CONGRATULATING CHARTER SCHOOLS FOR THEIR ONGOING CONTRIBUTIONS TO EDUCATION -- (House of Representatives - May 04, 2004)
Mr. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 600) congratulating charter schools and their students, parents, teachers, and administrators across the United States for their ongoing contribution to education, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H. Res. 600
Whereas charter schools deliver high-quality education and challenge our students to reach their potential;
Whereas charter schools provide thousands of our families with diverse and innovative educational options for their children;
Whereas charter schools are public schools authorized by a designated public entity and are responding to the needs of our communities, families, and students and promote the principles of quality, choice, and innovation;
Whereas in exchange for the flexibility and autonomy given to charter schools, they are held accountable by their sponsors for improving student achievement and for their financial and other operations;
Whereas 41 States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico have passed laws authorizing charter schools;
Whereas nearly 3,000 charter schools are now operating in 37 States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and serving 750,000 students;
Whereas over the last 10 years, Congress has provided more than $1,000,000,000 in support to the charter school movement through facilities financing assistance and grants for planning, startup, implementation, and dissemination;
Whereas charter schools improve their students' achievement and stimulate improvement in traditional public schools;
Whereas charter schools must meet the student achievement accountability requirements included by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, and contained in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, in the same manner as traditional public schools, and often set higher and additional individual goals, to ensure that they are of high quality and truly accountable to the public;
Whereas charter schools give parents new freedom to choose their public school, charter schools routinely measure parental satisfaction levels, and charter schools must prove their ongoing success to parents, policymakers, and their communities;
Whereas nearly 40 percent of charter schools report having a waiting list, and the total number of students on all such waiting lists is enough to fill over 1,000 average-sized charter schools;
Whereas charter schools nationwide serve a higher percentage of low-income and minority students than the traditional public system;
Whereas charter schools have enjoyed broad bipartisan support from the Administration, the Congress, State Governors and legislatures, educators, and parents across the United States; and
Whereas the fifth annual National Charter Schools Week, to be held May 3 to 7, 2004, is an event sponsored by charter schools and grassroots charter school organizations across the United States to recognize the significant impacts, achievements, and innovations of charter schools: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That
(1) the House of Representatives acknowledges and commends charter schools and their students, parents, teachers, and administrators across the United States for their ongoing contributions to education and improving and strengthening our public school system;
(2) the House of Representatives supports the fifth annual National Charter Schools Week; and
(3) it is the sense of the House of Representatives that the President should issue a proclamation calling on the people of the United States to conduct appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities to demonstrate support for charter schools during this week long celebration in communities throughout the United States.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Porter) and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ryan) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Porter).
GENERAL LEAVE
Mr. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H. Res. 600.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Nevada?
There was no objection.
Mr. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers).
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Mr. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 600. This resolution honors and congratulates our Nation's charter schools and the students, parents, teacher administrators, and other individuals involved for their hard work and dedication to providing a quality public education. This week, May 3 through May 7, has been designated National Charter School Week. It is during this week that charter school organizations and others around the United States honor these schools for their continued contributions to education.
The Nation's charter schools deliver high-quality education and challenge students to reach their potential. Forty-one States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico have passed laws authorizing charter schools. Since the first charter school law was passed in 1991, almost 3,000 charter schools now serve nearly 750,000 students in 37 States and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
Specifically, I am honored to mention the 14 charter schools in Nevada that serve nearly 3,000 students. Nevada first passed charter school legislation in 1997, with our first charter school opening in the 1998-1999 school year. The State charter school legislation was revised again in 1999, lending teachers more room for creativity in allowing charter schools the ability to offer an extended school day, as well as an extended school year.
I commend the charter schools in the State of Nevada and across the Nation for recognizing the immense need for improved education and for their commitment to improving student achievement for students who attend these schools. At charter schools nationwide, almost half the students are considered at-risk or are former dropouts. Charter schools serve significant numbers of minority students, students with disabilities, and students that are from lower-income families. These schools give opportunity and freedom to students and parents who otherwise might not have had the chance to receive a quality education.
Nearly 40 percent of charter schools report having a waiting list, and the total number of students on all such waiting lists is enough to fill another 1,000 average-size charter schools across the country. By allowing parents and students to choose their public school, charter schools can stimulate change and improvement in all public schools and benefit all public school students.
In exchange for flexibility and autonomy, public charter schools are held accountable by their sponsors for improving student achievement and for their administration. Charter schools respond to the needs of America's communities, families, and students while promoting the principles of quality, choice, and innovation. Charter schools must meet the same No Child Left Behind student achievement accountability requirements as other public schools and often set higher and additional individual goals to ensure that they are of high quality and truly accountable to the public.
Charter schools have enjoyed broad bipartisan support from the administration, the Congress, State Governors and legislatures, educators and parents across the Nation. The fifth annual National Charter Schools Week held this week, May 3 through May 7, recognizes the significant impacts, achievements, and innovations of our Nation's charter schools. Through this resolution, Congress today acknowledges and commends the charter school movement and charter schools, students, teachers and parents and administrators across the United States for their ongoing contributions to education and improving and strengthening our Nation's public school system.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Tennessee (Mrs. Blackburn).
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Mr. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Green).
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Mr. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. RYAN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
We support this resolution. We appreciate the gentleman's efforts on this. I want to make perfectly clear that we want to show our support and congratulate the public charter schools for their contributions to the system, and say what great students and kids they have, and how we want to support them and their families. This is not a resolution to abandon our traditional public schools, but to show our support for charter schools.
Mr. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
END