III 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 556 

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 SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 8, 2008 

Ms. LANDRIEU (for herself, Mr. ALEXANDER, Mr. LIEBERMAN, Mr. BURR, 

Mr. VITTER, Mr. GREGG, Mr. SUNUNU, Mr. ALLARD, Mr. ISAKSON, and 

Mr. CARPER) submitted the following resolution; which was considered 

and agreed to 

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 all 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; 


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•SRES 556 ATS 

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 40 States and the District of Columbia have passed 

laws authorizing charter schools; 

Whereas more than 4,300 charter schools are now operating 

in 40 States and the District of Columbia, serving more 

than 1,200,000 students; 

Whereas, over the last 14 years, Congress has provided over 

$2,237,256,000 in support to the charter school movement through facilities financing assistance and grants 

for planning, startup, implementation, and dissemination; 

Whereas many 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 schools, routinely measure parental satisfaction levels, and must prove their ongoing success to parents, policymakers, and their communities; 

Whereas over 50 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 1,100 average-sized 

charter schools; 


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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 President, Congress, State Governors and 

legislatures, educators, and parents across the United 

States; and 

Whereas the 9th annual National Charter Schools Week, to 

be held May 5 through May 9, 2008, 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 the Senate— 

2 (1) acknowledges and commends charter schools 

3 and their students, parents, teachers, and adminis4 trators across the United States for their ongoing 

5 contributions to education, especially their impres6 sive results closing America’s persistent achievement 

7 gap, and improving and strengthening our public 

8 school system; 

9 (2) supports the ideas and goals of the 9th an10 nual National Charter Schools Week; and 

11 (3) encourages the people of the United States 

12 to conduct appropriate programs, ceremonies, and 

13 activities to demonstrate support for charter schools 


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1 during this week long celebration in communities 

2 throughout the United States. 

Æ 


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