Congratulating Charter Schools for Their Ongoing Contributions to Education

Floor Speech

CONGRATULATING CHARTER SCHOOLS FOR THEIR ONGOING CONTRIBUTIONS TO EDUCATION -- (Senate - May 08, 2008)

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Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I am pleased today to rise in honor of National Charter School week. The role of charter schools has become increasingly important as these institutions have become 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. In the fall of 2007, 350 new public charter schools opened and an additional 115,000 public school students enrolled in these schools. Nationwide in 40 States and Washington, DC, over 4,300 public charter schools enroll more than 1.2 million public school students.

As many of you know, I have been a longtime advocate of charter schools, which not only help to better educate students, but can also help to build stronger, more prosperous cities. As incubators of innovation in education, public charter schools are an indispensable component of our Nation's educational landscape.

Back home in New Orleans, in the aftermath of the catastrophic devastation from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita came an opportunity to recreate a public school system through bold innovation and community involvement. The educational entrepreneurship of public charter schools has been integral to the city's recovery. They are inspiring positive changes throughout the system, as other schools work to cultivate the same benefits. Our hope is that all public schools in New Orleans will enjoy the same entrepreneurship, independence, and community involvement that the public charter schools have fostered.

Public charter schools were the first schools to open after the storm and they have since thrived. Today more than 57 percent of the city's public school students attend public charter schools, and more than half of our public schools are independently chartered, the highest percentage in the country.

Moreover, public charter schools are gaining momentum and support around the Nation. The recently released 2008 Public Charter School Dashboard included a national opinion poll that found that more than three out of four voters favor giving parents more options when choosing a public school for their children.

As we celebrate National Charter Schools Week with this resolution, it is my sincere hope that Congress will commit to supporting the growth of charter schools as critical tools for closing the achievement gap.

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