[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 218 Engrossed in House (EH)]
In the House of Representatives, U.S.,
May 3, 2005.
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 are promoting 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 3,300 charter schools are now operating in 40 States, the
District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and are
serving approximately 900,000 students;
Whereas over the last 10 years, Congress has provided more than $1,500,000,000
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 school 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 sixth annual National Charter Schools Week, to be held May 1 to 7,
2005, 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 the public school system of the United
States;
(2) the House of Representatives supports the sixth 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.
Attest:
Clerk.