[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 6]
[House]
[Pages 7666-7675]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      SUCCESS AND OPPORTUNITY THROUGH QUALITY CHARTER SCHOOLS ACT


                             General Leave

  Mr. KLINE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on H.R. 10.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Rokita). Is there objection to the 
request of the gentleman from Minnesota?
  There was no objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 576 and rule 
XVIII, the Chair declares the House in the Committee of the Whole House 
on the state of the Union for the consideration of the bill, H.R. 10.
  The Chair appoints the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Bishop) to preside 
over the Committee of the Whole.

                              {time}  1913


                     In the Committee of the Whole

  Accordingly, the House resolved itself into the Committee of the 
Whole House on the state of the Union for the consideration of the bill 
(H.R. 10) to amend the Charter School Program under the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act of 1965, with Mr. Bishop of Utah in the chair.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The CHAIR. Pursuant to the rule, the bill is considered read the 
first time.
  The gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Kline) and the gentleman from 
California (Mr. George Miller) each will control 45 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Minnesota.
  Mr. KLINE. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume, 
and rise today in strong support of the Success and Opportunity through 
Quality Charter Schools Act, legislation that will support the growth 
and expansion of successful charter schools.
  Mr. Chairman, for many children and their parents, charter schools 
are a beacon of hope for a better education and a better life. The 
schools are extraordinarily in demand.

[[Page 7667]]

  Wait lists for charter schools have grown steadily in recent years, 
with more than 1 million students' names on wait lists for the 2013-
2014 school year.

                              {time}  1915

  Charter schools have a proven track record of success, encouraging 
higher academic achievement in even the most troubled school districts.
  I recently had the opportunity to visit two impressive charter 
schools in my home State of Minnesota. At both of the schools, without 
exception, students were engaged, excited, and eager to learn. I know 
firsthand this is not a trend unique to charter schools in Minnesota. 
In fact, each time I visit quality charter schools, whether here in 
Washington, D.C., or in Prairie Lake, Minnesota, or even Harlem, New 
York, I have been amazed by the creative curriculum, the outstanding 
educators, and the students' incredible progress. Clearly, these 
institutions are a valuable part of a successful education system.
  However, the Federal Charter Schools Program is in need of key 
reforms to enhance access and ensure continued educational quality. 
That is why I partnered with my colleague, the senior Democrat on the 
House Education and the Workforce Committee, Mr. Miller, to advance the 
success and opportunity through the Quality Charter Schools Act. This 
bipartisan legislation will encourage more States and families to 
embrace charter schools, while also including several provisions to 
urge these schools to reach out to special populations, including at-
risk students, children with disabilities, and English learners.
  The bill will streamline the Federal Charter Schools Program, while 
ensuring these institutions remain accountable to families and 
taxpayers. The bill also expands the allowable use of Federal resources 
to support not just new charter schools, as under current law, but also 
replication and expansion of successful charter schools.
  Additionally, H.R. 10 will direct charter schools to share best 
practices with traditional public schools, helping to ensure school 
leaders are working together to implement successful education 
practices throughout the community.
  Mr. Chairman, as we work to help more students access a quality 
education, we must support charter schools as a valuable alternative to 
failing public schools and work together to encourage their growth. 
This act is a commonsense proposal that will improve educational 
opportunities for students across the board and provide families with 
additional school choice options.
  I am very pleased that members of the Education and the Workforce 
Committee have put their differences aside and worked through a very 
bipartisan process to develop an exceptional piece of legislation. I 
would like to thank members and staff for these efforts.
  I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join with us in 
supporting legislation that can have a hugely positive effect on 
children nationwide.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. I yield myself 5 minutes.
  Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of H.R. 10.
  I want to thank the chairman of the committee for all of his 
cooperation so we could arrive at this legislation to bring to the 
floor. I want to thank the staff on both sides of the aisle for all of 
the time that they spent negotiating this legislation. I am delighted 
that we are here tonight to consider it.
  The Success and Opportunity Through Quality Charter Schools Act, I 
urge my colleagues to support this legislation. I guess we will be 
voting tomorrow on it, to vote in support of the legislation.
  My support of H.R. 10 is grounded in my commitment to our Nation's 
public schools and my firm belief that every child in every 
neighborhood deserves access to a high-quality public education.
  This bipartisan legislation would take us one step closer to making 
the promise of quality public schools for every child a reality.
  In many ways, the innovations coming out of the charter school sector 
are helping to disprove some of the false assumptions about kids who 
happen to be from the wrong ZIP Code. Charter schools continue to prove 
that all children, from any background, can succeed. H.R. 10 seeks to 
build on that success. It will expand opportunities for all children to 
benefit from charter school innovations.
  Along with Chairman Kline, I authored similar legislation last 
Congress. That legislation served as the basis for this bill which we 
are considering today and passed out of this Chamber with more than 360 
votes.
  I am pleased once again to collaborate with Chairman Kline on this 
reauthorization of the Charter Schools Program. By working together, we 
have been able to produce a truly bipartisan bill that will bring much-
needed improvements to the only Federal program that supports the 
startup of public charter schools.
  This existing Federal program provides startup funding for public 
charter schools from States where the public charter schools are 
permitted that win a competitive grant.
  While the Charter Schools Program is in a small, competitive funding 
stream that reaches a limited number of schools, the program can and 
should be used as a lever to ensure the quality within the charter 
school sector, drive collaboration between charter and noncharter 
public schools, improve State oversight of charter schools to make sure 
that every public school is equitably serving the most disadvantaged 
students.
  H.R. 10 would refocus the Charter Schools Program to achieve these 
goals while recognizing and supporting the success of public charter 
schools. Much of that success comes from the autonomy and flexibility 
that charter schools have in implementing innovative curricula and 
instruction. The research is clear: Access to great schools, fantastic 
instruction, and a safe learning environment matters.
  Thousands of public schools across the country, both charter and 
noncharter, are great schools supported by millions of wonderful 
educators. Unfortunately, some of our Nation's public schools, both 
charter and noncharter, fall short.
  I have been working on this issue for a long time. For me, it isn't 
about the quantity of charter schools; it is about the quality of all 
public schools. Over the years, I have requested numerous GAO reports 
that examine activities of public charter schools to look at the 
quality of the services for students who are traditionally underserved, 
including those with disabilities and English language learners. The 
results have pointed to the flaws in the charter implementation that 
shortchanged disadvantaged students.
  Our Federal investment in charters must help support and drive 
improvements in the charter sector. For example, in Denver, when the 
data showed a discrepancy in the charter school services for students 
with complex disabilities as compared to noncharters, the district 
leaders said, ``We can do better.'' Instead of pointing fingers and 
placing blame, the district leaders and charter leaders collaborated on 
bringing needed programs and support to students with complex 
disabilities to all Denver public schools, including the charter 
schools.
  Federal dollars that support charter schools must incentivize this 
type of collaboration on behalf of our most vulnerable students. The 
improvements in the Charter Schools Program that are embodied in H.R. 
10 would do just that. That is why groups such as National Council of 
Learning Disabilities and the Consortium of Citizens with Disabilities 
enthusiastically support this bill. No public school, charter or 
otherwise, gets a pass when it comes to serving all kids.
  H.R. 10 would also ensure that our Federal investment in public 
charter schools supports only high-quality charters that are serving 
all students and have demonstrated that they are accountable to parents 
and communities.
  H.R. 10 includes unprecedented quality controls and mechanisms to 
improve charter authorizing activity and oversight. It challenges 
States to support and transfer the best practices

[[Page 7668]]

among all public schools in order to ensure that the benefits of 
charter schools are reaching all students, not just a few.
  This isn't a debate about charter schools. Charter schools are here 
and they aren't going anywhere. This is about increasing the quality, 
the equity, and the transparency in the charter sector. The sector is 
vibrant, and it is now serving more than 2 million students in 42 
States and the District of Columbia.
  A ``yes'' vote on H.R. 10 is a vote for much-needed program 
improvements that will help ensure that the Federal dollars supporting 
public charter schools only flow to quality schools and that those 
schools live up to the promise of the equitable education of all 
students.
  I urge you to join me, Mr. Chairman, in supporting this bill.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. KLINE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Indiana (Mr. Rokita), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Early 
Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education, who has been doing 
yeoman's work not only today in the furtherance of a better education 
for our Nation's children, but every day.
  Mr. ROKITA. Mr. Chairman, I thank the chairman and the ranking member 
as well. Both the chairman and the ranking member have a great bill 
here, and it deserves the support of this entire body, in my humble 
opinion.
  As chairman of the colloquially called K-12 Subcommittee on 
Education, it has been my high honor to travel throughout Indiana, and 
really across the country, to see our public school system, our public 
charter school system, and the entire framework of how our great 
American children are educated.
  I have come to the conclusion early on, and it is the same one that 
the chairman and the ranking member have come to, that is, charter 
schools empower parents to play a more active role in their child's 
education. It opens doors for teachers to pioneer fresh teaching 
methods. Charter schools encourage State and local innovation. It helps 
students escape underperforming schools. The charter school program 
facilitates the establishment of high quality charter schools and it 
encourages choice, innovation, and excellence in education.
  The current Charter Schools Program, however, does not support the 
funding for the replication and expansion of high-quality charter 
schools. The ranking member said it himself that charter schools are 
here to stay. And we are not about to have a debate over whether or not 
they should exist. They do. It is about the replication and expansion 
of them because they work.
  This bill is a commonsense approach to updating the Charter Schools 
Program by streamlining multiple charter school programs, improving 
their quality, and promoting the growth of the charter schools sector 
at the State level. The bill also consolidates multiple funding streams 
and grant programs that support charter schools into the existing State 
grant program, eliminating a separate authorization for charter school 
facilities funding.
  By consolidating the funding streams into the existing State charter 
school program, the bill removes authority from the Secretary of 
Education to pick winners and losers and control the growth of the 
charter school sector. This authority is placed largely in the hands of 
States, frankly, where it belongs in the first place.
  The bill updates the Charter Schools Program to reflect the success 
and growth of the charter school movement. States are authorized to use 
funds under the program to support the replication and expansion of 
high-quality charter schools in addition to supporting new innovative 
charter school models.
  Finally, Mr. Chair, I would say that this is not a new issue, in 
fact, this is not a new bill for us. This bill is very similar to 
charter school provisions included in H.R. 5, the Students Success Act, 
and to H.R. 2218, the Empowering Parents Through Quality Charter 
Schools Act, the latter of which passed the House by an overwhelmingly 
bipartisan vote 365-44.
  So for all these reasons, I simply urge my colleagues to support H.R. 
10.
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Chair, I yield 5 minutes to the 
gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Polis).
  There is no more enthusiastic and informed advocate of public charter 
schools in this Congress than the gentleman from Colorado. I thank him 
for all of the work that he put in on both sides of the aisle, working 
with us to make the improvements in this legislation, and for his 
support of it.
  Mr. POLIS. Mr. Chairman and Mr. Ranking Member, thank you for the 
kind words.
  I want to thank Chairman Kline and Ranking Member Miller for their 
hard work. Particularly in a week where this body has been divided over 
issues like Benghazi and Lois Lerner, how wonderful that we can come 
together around our most underserved kids and families to help extend 
the hope and opportunity of a quality charter school to more families.
  Most Members of this House have already voted for the provisions of 
this bill. Substantially, a nearly identical bill was included in the 
Republican ESEA reauthorization, H.R. 5. All but 12 Republicans voted 
for that bill. Almost identical language was included in the Democratic 
substitute for ESEA reauthorization as well. Only two Democrats voted 
against that bill. The vast majority, everybody in this body, except 
for 14 people in this session, this 113th Congress, have voted for the 
provisions of this bill.
  Those bills, the Democrat substitute and ESEA reauthorization, have 
an enormous gap between where they were. Democrats and Republicans had 
a different vision for accountability, the role of the Federal 
Government, so many issues within that. So why not take language that 
is nearly identical in both of those bills with regard to 
reauthorization of the Federal Charter Schools Program and combine it 
into a standalone bill that can actually pass this body and pass the 
Senate.
  We have done enough of these one-party bills. I know when we were in 
the majority we did them as well, where the House acts, and we yell at 
the Senate for not acting; they act, and they yell at us for not 
acting. Here is a bill, Mr. Chairman, that, with a strong vote on the 
floor of the House, can send a message to the Senate that while perhaps 
we cannot agree on the entirety of ESEA reauthorization, yes, we can 
agree on upgrading the Federal Charter Schools Program first conceived 
in 1994 to the 2.0 version.
  What does that mean, Mr. Chairman? What do these improvements in this 
bill mean? They are commonsense improvements. They are neither 
Republican nor Democratic. They simply make the bill better to make 
sure that our very limited Federal investment that we have, the limited 
resources we have, is spent and invested in a way to have the maximum 
possible outcome in ensuring that kids across the country have access 
to a quality public charter school.
  For instance, rather than just supporting the formation of entirely 
new charter schools that are innovative, under this bill we now allow 
the funds to be used for expansion and replication of successful 
models, models that we know work, schools that we know work, schools 
that are transforming lives and restoring hope to families across our 
country if only they can expand, if only we can have more to serve 
kids.
  We have also heard from our constituents across the country 
complaints that some charter schools perhaps don't serve enough special 
ed students or enough English language learners or enough free and 
reduced lunch students.

                              {time}  1930

  Under the old language of this authorization that we still have, 
charter schools that receive these funds are actually prevented from 
remedying that. They are not allowed to have anything other than a pure 
lottery with regard to determining their student composition.
  What we now allow with this bill is a weighted lottery to give 
charter schools, in concert with their authorizing entity, the ability 
to make sure

[[Page 7669]]

that they can serve the most at-risk kids, pursuant to their mission; 
they can serve special-needs kids, commensurate with the district 
averages; they can serve English language learners, and make sure that 
they can fulfill their mission, rather than have some of those students 
squeezed out by those who are in a better position to exercise their 
school choice because they are better informed and better connected.
  The underlying bill improves charter school access and services for 
all students. It truly will help ensure that the limited Federal 
investment we have makes the biggest single difference for families 
across our country.
  Mr. Chairman, public charter schools are simply public schools with 
site-based governance. Public charter schools are free to innovate when 
it comes to scheduling the learning day, uniforms, staffing, 
curriculum, and yet they are accountable for student outcomes, and this 
bill adds additional layers of accountability and transparency to 
ensure that this Federal investment has the maximum possible effect.
  I am proud that before I served in this body, Mr. Chairman, I founded 
two public charter schools--New America School in Colorado, and now New 
Mexico, and the Academy of Urban Learning in Denver. New American 
School works with 16- to 21-year-old new immigrants to help them learn 
the English language and even how to access a college education.
  Mr. Chairman, absent a Federal charter school program I don't think I 
even could have started that charter school. Hundreds and thousands of 
charter schools that have benefited from this program across the 
country will tell you the same story.
  The CHAIR. The time of the gentleman has expired.
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman 
from Colorado.
  Mr. POLIS. Before the State or district money for a public charter 
school begins, before the doors open, there are expenses. Principals 
and teachers have to be hired, classrooms have to be configured and 
outfitted. That is what this money allows. Coupled with strong support 
from the nonprofit sector and from foundations, we have helped give 
with this program life to the ideas that have existed in the minds of 
social entrepreneurs and that have been transformative in the lives of 
kids and families.
  However, Mr. Chairman, not all public charter schools are high 
quality, just as all district schools are not high quality. That is why 
H.R. 10 adds strong protections to ensure that public charter schools 
are accountable that they serve low-income kids and English language 
learners and at-risk kids.
  We invest in quality authorizing practices. What does that mean? 
Well, there are two possible thoughts in authorizing. An authorizing 
entity like a district can hand out charters. Too easy? Hand out them 
out like candy to every Tom, Dick, and Harry that comes in, including 
low quality providers who have no sense of how to put together a school 
budget. Or they can lack quality by never handing one out to anybody 
because they view them as competition with the district.
  But a quality authorizing practice is if you have a great idea and 
evidence that it will work, sound budgetary policy, and a team that 
will make a public school work for kids, you should be able to receive 
that charter and operate that school. We raised the bar on authorizing 
practices, something on which the original authorization for this 
program was silent.
  For those on my side of the aisle who are skeptical of public charter 
schools, this bill brings stronger protections for oversight, 
transparency, and accountability. This program, the Federal charter 
school program, will exist under the old authorization or the new 
authorization.
  I implore my colleagues on my side of the aisle to support the new 
and better 2.0 version for all of the Democratic priorities. Whether 
you like charter schools or not, this program is simply better under 
this bill. This bill has gotten better through every phase of the 
process--better than the bill in last Congress, better than the bill as 
part of the ESEA reauthorization of the Republican bill, better than 
the Democratic substitute. And now as a stand-alone bill, we have the 
ability to send a message to the Senate and a bill to President Obama's 
desk.
  Mr. KLINE. Mr. Chairman, I must say I so appreciate the depth of 
knowledge and the enthusiasm and the passion of the gentleman from 
Colorado. Always a pleasure.
  Another great pleasure for me is to yield 4 minutes to the gentleman 
from Indiana (Mr. Messer), another gentleman from Indiana who was 
traveling with me in my home State visiting charter schools only a few 
weeks ago.
  Mr. MESSER. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of H.R. 10, the Success 
and Opportunity Through Quality Charter Schools Act.
  I want to commend Chairman Kline and Ranking Member Miller for coming 
together on this important bipartisan legislation.
  I also want to thank my good friend from Indiana, Todd Rokita, who 
chairs the Subcommittee on Elementary and Secondary Education, for his 
work on this bill, and thank the good Member Polis for his comments as 
well, and appreciate the opportunity to work with him.
  Every child deserves the opportunity to learn. But too many families 
in America today live in neighborhoods with struggling schools where 
their children don't have access to a high-quality education. That is 
why education choice matters.
  Lots of kids live in communities with great schools, but too many 
don't. Parental choice is the ultimate local control. It allows parents 
to choose the best educational environment for their child, regardless 
of income, geographic location, or lot in life. The freedom provided by 
school choice levels the playing field and helps ensure all children 
have a chance to achieve success in life. As the founder and chairman 
of the Congressional School Choice Caucus, I am a proponent of all 
forms of educational choice, including magnet schools, online schools, 
private schools, home schooling, and traditional public schools.
  Charter schools certainly play an integral role in expanding 
educational freedom. I am very encouraged by this bipartisan 
legislation which will update the charter school program to reflect the 
success and growth of successful charter models by supporting the 
replication, expansion, and opening of new, innovative, high-quality 
charter schools.
  Encouraging the expansion of charter schools is important because 
they empower parents with another free public school option and are a 
driving force in creating classroom innovation.
  Over the past couple of months, I have had the opportunity to visit 
several charter schools that are preparing students for success. Just 
this last month, as the chairman mentioned, I was fortunate enough to 
join Chairman Kline on his trip to visit the Aspen Academy and the 
Global Academy charter schools in Minnesota. More recently, I toured 
the Inspire Academy of Muncie in my district, one of 74 charter schools 
in Indiana serving more than 28,000 Hoosier students. I was impressed 
with what I saw: a diverse group of students actively engaged in 
learning, teachers pioneering fresh teaching methods, and parents 
heavily involved in their child's education.
  In the Declaration of Independence, our Founding Fathers wrote that 
all men are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights. 
Chief among those rights is the right to pursue happiness. In modern 
America, that pursuit begins with a high-quality education. We cannot 
rest until every child in America has that chance.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation.
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to 
the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Loretta Sanchez).
  Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in 
support of H.R. 10, the Success and Opportunity Through Quality Charter 
Schools Act, demonstrating that Congress can actually work together to 
get something done.

[[Page 7670]]

  I want to thank Chairman Kline and my good friend from California, 
Ranking Member George Miller, for bringing this forward. I am still 
waiting for you guys to bring the ESEA to the floor, but I am really 
thrilled that we are making some critical improvements to the public 
charter school system.
  Charter schools were never meant to replace our traditional public 
school system, but I have to tell you that they have grown over the 
last 20 years and I see several of them in my area, just down the 
street really, making a difference in my community--the Orange County 
High School of the Arts, for example, and an elementary school called 
El Sol--all doing great work just under a mile away from me.
  It is really great for us to take a look at the Federal law and say: 
How can we make this even better? Because even though we have great 
schools, like the ones I just mentioned, there are also some charter 
schools that have failed or some charter schools that are actually 
failing our kids, they are not really getting the work done that we 
thought they would do or that the people who envisioned them thought 
would be done.
  While charter schools work towards encouraging innovation in our 
public schools, we really need to take a look and see what these 
schools are doing. H.R. 10 is the first step in highlighting the need 
for charter schools that improve student outcomes while expanding those 
schools that are currently utilizing our best practices.
  I am also pleased to see that the legislation requires greater 
charter authorizer accountability and even more pleased that we are 
finally addressing the under-enrollment of some of our most vulnerable 
students through the weighted lotteries provision. This is incredibly 
important in the area where I live, as I have a very urban area.
  We hold our traditional public schools accountable for the education 
of our future leaders, and we expect charter schools to involve the 
community in their efforts to improve the charter school system. That 
is why I am happy to have worked with both the majority and the 
minority on an amendment that I will have tomorrow which will hold 
public charter schools accountable in fostering and promoting community 
involvement. We all know that when people are involved, when they are 
involved in their school, when parents are involved, we see a mass 
difference in the students who come out of those schools.
  Charter schools must be engaged with a local community to understand 
the students they teach, and my amendment will strengthen that role.
  The CHAIR. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. I yield an additional minute to the 
gentlewoman from California.
  Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. While it is not the final 
solution, H.R. 10 positively contributes to the promise of a quality 
education for every child in every neighborhood.
  Mr. KLINE. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hall).
  Mr. HALL. Mr. Chairman, I thank the chairman for the time.
  Mr. Chairman, as we celebrate National Teachers Week, I do rise in 
support of charter schools and the remarkable job they do in advancing 
high-quality education through innovative approaches in our classrooms 
across the country. With an increasingly competitive workforce, quality 
education is more important than ever, and charter schools play a 
valuable role in the education field.
  Charter schools provide parents and students a choice for what best 
meets the child's needs, classrooms that offer more personalized 
education, and accountability if the school's achievement goals and 
metrics are not met.
  When I was home over Easter, I had the opportunity to visit the 
Phoenix Charter School located in Greenville, Texas. Built in 1986, 
Phoenix Charter School serves over 600 students by providing a creative 
educational experience, one that integrates fine arts into a strong 
traditional curriculum.
  During my visit, I talked with students who were excited to share 
their experiences at the school. They told me they were happy to 
receive a hands-on education in a place that makes them feel at home. 
More importantly, they are thankful to attend a school that meets their 
individual living needs. I walked around the campus and was able to see 
teachers interact with students, and you could see the students were 
fully engaged in the classroom.
  Phoenix Charter School has been recognized by the National Alliance 
for Public Charter Schools for providing exceptional education to its 
students, and this recognition is well-deserved.
  Parents and educators know best what their students need. If a 
student can benefit most from a charter school, that student should be 
able to have that access to that education. I encourage my colleagues 
to join me in efforts to provide students full access to charter 
schools and the innovative way they prepare our students for successful 
futures.

                              {time}  1945

  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to 
the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Polis).
  Mr. POLIS. Mr. Chairman, I want to discuss today some of the 
priorities that Democrats have, which are important to Members of my 
party, which are included in this bill.
  I hope that those on my side of the aisle who are listening tonight--
or the capable Education LAs who are listening tonight, who will 
hopefully advise their bosses to vote ``yes'' tomorrow--will listen to 
how so many of our Democratic priorities are in the bill.
  First of all, this bill makes sure that charter schools do not have 
entrance requirements, that they don't charge tuition, are not 
religious, and don't discriminate against students on any basis.
  We also make sure that low-performing or financially irresponsible 
charter schools are closed and that the authorizer intercedes. We also 
have language in here that gives public charter schools additional 
tools to make sure that they recruit and serve students with 
disabilities.
  We also improve performance oversight and the management for public 
charter schools, new provisions about transparency, and evaluation 
practices. We make sure that each public charter school considers input 
from parents and community members with regard to the operation of the 
school.
  The public charter schools abide by civil rights laws, in that they 
can't charge tuition. We make sure that public charter schools have the 
same audit requirements as traditional public schools, in order to 
prevent fiscal mismanagement and fraud.
  These are some of the reasons, Mr. Chairman, that I encourage my 
colleagues on my side of the aisle to upgrade this authorization--to 
upgrade from the version passed in 1994--to a new and better version 
that incorporates almost two decades of learning about what works and 
doesn't work within the public charter school movement.
  Those on my side of the aisle support good public schools, whether 
they are district schools, whether they are neighborhood schools, 
whether they are public magnet schools, whether they are public charter 
schools, whether they are schools of choice operated by the district. 
We want to make sure that every family has access to a good, high-
quality public education.
  Public charter schools are not the silver bullet alone. They are not 
going to fix everything that is wrong and that needs to be improved 
about public education in the country.
  What they do offer are examples of hope and opportunity for the kids 
they serve. Too many families, Mr. Chairman--almost a million families 
across the country--are languishing on the waiting lists for public 
charter schools; and they are forced to attend worse schools because 
the capacity doesn't exist to serve them.
  This bill will allow quality public charter schools to expand, to 
replicate, and to serve more children, in order to help reduce that 
number. It will make sure that other generations of Americans--
particularly Americans in poverty--are not consigned to lives of 
reliance on government programs or on an

[[Page 7671]]

inability to attend college, but to, instead, have every opportunity 
that this country can provide because they have had a good education.
  In the 21st century, Mr. Chairman, a good education is more important 
than ever for one to be in the American middle class and to live the 
American Dream. At the very time that it is becoming more important 
than ever, we need to redouble our efforts to ensure that every family 
has access to a high-quality school. That is why I encourage my 
colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this bill.
  Mr. KLINE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Louisiana (Mr. Scalise), a man who comes from a State that has learned 
a great deal about the value of charter schools in these few years.
  Mr. SCALISE. I want to thank Chairman Kline and Ranking Member Miller 
for bringing this legislation to the floor, as it is so important when 
you talk about the things that we need to do to help give our children 
better opportunities.
  Mr. Chairman, the charter school movement has literally transformed 
the public education system in New Orleans. If you look at what was 
happening in the city of New Orleans before Hurricane Katrina, it was 
the most failed and corrupt public school system in the country.
  After Hurricane Katrina--I was in the legislature at the time--many 
of my colleagues came together, and we passed a charter system that 
empowered communities to get involved in the education of their 
children.
  What we saw was revolutionary. What we saw were parents finally 
having options and choices to send their kids to schools that were 
competing for those children, schools that were actually providing 
better opportunities.
  Before Hurricane Katrina, 75 percent of the students in New Orleans' 
public schools were attending failing schools, schools that were giving 
them no opportunity and no hope for their future.
  What has happened since with this revolution of the charter school 
movement in New Orleans? What we have seen is that, now, over 91 
percent of the public school students in New Orleans attend charter 
schools.
  What does that really mean for quality? That is ultimately what 
really matters. What kind of education are these children now being 
able to get?
  As I said before, before Katrina, 75 percent of the students in the 
public schools in New Orleans were attending failing schools. Today, 
fewer than 15 percent of those students are attending schools with 
either a D or an F rating because, now, there is competition.
  Parents have multiple options of where to send their kids, and those 
schools are competing for the students. I visited Hynes Elementary 
School last week in my district, in the Lakeview part of New Orleans. 
It is a charter school that is incredibly successful.
  You see such enthusiasm from these young kids. They have an over 450-
person waiting list to go to this charter school. It really is working, 
the fact that you have invoked this competition.
  I want to applaud Majority Leader Cantor. Majority Leader Cantor 
actually came down and toured a number of the charter schools in New 
Orleans.
  Of course, New Orleans is not the only place, but it is probably the 
place in which you have such a dramatic change--again, a revolution--
that has literally served as the model for how you can transform failed 
public education systems that were denying students the opportunity to 
have a future, to achieve that American Dream.
  When we talk about opportunities for children, this is not a 
Republican idea or a Democrat idea. This is our ability to pass on the 
franchise of the American Dream to our children.
  Charter schools have helped expand that opportunity, and that is why 
it is so important that we pass H.R. 10, so as to help replicate those 
successful programs and to help highlight what is working with the 
charter school movement.
  You can look to New Orleans and see just how it has transformed 
people's lives for the better. This is something we need to do. It is 
great that this is a bipartisan effort.
  Again, I applaud Chairman Kline for bringing this bill to the floor.
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Chairman, I continue to reserve 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. KLINE. Mr. Chairman, I am now very pleased to yield 3 minutes to 
the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Paulsen), my colleague from the State 
of Minnesota, which is where charter schools originated.
  Mr. PAULSEN. I would like to thank both Chairman Kline for his 
leadership, along with Ranking Member Miller, and for their working 
together to bring this very important legislation to the floor today.
  I also need to thank my colleague, Congressman Polis, with whom I 
cochair the Charter Schools Caucus, for his leadership and passion on 
education issues.
  Mr. Chairman, we need to pass this legislation. This is an 
opportunity to work together because H.R. 10 will ensure that students' 
ZIP codes do not determine the quality of their education.
  There are too many students across the country who are trapped in 
failing schools, with little hope of ever escaping. Parents want the 
best for their children, but many parents are often left with only two 
options: either an expensive private school or a failing public school. 
Thankfully, many more families now have this third option of a high-
quality charter school.
  Recently, I had the chance to visit Beacon Preparatory School in 
Bloomington, Minnesota, which is in my district. While there, I saw 
students who were thriving in their classes. I saw dedicated teachers. 
I saw challenging academics.
  Charter schools are not tied down by a lot of bureaucratic red tape 
or by outdated traditions. In fact, charter schools are creating very 
new and innovative ways of learning that can help grab students' 
attention and make them more excited to learn.
  Mr. Chairman, in too many States, that debate has sometimes been 
public schools versus charter schools, but it does not have to be that 
way. Public schools and charter schools can coexist to make the system 
better.
  As Chairman Kline noted, in our home State of Minnesota, we were the 
pioneers for the charter school movement 22 years ago. It is an example 
of how this system can absolutely work, and we have a rich tradition of 
providing a world-class education to our students in both public 
schools and charter schools.
  Charter schools are continuing to grow. In 2007, there were nearly 
1.3 million students enrolled in charter schools around the country. As 
we debate this legislation today, there are 6,500 charter schools that 
are now enrolling 2.5 million students across the country, but here is 
the thing: there are 1 million students on waiting lists to enter into 
these charter schools.
  The legislation before us today focuses on the expansion and 
replication of high-quality charter schools. It concentrates on charter 
school models that have had a proven record of success in order to 
raise the bar for everyone and to ensure that those who attend charter 
schools will receive the best education possible.
  Mr. Chairman, this is an opportunity that we have today to show the 
American people we are committed at the Federal level in helping to 
produce the best educational opportunities for all students, so let's 
vote to make sure that a child's ZIP code does not determine the 
quality of his education.
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Chairman, I continue to reserve 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. KLINE. Mr. Chairman, I am now pleased to yield 3 minutes to the 
gentleman from Tennessee, Dr. Roe, the chairman of the Subcommittee on 
Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. I thank the chairman.
  Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of H.R. 10, the Success and 
Opportunity through Quality Charter Schools Act, and I am going to 
sound like a recording because you are going to hear a lot of the same 
themes in this.
  Today, there are an estimated 1 million students on waiting lists to 
attend

[[Page 7672]]

public charter schools. These students and their families believe that 
their educational needs are not being met by their current schools.
  While many of our public schools are doing a great job, too many 
others are failing our children. These kids deserve the opportunity to 
receive a top-notch education, and they cannot wait as we work to 
improve these underperforming schools. They don't have the time.
  Public charter schools provide students with the opportunity to 
escape underperforming schools, while also giving parents more control 
over their children's education. To ensure more access to these 
innovative institutions, the Success and Opportunity through Quality 
Charter Schools Act supports the replication or expansion of existing 
high-quality charter schools.
  H.R. 10 streamlines and modernizes our charter schools program, 
providing our Nation's public charter schools with the flexibility 
needed to encourage innovation at the State and local levels.
  H.R. 10 supports the sharing of best practices between charter and 
traditional public schools. In this way, all public school students, 
not just charter school students, benefit from the innovation at these 
institutions.
  I am proud of the educators and students in my home State of 
Tennessee and of their accomplishments in improving education in our 
State. Since 2003, Tennessee has increased its high school graduation 
rate by 17 points to 87 percent. This is commendable, but it is not 
enough. We can and should do more, and charter schools must be part of 
the discussion.
  Since 2002, Tennessee has opened more than 45 charter schools, giving 
nearly 12,000 students the opportunity to attend these innovative 
institutions.
  Tennessee's public charter schools serve 87 percent low-income and 96 
percent minority students from economically disadvantaged areas, 
providing school choice to the students who need it the most.
  Just like Tennessee, we, as a Nation, must fully embrace all of the 
tools available, including charter schools, to ensure our students' 
success.
  Mr. Chairman, I spent 24 years in the public school system. I never 
attended a private school. The opportunity for students like me who are 
first generation students--college students--to be able to get a great, 
basic public education is really the future of our country. I think our 
very future depends on that.
  Also, while I am here, I want to thank both the chairman, Ranking 
Member Miller, Mr. Polis, and the rest of the committee for circling 
around this extremely important piece of legislation because students 
in the first or second or third grade cannot afford a failing school. 
They have to be allowed to go into a school where they can be 
successful.
  With that, Mr. Chairman, I strongly urge my colleagues to support 
H.R. 10.
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Chairman, I continue to reserve 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. KLINE. Mr. Chairman, I would now like to yield 3 minutes to the 
gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Sanford).
  Mr. SANFORD. I thank the chairman.
  Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of this bill.
  I would just like to thank, indeed, the chairman and the members of 
the committee for their great work on it. At the end of the day, it 
represents expanded choice in education, and that whole notion of 
increasing and expanding the marketplace in education, I think, is 
vital for a couple of different reasons.
  I think it is vital, one, because it is better for students. I think 
it is vital because the local control of education matters. Ultimately, 
I think it is vital from the standpoint of improving and increasing the 
level of innovation that we see in the educational marketplace. Let me 
expand on those thoughts just over a couple of minutes.
  One is that it is vital for students because God makes every child 
different. When I was working in politics in South Carolina, we passed 
a rather major charter school bill.
  We now have over 60 charter schools in South Carolina--right at 60 
charter schools in South Carolina. What it did was it tailor-made for 
students applications that fit who they were.

                              {time}  2000

  So, in some cases, if they wanted to work on leadership, they could 
do so. In some cases, if they wanted to work on mathematics or English 
or technology or the arts, they had venues by which to specialize in 
that which God wired them to do.
  So, one, this idea of increased choices for the students that are out 
there, I think it is vital.
  Two, I think it is absolutely vital to the larger notion of local 
control.
  People invest in things that they have a say in, that they have a 
voice in. What we saw in choice in South Carolina and expanded choices 
on the charter school front was that parents indeed got more deeply 
involved.
  I have not just seen that in South Carolina. I have seen it in 
different spots across the country, whether that is KIPP Academy or 
whether that is the old Marva Collins School up toward Milwaukee. It is 
interesting to see the way in which parents would invest in their 
child's education when they had a little bit more control and a little 
bit more voice. That is true, again, at Bridges Academy in Beaufort, 
South Carolina, or KIPP Academy out toward Houston.
  Finally, I would make this point. It is absolutely vital to 
innovation in education, because the old saying is, the definition of 
insanity is keep on doing the same thing and expect a different result.
  This idea of changing the educational paradigm so that there are more 
choices for kids and parents out there is absolutely critical to 
competitiveness in this country.
  Look at the numbers. I pulled some of them. We are behind 
Liechtenstein, Vietnam, and Iceland with regard to mathematics in 
global scores. We are behind Poland, Luxembourg, and Estonia with 
regard to reading scores in global scores.
  We are behind Canada, we are behind the United Kingdom, we are behind 
Slovenia, we are behind France. We are behind a whole host of different 
places in scores on the science front.
  And so if we are going to change that, if we are going to be 
competitive in this global competition for jobs, capital, and the way 
of life, it is vital that we have bills like this.
  For that reason, I applaud the work of the committee.
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance 
of my time.
  Mr. KLINE. Mr. Chairman, I just want to say that it has been a 
pleasure to work on this legislation. We have heard compelling stories 
here today from around the country--compelling stories of 
transformation of entire cities and school systems, and lives being 
changed through the charter school system. And we have legislation here 
today and tomorrow which will make that Federal charter school law 
better and make the opportunities more available and give more kids a 
chance for success and opportunity.
  This should be an easy vote for Republicans and Democrats. I urge my 
colleagues to lend their support to H.R. 10, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chair, I rise to speak during House 
consideration of H.R. 10, the ``Success and Opportunity through Quality 
Charter Schools Act.''


                   Jackson Lee Amendments to H.R. 10

  I have long supported the need for better data on the experiences of 
children that Congress could use when deliberating on legislative 
measures intended to benefit our youngest citizens.
  Charter Schools are a new addition to education options available to 
parents and their children. It is important that Congress ensures that 
the benefit of a good free pre-K-12 education is available to all 
parents and children of this nation.
  The Education and the Workforce Committee included language in the 
amendment in the form of a substitute for the bill that reflected an 
amendment I intended to offer. The language in the bill that adds rates 
of student attrition as a measure to be considered by charter school 
authorizers in monitoring the

[[Page 7673]]

successes of schools is appreciated and will help gain additional 
insight into children's education.
  Attrition data would help us better understand the impact of charter 
schools on student retention. It would also bring additional 
transparency regarding the drivers of attrition issues such as 
discipline, counseling, drop-outs, bullying, as well as the impact of 
learning disabilities like dyslexia on student retention.
  Although the data reporting is not mandatory, it is my hope that 
charter school districts and charter schools will take up the challenge 
of providing hard data to make the case for their approaches to 
education.
  I offered two amendments for consideration by the House Rules 
Committee that would strengthen the legislative goals of H.R. 10.
  The amendments were simple and were an important addition to this 
strong bipartisan effort from the Education and Workforce Committee to 
bring clarity and improve transparency of charter schools in 
communities around the nation.


                      Jackson Lee Amendment No. 1

  The Jackson Lee amendment made in order by the Rules Committee for 
debate of this bill directs State Education Agencies that award 
federally funded grants to charter schools under this bill to work with 
those schools so that they provide information on their websites 
regarding student recruitment, orientation materials, enrollment 
criteria, student discipline policies, behavior codes, and parent 
contract requirements, which should include any financial obligations 
such as fees for tutoring, and extra-circular activities.
  This amendment will make it possible for parents to learn more about 
how schools deal with important education issues such as academic 
performance, enrichment programs, and quality of education life issues 
programs for children with learning disabilities like dyslexia are 
taught.
  Many charter schools already provide this information, and the 
amendment would support this good transparency practice. This Jackson 
Lee amendment is good for parents and for charter schools because 
parents would have access to information that helps them make education 
decisions for their children; and charter schools would speak to a 
larger audience regarding their education programs.


                      Jackson Lee Amendment No. 2

  The second Jackson Lee amendment was a ``Sense of the Congress'' on 
the promotion of, and support for anti-bullying programs in charter 
schools, including those serving rural communities. I regret that this 
amendment was not made in order by the Rules Committee because the 
prevention of bullying is one of the most challenging problems facing 
school officials.
  Bullying is not a new behavior. Kids have been exposed to bullying in 
school for generations. Now, however, bullying has taken on new heights 
and sometimes victims of bullies suffer severe and lasting 
consequences.
  For victims of bullying, they go to school every day facing 
harassment, taunting, and humiliation. Studies show that 25-35% of 
teens encountered some type of bullying in their lifetime. Bullying is 
a form of violent behavior that happens not only in the schools but 
everywhere.
  The National Center for Educational Studies reports show that 14 
percent of 12- to 18-year-olds surveyed report being victims of direct 
or indirect bullying. 1 out of 4 kids is bullied. The Department of 
Justice reports that 1 out of every 4 kids will be abused by another 
youth.
  I introduced H.R. 2585, the Juvenile Accountability Block Grant 
Reauthorization and the Bullying Prevention and Intervention Act of 
2013. This bill amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act 
of 1968 by expanding the juvenile accountability block grant program 
with respect to programs for the prevention of bullying to include 
intervention programs. The bill's objective is to reduce and prevent 
bullying and establish best practices for all activities that are 
likely to help reduce bullying among young people.
  This year a million children will be teased, taunted, and physically 
assaulted by their peers. Bullying the most common form of violence 
faced by our nation's youth.
  The frequency and intensity of bullying that young people face are 
astounding: 1 in 7 Students in Grades K-12 is either a bully or a 
victim of bullying; 90% of 4th to 8th Grade Students report being 
victims of bullying of some type; 56% of students have personally 
witnessed some type of bullying at school; 71% of students report 
incidents of bullying as a problem at their school; 15% of all students 
who don't show up for school report it to being out of fear of being 
bullied while at school; 1 out of 20 students has seen a student with a 
gun at school; 282,000 students are physically attacked in secondary 
schools each month.
  Consequences of bullying: 15% of all school absenteeism is directly 
related to fears of being bullied at school; according to bullying 
statistics, 1 out of every 10 students who drops out of school does so 
because of repeated bullying; suicides linked to bullying are the 
saddest statistic.
  Statistics on Gun Violence: homicide is the 2nd leading cause of 
death for young people ages 15 to 24 years old; homicide is the leading 
cause of death for African Americans between ages 10 and 24; thirteen 
young people from ages 10-24 become victims of homicide every day; 
82.8% of those youths were killed with a firearm; every 30 minutes, a 
child or teenager in America is injured by a gun; every 3 hours and 15 
minutes, a child or teenager loses their life to a firearm; in 2010, 82 
children under 5 years of age lost their lives due to guns; one of four 
high school males reportedly carry a weapon to school, with 8.6% of 
reportedly carry a gun; 87% of youth said shootings are motivated by a 
desire to ``get back at those who have hurt them, and 86% said, ``other 
kids picking on them, making fun of them or bullying them'' causes 
teenagers to turn to lethal violence in the schools; in 2011, over 
707,000 young people, aged 10 to 24 years, had to be rushed to the 
emergency room as a result of physical assault injuries.
  Victims of bullying often suffer in silence and parents are the last 
ones to know that their child is being bullied or may be a bully. What 
once was thought to be a childhood ritual has been proven by school 
psychologists, law enforcement officials, parents, and students to be 
much more serious.
  Anti-bullying programs can help children understand the seriousness 
of bullying; and assist parents in learning the signs of bullying as 
well as learning how to speak to their children about the issue of 
bullying.
  H.R. 10 will consolidate two existing federal charter school programs 
into one:
  The Charter School Program, which supports grants for charter school 
developers to open new charter schools. The program also provides funds 
to disseminate best practices and provide state facilities aid to 
charter schools.
  The Charter School Credit Enhancement Program assists charter schools 
in accessing better credit terms to acquire and renovate facilities to 
operate a charter school.
  The rule will allow the consideration of the bill that will create a 
new federal charter schools program to promote high-quality charter 
schools at the state and local level; and allows states to use federal 
funds to start new charter schools as well as expand and replicate 
existing high-quality charter schools.
  The bill adds a new component--a Charter Management Organization 
grant program to support the opening of additional charter schools 
nationwide.
  H.R. 10 establishes a new Charter School Program that would consist 
of three parts:
  Grants to support high-quality charter schools will be awarded to a 
State Educational Agency, the State Charter School Board, the Governor, 
or a Charter School Support Organization.
  Facilities Aid will be awarded to continue credit enhancement 
activities and support state facilities aid for charter schools.
  National Activities will allow the secretary of education to operate 
a grant competition for charter schools in states that did not win or 
compete for a state grant and a competition for high quality CMOs.
  The legislation adds five new definitions: a ``charter management 
organization, a charter support organization'', a ``high-quality 
charter school''; the ``expansion of a high-quality charter school''; 
and a ``replicable, high-quality charter school model.''
  H.R. 10 authorizes $300,000,000 for fiscal years 2015 through 2020. 
The bill permits state-determined weighted lotteries and allows 
students to continue in the school program of their choice by 
clarifying students in affiliated charter schools can attend the next 
immediate grade in that network's school.
  I strongly believe that where our children are concerned, Congress is 
in a unique position to advocate on their behalf in an effective and 
forceful way. Letting children know by our actions that members of 
Congress consider the lives of children and their experience to be of 
the utmost importance would help them in countless ways.
  We cannot gamble with our children's future, and ultimately the 
future of our nation. I am committed to finding ways to make sure that 
education is as valued as national defense--because education is 
crucial to our nation's global success in all areas.
  Mr. McCARTHY of California. Mr. Chair, education remains one of the 
greatest keys to success in our society, yet there are children across 
the nation without access to a good school.

[[Page 7674]]

  There is no single cure. No child or community is the same. And often 
the educational solutions in one community won't fit those in another.
  But there are local solutions already working across the nation.
  Recently, I spoke with my friend, Barbara Grimm-Marshall, a 
successful businesswoman with their family company Grimmway Farms.
  For years her family funded college scholarships for the children of 
her employees, but every year applications for that scholarship were 
low.
  She found that when kids in Arvin, CA were old enough to go to 
college, most were not ready. Committed to the belief that every child 
should have a bright future, she took action.
  That is why, in 2011, Barbara took it upon herself to offer children 
in the community the opportunity to achieve a successful. She opened a 
charter school.
  She had never run a school herself, so she did what we are trying to 
promote today; she replicated a successful school, Rocketship Charter 
School in San Jose.
  After only 3 years, Grimmway Academy was a California Distinguished 
School whose students had the highest test scores in the district. 
Grimmway Academy is proof that new ideas and innovation works to help 
our children.
  Sadly, the lack of educational opportunity exists in too many towns. 
We have an obligation to expand educational opportunities and school 
choice so that every child has the chance to attend a successful 
school.
  I applaud my colleagues John Kline and George Miller for coming 
together and sponsoring this legislation.
  Education transcends political boundaries, and this House will 
continue to work toward solutions to ensure the next generation, no 
matter their circumstance, is afforded every opportunity for a better 
life.
  Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Chair, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 10, 
the ``Success and Opportunity Through Quality Charter Schools Act.''
  Mr. Speaker, I support this bill because it strengthens the Federal 
Charter School Program (CSP) and promotes quality, accountability and 
equity for public charter schools participating in the Federal Charter 
School Program.
  H.R. 10 requires public charter schools to be of ``high quality'' in 
order to receive Charter School Program funds to open, replicate or 
expand. Under this bill, ``high quality'' charter schools must show 
evidence of strong academic results for all students.
  H.R. 10 promotes quality in charter school authorizing. This bill 
requires state entities to have in place or be working toward a charter 
school authorizing system that utilizes a process for approval, 
monitoring, re-approval or revocation of authority of public charter 
school authorizers in the state, based on performance of the schools 
authorized by the agency.
  Mr. Speaker, the underlying bill prioritizes equity of access and 
services for disadvantaged students, including english learners and 
students with disabilities.
  H.R. 10, for example, allows grantees to utilize weighted lotteries, 
when permitted by state law, to preference admissions for educationally 
disadvantaged students.
  Along the same lines, this legislation requires that state entities 
receiving a CSP grant provide technical assistance to any charter 
schools receiving funds to ensure they fully understand federal 
requirements for serving underserved student populations.
  Finally, I am pleased that the underlying bill requires that state 
entities receiving a Charter School Program grant describe how they 
will ensure that all charter schools receiving CSP funds through its 
grant will meet the educational needs of students with disabilities and 
english language learners.
  In my view, these improvements to the Federal Charter School Program 
enhance quality, accountability, and equity for charter schools 
participating in the federal CSP program and ensure that only states 
with strong oversight will receive CSP federal dollars.
  In my congressional district, public charter schools like IDEA public 
schools are transforming lives. Under the extraordinary leadership of 
Tom Torkelson and JoAnn Gama, IDEA public schools are closing 
achievement gaps, increasing high school graduation rates, and 
preparing students for college and careers. At this time, I personally 
want to thank them for their outstanding work in the Rio Grande Valley 
of South Texas.
  In closing, I commend Chairman Kline and ranking member Miller for 
their tremendous leadership on this bipartisan bill and urge my 
colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support the passage of H.R. 
10.
  Mrs. McMORRIS RODGERS. Mr. Chair, I rise in strong support for H.R. 
10, the Student Success and Opportunity through Quality Charter Schools 
Act, and the promise that charter schools hold to ensure that all 
students are able to reach their full potential.
  Let me also take this opportunity to congratulate Washington State 
and the eight charter schools that have been certified to open in the 
state within the next two years, including PRIDE Prep Charter School in 
Spokane. Washington State has made significant reforms to its 
educational system and should be recognized for its efforts.
  Charter schools are about empowerment and opportunity. Giving parents 
the ability to meet the needs of their children, particularly those 
students who are disadvantaged, have special needs, or are English 
Language Learners.
  I know firsthand the benefits of a charter school education. My own 
son, Cole, was enrolled in Apple Tree charter school here in DC and he 
flourished. Apple Tree was able to provide him with an innovative 
education that was targeted to meet his needs. All parents should have 
this choice and opportunity for their children.
  H.R. 10 moves us in that direction by encouraging states to expand 
and replicate high performing charter schools. It gives security to 
states and school boards that space will be available to build schools 
or rehabilitate them. Finally, H.R. 10 encourages the distribution of 
best of practices to ensure all schools have access to critical 
information.
  No one in this Chamber would argue that a strong education system is 
foundational to keeping our nation competitive and a leader in the 21st 
century and beyond. And, no one will argue that a strong, quality 
education for our children is integral for their growth, their 
development and their success for whatever path they choose. H.R. 10 
takes us toward that goal.
  I encourage my colleagues to support H.R. 10.
  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of the Success and 
Opportunity Through Quality Charter Schools Act, a bill that 
strengthens the existing charter schools program while including 
important reforms for accountability and access.
  Public charter schools are an important testing ground for new ideas 
and innovative practices that can benefit our entire school system. 
Today's bill supports the expansion of high quality charter schools 
while making vital improvements to the program to increase oversight 
and access. While current law requires charter schools to be open to 
all students, this bill would encourage enrollment and retention of 
underserved populations like students with disabilities and English 
language learners. It also enhances charter authorizing practices to 
include quality controls for student achievement and management.
  I applaud the Education and Workforce Committee for working in a 
bipartisan fashion to bring this legislation to the Floor. I hope that 
we can apply that same spirit of cooperation to fully reauthorize the 
Elementary and Secondary Education Act and improve education for all 
students in every public school.
  Mr. DUFFY. Mr. Chair, on Tuesday, my amazing wife Rachel gave birth 
to our seventh child, a fifth daughter to add to our brood. And whether 
it is our seventh or seventeenth baby, the first few days always feel 
the same. The curiosity of who this little girl will become is just as 
high with her as it was when our oldest was born.
  We wonder, will she have an affinity for math or be drawn to the 
classics? Will she excel in music or languages? Will she have an 
interest in history or world affairs? With all of our children, we know 
only time can answer these questions, but her schooling will certainly 
play a part.
  It is a sentiment shared by millions of parents. That is why I rise 
in strong support of H.R. 10, the Success and Opportunity through 
Quality Charter Schools Act. I am a proud co-sponsor of this 
legislation, and am happy to see it on the floor, especially today.
  My congressional district has the 25th highest number of charter 
schools in the country. All parents want choices and opportunities for 
our children and charter schools provide those options. Schools no 
longer have to be dictated by where families buy their house, and a zip 
code should no longer dictate the quality of education our children 
receive. These things should be chosen based on the education parents 
want their children to receive.
  Demand for charter schools has never been higher. Currently, over 1 
million student names are on waiting lists for a public charter school. 
From New York City to rural Wisconsin, these schools play an integral 
role in educating our children. As our new baby girl grows up, we will 
value the choices she is given because of the Success and Opportunity 
through Quality Charter Schools Act.
  I'm thankful for the committee's work on this important bill.

[[Page 7675]]


  Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Chair, today, I rise to oppose H.R. 10 
the Success and Opportunity through Quality Charter Schools Act, which 
reauthorizes the charter school program in the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act.
  While I recognize that there are public charter schools that are 
providing students quality public education, I reject the notion that 
we have to accept inequity between public charter schools and the rest 
of the public school system. While H.R. 10 does begin to address some 
of the inequities, it does not go far enough in leveling the playing 
field between public charter schools and the public non-charter 
schools--where the overwhelming majority of our children are educated.
  Charter accountability, transparency and financial oversight are not 
sufficiently addressed in H.R. 10, yet they are the cornerstones of 
inequity between public charter and public non-charter schools. 
However, through the amendments process, I tried to strengthen the 
bill.
  One of my amendments would have increased financial oversight by 
limiting the compensation of charter school administrators. Under this 
amendment, charter school administrators' could not be compensated at a 
rate higher than the highest paid education official in the state. For 
New York, that would mean that public charter school administrators 
could be paid no more than John King, the New York State Commissioner 
of Education, whose salary is $212,500 per year. This amendment was 
inspired by a 2013 New York Daily News article which noted that many of 
the city's charter schools' administrators earned significantly more 
than the Chancellor of New York City schools. I believe that public 
charter school resources should be focused on classroom instruction, 
not exuberant salaries. Unfortunately, this amendment was rejected by 
the Republicans.
  I also tried to increase charter accountability by submitting an 
amendment requiring charter schools to disclose their student retention 
rates. In Brooklyn, where families have many charter school choices, it 
can sometimes be difficult to differentiate between the schools. 
Parents who are trying to decide where their children should attend 
school need to have comprehensive information on the performance of 
public charter schools in their area. Knowing the student retention 
rate for public charter schools would enable parents and government 
officials to reach informed decisions about the performance of public 
charter schools.
  Ironically, even the fact that we are reauthorizing charter schools 
today is yet another example of the inequity between public charter and 
public non-charter schools. This bill will likely move forward in the 
Senate, whereas the Elementary and Secondary School Act, which 
reauthorizes public non-charter schools, languishes in the Senate.
  Though my student retention rate amendment was incorporated into the 
bill, I remain in strong opposition to this bill because it does not go 
far enough in achieving parity between public charter schools and 
public non-charter schools.
  There are over 49.5 million public school students in America. Public 
non-charter schools continue to educate the vast majority of students 
in America. Therefore, we must improve and strengthen public education, 
so that our children will be able to successfully compete and thrive in 
a 21st century global economy. To accomplish this both public non-
charter and public charter schools must peacefully, co-exist on 
equitable grounds. No equity will exist until public charter and public 
non-charter schools have the same accountability, transparency and 
financial oversight requirements. Otherwise, our children and 
ultimately our society will continue to suffer the cost of doing 
nothing.
  As the debate regarding the challenges between public charter and 
public non-charter schools rages on, I hope that policy makers will 
devote significant time, energy and resources to address issues of 
inequity.
  Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Chair, today I rise in support of the Success and 
Opportunity through Quality Charter Schools Act, H.R. 10. I believe it 
is imperative that America provide high-quality public education so 
that our students can succeed and compete in the global economy. I am a 
strong supporter of public education, from early education programs 
such as Head Start and Pre-K to higher education and career and 
technical education. As we look to improve educational outcomes, we 
cannot overlook the promise of innovative teaching practices and 
charter schools.
  This new authorization of the Charter School Program makes important 
improvements to the existing charter school framework. In particular, I 
support provisions to aid in the dissemination of best practices from 
charter schools to other public schools, and the updated language that 
helps extend the reach of charter schools into communities that are 
currently underserved, including minorities and those with special 
needs.
  However, the underlying bill is not perfect. While one of the 
founding ideas behind charter schools is to reduce red tape and let 
educators take the reins, there have been worrying reports of gross 
mismanagement and embezzlement of public funds by some charter school 
staff, which requires some attention. I think the amendment offered by 
Representative Castor goes some way to addressing this issue, which 
would require the Department of Education to develop and publish 
regulations addressing conflicts of interest surrounding charter 
schools.
  In addition, I support the amendments offered by Representative 
Jackson Lee and Representative Bonamici respectively, which would 
increase the information available to parents and the public related to 
attendance of charter schools, and the efforts in disseminating and 
implementing best practices across the public school spectrum.
  There is more work to be done improving our education system, but we 
must be mindful not to create a two-tiered public school system. I hope 
H.R. 10 provides the intended improvements to charter schools, and the 
public education system as a whole.
  The Acting CHAIR. All time for general debate has expired.
  Mr. KLINE. Mr. Chair, I move that the Committee do now rise.
  The motion was agreed to.
  Accordingly, the Committee rose; and the Speaker pro tempore (Mr. 
Massie) having assumed the chair, Mr. Bishop of Utah, Chair of the 
Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union, reported that 
that Committee, having had under consideration the bill (H.R. 10) to 
amend the charter school program under the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965, had come to no resolution thereon.

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