Empowering Parents Through Quality Charter Schools Act

Floor Speech

Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to express my strong support for H.R. 2218, the Empowering Parents through Quality Charter Schools Act. This bill strengthens our Nation's charter schools by making much needed improvements to current law, and I commend Chairman John Kline and Ranking Member George Miller of the Education and Workforce Committee for their leadership on this issue.

As ranking member of the Subcommittee on Higher Education, I want to help K-12 schools to give us college-ready high school graduates and to send them to colleges or 4-year universities. That's why I support H.R. 2218.

In regard to accessibility, this bill helps to ensure that English language learners and students with disabilities have an opportunity to attend and excel in high quality charter schools. Under this proposal, charter school authorizers must ensure that charter schools comply with the Civil Rights Act, as well as Individuals With Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act, and monitor the schools in recruiting, enrolling, and meeting the needs of students with disabilities and English language learners.

I am pleased that the manager's amendment to H.R. 2218 requires authorizers to ensure that charter schools solicit and consider input from parents and community members on the implementation and operation of charter schools.

This bill prioritizes high quality charter schools. By adding a new definition for high quality charter schools and providing priority consideration for States with high quality charter schools, this bill encourages States to set higher expectations for our Nation's charter schools.

This legislation improves charter authorizing. H.R. 2218 ensures that authorizers within the State monitor the performance of charter schools and require charter schools to conduct and publicly report financial audits.

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Mr. HINOJOSA. In my congressional district, the IDEA public high schools, a network of high quality public charter schools, have done a terrific job of preparing minorities, English language learners, and students with disabilities for college and careers. Currently, IDEA public schools operate 20 schools in 10 communities in the Rio Grande Valley.

This year, all the IDEA public schools were rated exemplary, the highest district rating issued by the Texas Education Agency; and our IDEA college preparatory school in Donna, Texas, has been recognized as one of the very best high schools in the Nation. In fact, 100 percent of IDEA public school graduates are enrolled in a community college or university.

I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support H.R. 2218.

I applaud Tom Torkelsen, JoAnn Gama, co-founders of the IDEA Public Schools, as well as the teachers, parents, staff, and community members for their outstanding track record and unwavering commitment to fulfill IDEA's mission of `College For All Children.'

Out nation's public charter schools must strive to be high-performing and inclusive; have the highest standards of excellence, accountability, and transparency; and foster strong, healthy partnerships with traditional public schools that yield successful outcomes for all students.

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