[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 86 (Wednesday, May 3, 2000)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 25821-25822]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-11139]



[[Page 25819]]

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Part IV





The President





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Proclamation 7297--National Charter Schools Week, 2000



Proclamation 7298--Law Day, U.S.A., 2000



Proclamation 7299--Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, 2000



Proclamation 7300--Loyalty Day, 2000
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  Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 86 / Wednesday, May 3, 2000 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 25821]]

                Proclamation 7297 of April 28, 2000

                
National Charter Schools Week, 2000

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Providing our children the high-quality education they 
                need to succeed is one of the greatest challenges we 
                face as a Nation, and helping communities establish 
                public charter schools is one of the best ways we can 
                meet that challenge.

                Charter schools--public schools that are started by 
                parents, educators, and communities working in 
                partnership--are open to students of every background 
                and ability. They also afford greater autonomy and 
                flexibility in staffing decisions, curriculum design, 
                and other areas than traditional public schools do. In 
                return for this flexibility, charter schools must set 
                and meet the highest standards, and they can remain 
                open only as long as they do so.

                These schools are helping us to meet many of our 
                Nation's most important education goals. They are 
                driving change in public schools across America by 
                showing the benefits of greater parent participation, 
                longer school years, higher academic standards, and 
                character education. Charter schools offer reform, 
                innovation, and increased choice in public education, 
                and, by doing so, they spur improvement throughout our 
                public school system.

                I am proud that my Administration has taken a 
                leadership role in promoting and funding public charter 
                schools. When I took office almost 8 years ago, there 
                was only one charter school in our Nation. By September 
                of last year, that number had grown to more than 1,600 
                in 30 States and the District of Columbia, with more 
                than 250,000 students enrolled and many more on waiting 
                lists. Since 1994, the Federal Government has invested 
                almost $400 million in public charter schools. Last 
                August, I announced the release of almost $100 million 
                in Department of Education grants to develop, open, or 
                expand charter schools across the country. And my 
                proposed budget for fiscal year 2001 includes $175 
                million for the Department of Education's Public 
                Charter Schools Program. These grants and funds will 
                help cover the costs of opening new schools and help 
                existing charter schools hire more well-trained 
                teachers, buy more books, computers, and educational 
                software, and ensure that classrooms are safe and 
                accessible for all students. Finally, these funds will 
                aid charter schools as they develop accountability 
                systems to measure whether they are meeting or 
                exceeding State standards.

                During National Charter Schools Week, I commend the 
                many dedicated parents, educators, students, and other 
                concerned citizens who, working together, have started 
                charter schools in their communities to meet the 
                growing demand for excellence, creativity, and choice 
                in education. Because of their vision and leadership, 
                charter schools across our Nation are helping to raise 
                standards, expectations, and accountability in all of 
                America's public schools. By investing in charter 
                schools, we are investing in our Nation's future.

[[Page 25822]]

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the 
                United States of America, by virtue of the authority 
                vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United 
                States, do hereby proclaim May 1 through May 5, 2000, 
                as National Charter Schools Week. I encourage the 
                American people to mark this observance with 
                appropriate programs and activities that raise 
                awareness of the many contributions that public charter 
                schools make to the education of our children and the 
                success of our Nation.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                twenty-eighth day of April, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand, and of the Independence of the United States 
                of America the two hundred and twenty-fourth.

                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 00-11139
Filed 5-2-00; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3195-01-P