III 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 571 

Congratulating the students, parents, teachers, and leaders of charter schools 

across the United States for making ongoing contributions to education 

and supporting the ideals and goals of the 21st annual National Charter 

Schools Week, to be held May 10 through May 16, 2020. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 12, 2020 

Mr. BENNET (for himself, Mr. ALEXANDER, Mr. BRAUN, Mr. CORNYN, Mr. 

PERDUE, Mr. BOOZMAN, Mr. RUBIO, Mr. LANKFORD, Mr. BURR, Mrs. 

HYDE-SMITH, Mr. TOOMEY, Mr. YOUNG, Mr. CRAMER, Mr. JOHNSON, 

Mr. COONS, Mr. CARPER, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. WICKER, Mr. SCOTT of 

South Carolina, Mrs. BLACKBURN, Mr. CASSIDY, Mrs. LOEFFLER, Mr. 

COTTON, Mr. GARDNER, Mr. TILLIS, Mr. CRUZ, Mr. BOOKER, and Mr. 

MCCONNELL) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 

the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

MAY 20, 2020 

Committee discharged; considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Congratulating the students, parents, teachers, and leaders 

of charter schools across the United States for making 

ongoing contributions to education and supporting the 

ideals and goals of the 21st annual National Charter 

Schools Week, to be held May 10 through May 16, 

2020. 

Whereas charter schools are public schools that do not charge 

tuition and enroll any student who wants to attend, often 


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SRES 571 ATS 

through a random lottery when the demand for enrollment is outmatched by the supply of available charter 

school seats; 

Whereas high-performing public charter schools deliver a 

high-quality public education and challenge all students 

to reach their potential for academic success; 

Whereas public charter schools promote innovation and excellence in public education; 

Whereas public charter schools throughout the United States 

provide millions of families with diverse and innovative 

educational options for the children of those families; 

Whereas high-performing public charter schools and charter 

management organizations are increasing student 

achievement and attendance rates at institutions of higher education; 

Whereas public charter schools are authorized by a designated 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, high performance, and innovation; 

Whereas, in exchange for flexibility and autonomy, public 

charter schools are held accountable by the authorizers of 

the charter schools for improving student achievement 

and for sound financial and operational management; 

Whereas public 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; 


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Whereas public charter schools often set higher expectations 

for students, beyond the requirements of the Elementary 

and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 

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

quality and truly accountable to the public; 

Whereas 45 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto 

Rico have enacted laws authorizing public charter 

schools; 

Whereas, as of the 2018–2019 school year, more than 7,400 

public charter schools served approximately 3,200,000 

children; 

Whereas enrollment in public charter schools grew from 

400,000 students in 2001 to 3,200,000 students in 2019, 

an eightfold increase in 18 years; 

Whereas, in the United States— 

(1) in 214 school districts, more than 10 percent of 

public school students are enrolled in public charter 

schools; and 

(2) in 21 school districts, more than 30 percent of 

public school students are enrolled in public charter 

schools; 

Whereas public charter schools improve the achievement of 

students enrolled in those charter schools and collaborate 

with traditional public schools to improve public education for all students; 

Whereas public charter schools— 

(1) give parents the freedom to choose public 

schools; 

(2) routinely measure parental satisfaction levels; 

and 


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(3) must prove the ongoing success of the charter 

schools to parents, policymakers, and the communities 

served by the charter schools or risk closure; 

Whereas a 2015 report from the Center for Research on 

Education Outcomes at Stanford University found— 

(1) significant improvements for students at urban 

charter schools; and 

(2) that, each year, students at urban charter 

schools completed the equivalent of 28 more days of 

learning in reading and 40 more days of learning in math 

than the peers of those students in traditional public 

schools; 

Whereas parental demand for charter schools is high, and 

there was an estimated 7 percent growth in charter 

school enrollment between the 2016–2017 and 2018– 

2019 school years; and 

Whereas the 21st annual National Charter Schools Week is 

scheduled to be celebrated the week of May 10 through 

May 16, 2020: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) congratulates the students, families, teach3 ers, leaders, and staff of public charter schools 

4 across the United States for— 

5 (A) making ongoing contributions to public 

6 education; 

7 (B) making impressive strides in closing 

8 the academic achievement gap in schools in the 

9 United States and particularly in schools with 


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1 some of the most disadvantaged students in 

2 both rural and urban communities; and 

3 (C) improving and strengthening the public 

4 school system throughout the United States; 

5 (2) supports the ideals and goals of the 21st 

6 annual National Charter Schools Week, a week-long 

7 celebration to be held May 10 through May 16, 

8 2020, in communities throughout the United States; 

9 and 

10 (3) encourages the people of the United States 

11 to hold appropriate programs, ceremonies, and ac12 tivities during National Charter Schools Week to 

13 demonstrate support for public charter schools. 

Æ 


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