[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 5]
[House]
[Pages 7144-7146]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      NATIONAL CHARTER SCHOOL WEEK

  Ms. CHU. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 1149) supporting the goals and ideals of National 
Charter School Week, to be held May 2 through May 8, 2010.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 1149

       Whereas charter schools deliver high-quality education and 
     challenge our students to reach their potential;
       Whereas charter schools promote innovation and excellence 
     in public education;
       Whereas charter schools provide hundreds of 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 39 States, the District of Columbia, and Guam have 
     passed laws authorizing charter schools;
       Whereas 4,956 charter schools, an increase of 292 schools 
     from last school year, are now serving almost 1,500,000 
     children;
       Whereas over the last 16 years, Congress has provided 
     substantial support to the charter school movement through 
     startup grants for planning, implementation, and 
     dissemination of charter schools;
       Whereas over 365,000 children are on charter school waiting 
     lists nationally;
       Whereas charter schools improve their students' achievement 
     and often 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 11th annual National Charter Schools Week, to 
     be held May 2 through May 8, 2010, 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 11th 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 gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Chu) and the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Bishop) each will 
control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from California.


                             General Leave

  Ms. CHU. Madam Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which 
Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on House 
Resolution 1149 into the Record.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. CHU. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1149, a 
resolution in support of the goals and ideals of National Charter 
School Week from May 2 through May 8, 2010, and to recognize the 
growing charter school movement in our Nation.

[[Page 7145]]

  Since their inception in 1991, charter schools have offered a 
competitive education to many of our Nation's public school students 
and have helped drive school reforms across the country. Charter 
schools across the United States support diverse and innovative 
instruction and learning models. With autonomy and flexibility, charter 
schools can make timely decisions about how to structure the school 
day, which curricula best suits the needs of their students, and which 
types of staff will enrich the school communities. Additionally, 
quality charter schools form important partnerships with parents and 
with their surrounding communities.
  This week, charter schools across the country will celebrate the 11th 
annual National Charter School Week. It is a great time to highlight 
the role these schools serve in driving education innovation and 
reform.
  Today, there are almost 5,000 public charter schools, which are 
operating in 39 States and in the District of Columbia. They serve more 
than 1.5 million students, with many more students on waiting lists. To 
address this demand, many States and districts are welcoming charters 
to their neighborhoods. With the start of the school year, over 400 new 
public charter schools opened their doors to nearly 170,000 new 
students.
  The growing charter school movement is also providing opportunities 
for many historically underserved communities. Nationally, charter 
schools serve a high percentage of minority and low-income students. In 
fact, 58 percent of charter school students are minorities, and 35 
percent qualify for free and reduced priced lunches. Quality charter 
schools are often able to achieve impressive academic results.
  Madam Speaker, once again, I express my support for National Charter 
School Week, and I recognize the charter school movement and its 18-
year history of promoting a high-quality public educational option--an 
option that is innovative, flexible, and responsive to community needs.
  I thank Representative Bishop for introducing this resolution, and I 
urge my colleagues to support this bill.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, as you know, it is very difficult for me to speak 
without chalk in my hand at any given time.
  Today, I rise to support House Resolution 1149, supporting the goals 
and ideals of National Charter School Week, which is being held now. 
Actually, it runs from May 2 through May 8 of this year. This week has 
been designated as the 11th annual Charter School Week.
  Charter schools are innovative public schools that have unique 
freedoms and responsibilities. They explore new educational approaches, 
and they are free from some rules and regulations governing traditional 
public schools. In exchange for this freedom, charter schools are held 
to a higher level of accountability than traditional public schools 
might be.
  Charter schools must demonstrate the success of their students' 
academic achievements to parents, to policymakers, to authorizers, and 
to their communities or face closure. Many charter schools have met and 
have exceeded in this challenge. Most charter schools meet necessary 
student achievement and accountability requirements, and they often set 
higher individual goals to ensure that they are of high quality and are 
truly accountable to the public. However, despite these innovative 
approaches and promising reports of parental satisfaction, charter 
schools often face unique and unusual obstacles in creating and 
replicating successful schools.
  One such obstacle is State caps, which limit their 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. Others limit the number of students that a single school may 
serve. These caps prohibit effective charter schools from being created 
and replicated and, thereby, from serving students in need, oftentimes 
in niche needs.
  It is essential that Congress continues to support public charter 
school programs and that it continues to recognize the unique 
attributes and benefits of charter schools. These programs provide 
support for the development of charter schools. These programs have 
helped to create a public charter school system all across this 
country--schools that work to improve academic achievement, oftentimes 
for low-income students.
  It is important that the charter community is able to continue to 
provide a high-quality option based on innovation, on freedom from red 
tape, and on partnerships between parents and educators and that it is 
able to continue to give hope, oftentimes to disadvantaged and at-risk 
students across this Nation.
  It is, indeed, one of those good things that we are doing in our 
school system, and I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
  Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 
1149 which recognizes the important impact charter schools have on 
students across the nation who attend them.
  Charter schools have been 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 nationwide.
  In my home state of New Jersey, 68 approved charter schools serve 
more than 22,000 students in pre-kindergarten through grade 12. These 
schools, through creative solutions and selfless dedication, provide an 
invaluable service to children caught in failing public school systems.
  I have been a longtime advocate of school choice. Giving parents 
options for their child's education not only helps to better educate 
students, but can also help to build stronger, more prosperous 
communities. As incubators of innovation in education, charter schools 
challenge other schools to do better.
  Not every child in America is fortunate enough to attend a high 
performing public school or has the means to afford a first-rate 
private or parochial education. And, we all know the story of many 
failing public schools across the nation: Low graduation rates. High 
dropout rates. Low mathematics and reading scores. Charter schools, 
school vouchers and other programs that give families a choice in their 
child's education have and will continue to make a significant and 
positive impact on those statistics.
  We can no longer be distracted by the ideological battles surrounding 
educational choice and competition while children graduate without the 
skills to succeed here at home, or even less so in our global economy.
  Madam Speaker, I close today in appreciation for the teachers and 
students of charter schools, and the communities and private donors 
that support them, for their contributions and achievements and I 
encourage my colleagues to do the same.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I stand before you today in 
support of H. Res. 1149, ``Supporting the goals and ideals of National 
Charter Schools Week, to be held May 2 through May 8, 2010''. I would 
like to begin by thanking my colleague Rep. 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 school programs such as Yes Prep, Harmony, WALIPP, and KIPP 
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 is 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.

[[Page 7146]]

  Charter schools nationwide serve a higher percentage of low-income 
and minority students than the traditional public system and deliver a 
high 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.
  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 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, 12 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.
  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  Ms. CHU. Madam Speaker, I urge passage of House Resolution 1149, and 
I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Chu) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1149.
  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.

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