III

106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. CON. RES. 310

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

MAY 4, 2000

Received and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Supporting a National Charter Schools Week.

Whereas charter schools are public schools authorized by a

designated public body and operating on the principles of

accountability, parent flexibility, choice, and autonomy;

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;
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HCON 310 RFS

Whereas 36 States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico have passed laws authorizing

charter schools;

Whereas 35 States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico will have received more than

$350 million in grants from the Federal Government by

the end of the current fiscal year for planning, startup,

and implementation of charter schools since their authorization in 1994 under title X, part C of the Elementary

and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 8061

et seq.);

Whereas 32 States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico are serving approximately

350,000 students in more than 1,700 charter schools

during the 1999 to 2000 school year;

Whereas charter schools can be vehicles both for improving

student achievement for students who attend them and

for stimulating change and improvement in all public

schools and benefitting all public school students;

Whereas charter schools in many States serve significant

numbers of students with lower income, students of color,

and students with disabilities;

Whereas the Charter Schools Expansion Act of 1998 (Public

Law 105–278) amended the Federal grant program for

charter schools authorized by title X, part C of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20

U.S.C. 8061 et seq.) to strengthen accountability provisions at the Federal, State, and local levels to ensure that

charter public schools are of high quality and are truly

accountable to the public;

Whereas 7 of 10 charter schools report having a waiting list;
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HCON 310 RFS

Whereas students in charter schools nationwide have similar

demographic characteristics as students in all public

schools;

Whereas charter schools have enjoyed broad bipartisan support from the Administration, the Congress, State governors and legislatures, educators, and parents across the

Nation; and

Whereas charter schools are laboratories of reform and serve

as models of how to educate children as effectively as

possible: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That—

3 (1) the Congress acknowledges and commends

4 the charter school movement for its contribution to

5 improving our Nation’s public school system; and

6 (2) it is the sense of the Congress that—

7 (A) a National Charter Schools Week

8 should be established; and

9 (B) the President should issue a proclama10 tion calling on the people of the United States

11 to conduct appropriate programs, ceremonies,

12 and activities to demonstrate support for char13 ter schools in communities throughout the Na14 tion.

Passed the House of Representatives May 3, 2000.

Attest: JEFF TRANDAHL,

Clerk.