SR127APR29

TheWeekInCongress.com

Week Ending April 29, 2005

Senate Resolution 127 congratulating charter schools and their students, parents, teachers and administrators across the US for their ongoing contributions to education and for other purposes.

BRIEF

Charter schools in America live in that ground between a public school and a private school. Chartering on their own and setting standards to meet or exceed Federal school standards they also receive taxpayer dollars; $1.5 billion over the past ten years, the Resolution preamble said.

Currently there are 900,000 students attending 3,300 charter schools in 40 States.

Sponsor: Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH)

Vote: Passed Senate by Unanimous Consent (April 27, 2005)

Cost to the taxpayers: No discernible cost.

MORE INFORMATION

COMMENTS FROM SENATOR GREGG

THE RESOLUTION

S. Res. 127

Whereas charter schools deliver high-quality education and challenge our students to reach their potential;

Whereas charter schools provide thousands of families with diverse and innovative educational options for their children;

Whereas charter schools are public schools authorized by a designated public entity that are responding to the needs of our communities, families, and students and 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 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 under 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, routinely measure parental satisfaction levels, and 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, 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 through 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 Senate 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 Senate supports the sixth annual National Charter Schools Week; and

(3) it is the sense of the Senate 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 weeklong celebration in communities throughout the United States.

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COMMENTS FROM SENATOR GREGG

“Mr. President, today I am joined by my colleagues Senators LIEBERMAN, FRIST, LANDRIEU, SUNUNU, ALEXANDER, DEMINT, DOLE, VITTER, BURR, in support of this resolution to designate the week of May 1 through May 7, 2005 as National Charter Schools Week. This year marks the 13th anniversary of the opening of the nation's first charter school in Minnesota. Since that time, charter schools have experienced tremendous growth as more and more parents discover for themselves why surveys show such high levels of parental satisfaction with charter schools. Today, there are almost 3,300 charter schools serving nearly 900,000 students in 40 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, up from 3,000 schools serving 750,000 students just 1 year ago. Nearly 40 percent of these schools report having waiting lists, and there are enough students on these waiting lists to fill another 1,000 average-sized charter schools.

“Charter schools serve a unique role in public education. They are designed to be free from many of the burdensome regulations and policies that govern traditional public schools. They are founded and run by principals, teachers and parents who share a common vision of education, a vision which guides each and every decision made at the schools, from hiring personnel to selecting curricula. Furthermore, charter schools are held strictly accountable for student performance--if they fail to educate their students well and meet the goals of their charters, they are closed. Most importantly, charter schools are raising student achievement. Research has shown that charter school students are more likely to be proficient in reading and math than students in neighboring traditional schools, and that the greatest achievement gains can be seen among African American, Hispanic, and low-income students. Research also shows that the longer charter schools have been in operation, the more they outdistance traditional scores in student performance.

“Since each charter school represents the unique vision of its founders, these schools vary greatly, but all strive for excellence. There are countless examples of charter schools that are having an enormous impact on their students both academically and personally, and on the surrounding community.

“For example, the Vaughn Next Century Learning Center in San Fernando, CA, serves students in grades K-12, 97 percent of whom qualify for free lunch, and 87 percent of whom speak limited English. Fifteen years ago, the Vaughn Street School was a haven for drug deals and violence, and students' test scores were the lowest in the San Fernando Valley. Since it converted to a charter school in 1993, Vaughn rose from the ninth percentile in language arts and the eleventh percentile in math to become a National Blue Ribbon School. Test scores have gone up 330 percent in the past 5 years alone. As a result of the autonomy granted by converting to charter status, Vaughn has been able to redirect considerable resources to programmatic efforts, including an extended school year and comprehensive afterschool program. The school has also expanded its offerings to the greater community, including a school-based clinic, family center, business co-op, and library.

“Cincinnati's W.E.B. DuBois Academy, serving children in grades 1 through 8, recently became the only elementary school in the city and one of only 102 schools in Ohio to be recognized as a ``School of Promise.'' The recognition follows a period of remarkable improvement for the low-income school, which now boasts that 100 percent of its students passed State tests in six areas. The school has met the State's requirements for Adequate Yearly Progress, and is closing the achievement gap--and has generated a lengthy waiting list along the way. The W.E.B. DuBois Academy attributes its success to extended research-based instructional time, performance-based pay for teachers, strict discipline, and a rewards system that reinforces outstanding academic performance. Says founder Wilson H. Willard III, ``We've implemented a research-based system that addresses the constraints that compromise traditional education. In doing so, we've generated successful academic results for hundreds of our students. ..... defying convention has built success for the school, and most importantly, each student in it. In the end, that's what really matters.''

“These are but a few of the promising schools in the charter movement, which includes a wide range of schools serving a variety of different learning needs and styles, often at a lower cost than traditional public schools. I am pleased that four such schools have launched in New Hampshire this year, ranging from the State's first school for deaf and hard of hearing students to academies focused on the arts, technology, and business. Several more schools will soon open their doors in the Granite State, offering additional options for parents and students, including those most at risk.

“I expect that we will see charter schools continue to expand both in New Hampshire and nationally. Three years ago, the President signed into law the No Child Left Behind Act, which gives parents in low-performing schools the option to transfer their children to another public school. No Child Left Behind also provides school districts with the option of converting low-performing schools into charter schools. I believe these provisions will strengthen the charter school movement by creating more opportunities for charter school development. And, as parents exercise their right to school choice and ``vote with their feet'', the demand for charters schools will increase.

“I commend the ever-growing number of people involved in the charter school movement, from parents and teachers to community leaders and members of the business community. Together, they have led the charge in education reform and are helping transform our system of public education. Districts with a large number of charter schools have reported that they are becoming more customer service-oriented, increasing interaction with parents, and creating new education programs, many of which are similar to those offered by charter schools. These improvements benefit all our students,

not just those who choose charter schools.

“I encourage my colleagues to visit a charter school during National Charter Schools Week to witness firsthand the ways in which these innovative schools are making a difference, both in the lives of the students they serve as well as in the communities in which they reside.”

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