Empowering Parents Through Quality Charter Schools Act

Floor Speech

Mr. GRIFFIN of Arkansas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2218, the Empowering Parents Through Quality Charter Schools Act.

This bill strikes close to home for me and my district in Arkansas where one charter school program, the Knowledge is Power Program, or KIPP, as it is called, has had a profound impact on the lives of its students and their families.

In one of the poorest cities in America, the town of Helena-West Helena has instituted a charter school that empowers students from high poverty communities to develop the character, knowledge, and skills necessary to follow their dreams and, more importantly, learn to value a life in pursuit of knowledge and truth.

KIPP students go above and beyond what is required; and for that, our country is a better place. These students have their parents and teachers to thank. They are always accessible and always committed to their education and their well-being. The KIPP approach shows that high standards overcome the obstacles created by socioeconomics and circumstances, as evidenced by KIPP Delta's first graduating class, 100 percent of which now attend college, and the establishment of a new KIPP school in Blytheville, Arkansas.

I urge my colleagues to pass this bill so children and their families all across the country have the opportunity to empower their own lives, their families, and their communities.

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