[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 10]
[House]
[Page 13409]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




         EMPOWERING PARENTS THROUGH QUALITY CHARTER SCHOOLS ACT

  (Mr. GRIFFIN of Arkansas asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. GRIFFIN of Arkansas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 
2218, the Empowering Parents Through Quality Charter Schools Act.
  This bill strikes close to home for me and my district in Arkansas 
where one charter school program, the Knowledge is Power Program, or 
KIPP, as it is called, has had a profound impact on the lives of its 
students and their families.
  In one of the poorest cities in America, the town of Helena-West 
Helena has instituted a charter school that empowers students from high 
poverty communities to develop the character, knowledge, and skills 
necessary to follow their dreams and, more importantly, learn to value 
a life in pursuit of knowledge and truth.
  KIPP students go above and beyond what is required; and for that, our 
country is a better place. These students have their parents and 
teachers to thank. They are always accessible and always committed to 
their education and their well-being. The KIPP approach shows that high 
standards overcome the obstacles created by socioeconomics and 
circumstances, as evidenced by KIPP Delta's first graduating class, 100 
percent of which now attend college, and the establishment of a new 
KIPP school in Blytheville, Arkansas.
  I urge my colleagues to pass this bill so children and their families 
all across the country have the opportunity to empower their own lives, 
their families, and their communities.

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