III 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 138 

Congratulating the students, parents, teachers, and administrators of charter 

schools across the United States for their ongoing contributions to education, and supporting the ideals and goals of the 14th annual National 

Charter Schools Week, to be celebrated the week of May 5 through 

May 11, 2013. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 9, 2013 

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

KIRK, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. ISAKSON, Mr. RUBIO, Mr. CORNYN, Mr. CRUZ, 

Mrs. FEINSTEIN, and Mr. MCCONNELL) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Congratulating the students, parents, teachers, and administrators of charter schools across the United States for 

their ongoing contributions to education, and supporting 

the ideals and goals of the 14th annual National Charter 

Schools Week, to be celebrated the week of May 5 

through May 11, 2013. 

Whereas charter schools are public schools that do not charge 

tuition and that enroll any student who wants to attend, 

often through a random lottery when too many students 

want to attend a single charter school; 

Whereas charter schools deliver high-quality public education 

and challenge all students to reach their potential; 


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•SRES 138 ATS 

Whereas charter schools promote innovation and excellence in 

public education; 

Whereas charter schools provide thousands of families with 

diverse and innovative educational options for their children; 

Whereas charter schools are authorized by a designated public entity and— 

(1) respond to the needs of communities, families, 

and students in the United States; and 

(2) promote the principles of quality, accountability, 

choice, and innovation; 

Whereas, in exchange for flexibility and autonomy, charter 

schools are held accountable by their sponsors for improving student achievement and for the financial and 

other operations of the charter schools; 

Whereas charter schools are required to meet the student 

achievement accountability requirements under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 

U.S.C. 6301 et seq.) in the same manner as traditional 

public schools; 

Whereas charter schools often set higher expectations for students in addition to the requirements under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 

6301 et seq.) to ensure that charter schools are of high 

quality and are truly accountable to the public; 

Whereas 42 States and the District of Columbia have enacted 

laws authorizing charter schools; 

Whereas more than 6,000 charter schools are serving more 

than 2,300,000 children; 

Whereas, in the United States— 


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•SRES 138 ATS 

(1) in 110 school districts, more than 10 percent of 

public school students are enrolled in charter schools; 

(2) in 25 school districts, more than 20 percent of 

public school students are enrolled in charter schools; and 

(3) in 7 districts, at least 30 percent of public school 

students are enrolled in charter schools; 

Whereas charter schools improve the achievement of students 

they enroll and stimulate improvement in traditional public schools; 

Whereas charter schools— 

(1) give parents the freedom to choose public 

schools; 

(2) routinely measure parental satisfaction levels; 

and 

(3) must prove their ongoing success to parents, policymakers, and the communities they serve; 

Whereas an estimated 610,000 students were on waiting lists 

to attend charter schools before the beginning of the 

2011–2012 academic year; and 

Whereas the 14th annual National Charter Schools Week is 

scheduled to be celebrated the week of May 5 through 

May 11, 2013: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) congratulates the students, parents, teach3 ers, and administrators of charter schools across the 

4 United States for— 

5 (A) their ongoing contributions to edu6 cation; 


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•SRES 138 ATS 

1 (B) impressive strides made in closing the 

2 academic achievement gap in schools in the 

3 United States; and 

4 (C) improving and strengthening the public 

5 school system in the United States; 

6 (2) supports the ideals and goals of the 14th 

7 annual National Charter Schools Week, a weeklong 

8 celebration to be held the week of May 5 through 

9 May 11, 2013, in communities throughout the 

10 United States; and 

11 (3) encourages the people of the United States 

12 to hold appropriate programs, ceremonies, and ac13 tivities during National Charter Schools Week to 

14 demonstrate support for charter schools. 

Æ 


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