  Mr. Speaker, once again, I express my heartfelt support for National 
Charter Schools Week and encourage all social entrepreneurs and 
activists across the country to include charter schools in their 
efforts to improve the quality of education for young people and 
recognize the charter school's movement, a 17-year history of providing 
a quality public education option based on innovation, flexibility, and 
community partnerships.
  I urge my colleagues to pass this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 382, 
congratulating charter schools and their students, parents, teachers, 
and administrators across the United States for their ongoing 
contributions to education.
  This week has been designated as the 10th Annual Charter Schools 
Week. And it is entirely appropriate that we take a few minutes to 
recognize the contributions charter schools make every day in the lives 
of millions of children.
  Charter schools are innovative public schools with a simple interest 
in providing a quality education to children in their community. They 
explore new educational approaches, such as longer school days or an 
extended school year, and are free from most rules and regulations 
governing conventional public schools.
  Every day, however, charter schools face the unarguable facts of free 
market pressures. Unlike traditional public schools, charter schools 
must demonstrate the success of their students' academic achievements 
to parents, policymakers, and their communities or face closure. From 
the time the first charter school opened its door, they have risen to 
the challenge. For example, charter schools made an important 
contribution to rebuilding and strengthening Louisiana after Hurricanes 
Rita and Katrina, particularly in New Orleans.
  More often than not, charter schools meet the student achievement and 
accountability requirements under No Child Left Behind and in the same 
manner as traditional public schools, but often set higher individual 
goals to ensure that they are of high quality and truly accountable to 
the public. Yet, despite these innovative approaches and promising 
reports of parental satisfaction, charter schools across the country 
have struggled through a myriad of obstacles to create such successful 
schools.
  One such obstacle is State caps that limit growth. Twenty-six States 
and the District of Columbia have some type of limit or cap on charter 
school growth. Most caps restrict the number of charter schools 
allowed, while others restrict the number of students that a single 
school can serve. Caps on charter schools are often the consequence of 
political tradeoffs and not the result of agreement on sound education 
policy.
  I am pleased that Congress has continued to support the public 
charter school programs authorized under No Child Left Behind. These 
programs provide support at key points in the development of charter 
schools, helping cover the extraordinary costs of launching successful 
charters, disseminating their successful innovations to other public 
schools, and providing financial incentives to State governments and 
private lenders that help enable schools to build and renovate 
facilities.
  These programs have been a tremendous success, helping to create 
public charter schools all across the country that work to improve 
academic achievement for low-income students. It is my hope that the 
charter community will continue to build on its 16-year history of 
providing a high-quality option in public education that is

[[Page 11580]]

based on innovation, freedom from red tape, and partnership between 
parents and educators, an option that is giving new hope to 
disadvantaged and minority families across the country.
  I urge my colleagues to support this resolution, and I would like to 
thank Congressman Bishop, the sponsor of the legislation who is not 
able to be here today, for his sponsorship.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. POLIS. We need to call upon all the innovation of the American 
people to help meet the learning needs of all children. Charter schools 
provide one important avenue to do that. And it is with great pride 
that I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting National Charter 
School Week.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I stand before you today in 
support of H. Res. 382, ``Supporting the goals and ideals of National 
Charter Schools Week, to be held May 3 through May 9, 2009''. I would 
like to begin by thanking my colleague Representative Bishop for 
introducing this resolution in the House, as quality education should 
be at the top of our priorities list. I urge my colleagues to support 
and acknowledge 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.
  Charter schools deliver high-quality education, challenge our 
students to reach their potential throughout the United States, and 
provide thousands of families with diverse and innovative educational 
options for their children. Charter schools improve their students' 
achievement and can stimulate improvement in traditional public schools 
as well. These unique, public schools are 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.
  Charter schools take a revolutionary approach in educating our 
nation's students. Today, roughly 4,700 charter schools are now serving 
approximately 1,400,000 children in 40 states plus the District of 
Columbia and Puerto Rico this year. Charter schools continually 
demonstrate their ongoing success to parents, policymakers, and their 
communities. Some charter schools even routinely measure parental 
satisfaction levels while all give parents new freedom to choose their 
public school.
  Charter schools nationwide serve a higher percentage of low-income 
and minority students than the traditional public system and deliver 
higher quality education. Chartering is a radical educational 
innovation that is moving states beyond reforming existing schools to 
creating something entirely new. Chartering is at the center of a 
growing movement to challenge traditional notions of what public 
education means.
  Charter schools have demonstrated their commitment to high academic 
standards, small class sizes, innovative approaches and educational 
philosophies. Many parents choose charter schools for their small size 
and associated safety as charter schools serve an average of 250 
students.
  I am pleased that over the last 15 years, Congress has provided 
substantial support to the charter school movement through startup 
financing assistance and grants for planning, implementation, and 
dissemination. In addition, these schools have enjoyed broad bipartisan 
support from the Administration, Congress, State Governors and 
legislatures, educators, and parents across the United States.
  The intention of most charter school legislation is to: increase 
opportunities for learning and access to quality education for all 
students, create choice for parents and students within the public 
school system, provide a system of accountability for results in public 
education, encourage innovative teaching practices, create new 
professional opportunities for teachers, encourage community and parent 
involvement in public education, and leverage improved public education 
broadly. I believe Charter Schools and the Nations Public Schools can 
work side by side to educate the Nations Children!
  Competition from charter schools has been shown to increase composite 
test scores in traditional district schools. Furthermore, twice as many 
registered voters favor charter schools as oppose I, them. The more 
people learn about charter schools, the more they like them. Congress 
must lend its support to these schools and their goals, especially 
since on average, the funding gap between charter schools and 
traditional schools is 22 percent, or $1,800 per pupil. The average 
charter school ends up with a total funding shortfall of nearly half a 
million dollars. Yet, twelve studies find that overall gains in charter 
schools are larger than other public schools; four find charter 
schools' gains higher in certain significant categories of schools and 
six find comparable gains to traditional schools. I ask my colleagues 
for their continued support of Charter schools and urge them to support 
this resolution.
  Mrs. BACHMANN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 382, which 
supports the goals and ideals of National Charter School Week.
  I know very well the great importance of charter schools in public 
education today as I helped establish one of America's first charter 
schools, the New Heights Charter School in Stillwater, Minnesota in 
1993. This school is not only continuing its success today but has 
driven the establishment of other charter schools. And, today, children 
are educated at almost 3000 charter schools across the United States.
  With so many new charter schools opening since these past two 
decades, it is clear that these schools fulfill a real need for 
parents, students, and teachers alike. These schools are held 
accountable for the progress of their students and they continue to 
thrive because their students perform so well.
  Charter schools hold great importance in our educational system 
because they give parents options. They allow parents to choose from a 
variety of institutions to find the environment that will best help 
them succeed. The traditional public school is not always the right fit 
for every child. Because of charter schools, not only children from 
families with means have choices. Charter schools give underprivileged 
families choices that they might not otherwise have.
  Madam Speaker, charter schools have set students and teachers on a 
path to achieve their goals and are an integral part in our constant 
efforts to improve education in the United States.
  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I'm honored to be able to sponsor 
this resolution commending Charter Schools for their contributions to 
education, and designating this week as National Charter School Week. 
Successful businesses don't build a product and then find a target 
group to which to market their product. Successful businesses pick a 
target group, find a need, then build a product that satisfies that 
need.
  When we talk about reforming education, we must remember that parents 
are the target market. Kids belong to the parent, not to an educator or 
a legislator. We unfortunately forget this too often. There is 
sometimes an institutional attitude of antagonism toward parents. In a 
1910 essay entitled How We Think, even John Dewey wrote that one 
inhibitor to problem solving was parental values. One could ask whose 
values would have been more appropriate. A school's direction ought to 
be agreeable to parents. The final word ought to be with parents. If 
the parents are satisfied, who else cares and what else matters? 
Schools are for the kids and the parents and no one else.
  Charter schools take us a large step in that direction--the direction 
of treating parents as the customers. In Utah, there are currently 67 
charter schools serving 27,000 kids, and there are several more slated 
to open this year. Several have a specific emphasis on math and 
science, and several others focus on the arts. The curriculum is often 
selected by parents. There are no geographical boundaries to any of 
them. Some charters belong to a school district, and others are their 
own district.
  There is often a higher demand than there is supply of seats in a 
charter, so in Utah those seats are generally awarded by a lottery 
system. Nationally, there are more than 365,000 kids on charter school 
waiting lists. Why is it that parents want their kids to attend charter 
schools? It's because a charter school meets their needs better. 
Charter schools take us closer to the goal of treating the parents as 
the customers. In many cases charters have a large percentage of 
students who are either minorities or economically disadvantaged--in 
one Utah charter, 70% of the students fall in this category. Many of 
these are kids who haven't done well in traditional public schools, but 
who thrive in the charter school. Several studies have backed this up 
by showing that kids who are behind academically do better in a charter 
school than they would in a traditional public school. Charters are 
able to innovate, find creative ways to meet the needs of parents and 
kids, and the customer is satisfied.
  In that sense, charter schools are the most accountable of all our 
public schools. They're directly accountable to parents, because if the 
parents aren't satisfied, they'll take their kids elsewhere. In Utah, 
it's working. According to one study, 94% of parents gave their 
children's charter school an A or B grade. The success of Charter 
schools should also teach us the potential of the public education 
system. Charter schools are not private schools.

[[Page 11581]]

They are public schools. Public schools can easily compete with private 
schools when the public schools are released from bureaucratic 
restrictions and allowed to be creative. Only with the freedom to be 
creative can any school meet the individual needs of students and 
parents. Without choices and freedom to be creative, kids become a 
widget on a conveyor belt to the local school ``factory.''
  There are a number of things we can do to allow charters to continue 
to grow, including eliminating the caps on the number of charter 
schools, and addressing inequitable funding treatment. We will continue 
to encourage these reforms, and we'll continue to lower the barriers to 
innovation and creativity in education.
  One member of the Utah State Charter School Board said, in many ways, 
charter schools are doing for education what the printing press did for 
the world of communication. Charter schools have promised creativity, 
innovation, inspiration, and motivation, and I believe they have 
delivered.
  Charter schools have ignited the desire to rethink aspects of our 
nation's education system. They have shown how involved parents can and 
will be in their children's education. They are finding ways to reduce 
class size, deliver the Core Curriculum to smaller school communities, 
and increase individualization of instruction.
  Charter schools are helping our public education system to be the 
best it can be for every child. I commend the parents, teachers, 
administrators, and creative innovators involved in charter schools 
throughout the country.
  Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Polis) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 382.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________