IV 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 218 

Congratulating charter schools and their students, parents, teachers, and 

administrators across the United States for their ongoing contributions 

to education, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 19, 2005 

Mr. PORTER (for himself and Mr. BOEHNER) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce 

RESOLUTION 

Congratulating charter schools and their students, parents, 

teachers, and administrators across the United States 

for their ongoing contributions to education, and for 

other purposes. 

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; 
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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; 
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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 averagesized 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 

1 Resolved, That— 

2 (1) the House of Representatives acknowledges 

3 and commends charter schools and their students, 

4 parents, teachers, and administrators across the 

5 United States for their ongoing contributions to edu6 cation and improving and strengthening the public 

7 school system of the United States; 

8 (2) the House of Representatives supports the 

9 sixth annual National Charter Schools Week; and 

10 (3) it is the sense of the House of Representa11 tives that the President should issue a proclamation 
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•HRES 218 IH 

1 calling on the people of the United States to conduct 

2 appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities to 

3 demonstrate support for charter schools during this 

4 week-long celebration in communities throughout the 

5 United States. 

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