    [United States Statutes at Large, Volume 117, 108th Congress, 1st Session]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    Proclamation 7666 of April 25, 2003

    National Charter Schools Week, 2003

    By the President of the United States of America
    A Proclamation

    Charter schools provide many children with a first-class education, and
    they have gained national recognition for their accountability
    standards, innovative programs, and success with young people. The high
    expectations they set and the opportunities for development they create
    help students attending charter schools realize their potential and
    achieve their dreams.
    Charter schools are held to the same standards, including curriculum
    standards, as traditional schools, and are also accountable to students,
    parents, and community leaders for producing results and improving
    achievement. By defining expected goals and offering options for
    children trapped in low-performing schools, charter schools help improve
    the overall quality of education in America.
    The success of charter schools is evident in the achievements of the
    children who attend those schools and in the positive response from the
    communities they serve. In little more than a decade, 2,700 charter
    schools have opened in 36 States and the District of Columbia, and
    nearly two-thirds of these schools have waiting lists. Forty States and
    the District of Columbia have enacted charter school laws, and this year
    four additional States began considering charter school laws. To help
    State and local districts provide parents with more quality education
    alternatives, I have proposed increased funding for charter schools so
    that more of our children can receive the gift of a good education.
    The accomplishments of charter schools prove that we can improve our
    public education system by replacing low expectations with a culture of
    achievement that rewards success and does not tolerate failure. Over the
    last 2 years, my Administration has taken steps to realize this vision
    by supporting accountability for results, expanded parental choice,
    increased local flexibility, and a focus on what works. With the No
    Child Left Behind Act of 2001, we continue to build a stronger
    educational foundation for America's children. States are now
    responsible for improving student achievement in public schools by
    maintaining tough academic standards and setting annual progress goals.
    The law further requires regular testing to ensure all students are
    proficient in reading and math and to help identify learning problems.
    My Administration is working to provide the resources schools need to
    fund education reform and achieve these high standards. We have
    increased funding for elementary and secondary education by 36 percent
    in the last 2 years, and the Federal Government will spend nearly $24
    billion on these programs this year. Through the new Reading First
    program, over $500 million has been distributed to 29 States to assist
    with reading programs that help ensure that our children will know how
    to read by the third grade. Expansions of our charter schools, and
    reforms in traditional public schools, are helping build the mind and
    character of our future leaders.

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    During National Charter Schools Week, we renew our commitment to our
    children and their education. I urge every American to visit a charter
    school and learn about its efforts to help children in their community.
    Charter schools are just one of many successful alternatives that ensure
    that no child is left behind. By raising expectations and fostering
    hope, we can help build a future of promise for our next generation of
    Americans.
    NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, 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 April 27 through May 3,
    2003, as National Charter Schools Week. I commend the States with
    charter schools, and I call on parents of charter school children to
    share their success stories with others so that all Americans may
    understand more about the important work of charter schools.
    IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-fifth day of
    April, in the year of our Lord two thousand three, and of the
    Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-
    seventh.
    GEORGE W. BUSH