Date: 2011-09-08
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Chairman. I yield myself 5 minutes. I rise today in support of the Empowering Parents through Quality Charter Schools Act. and I want to thank the chairman of the committee. Mr. KLINE. and the subcommittee chair. Mr. HUNTER. for all of their cooperation and support in working with the minority on this side of the aisle on this legislation. Both sides of the aisle have strong proponents of this legislation and of the charter school movement in this country. This legislation. because of that cooperation. is the first bipartisan piece of reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. It passed the Education Committee with bipartisan support. and Im hopeful that it will receive similar support from the full Congress. This country is facing a severe education crisis. Our schools are simply not meeting the educational needs of our students. and it is a threat to our global competitiveness and to our economic security. Charter schools began 20 years ago as a laboratory for innovation to help tackle the stagnant education system at that time and to give options to parents who felt helpless. These schools have often become the myth busters of what is possible for a demographic of children that have all too often been written off. Currently. they serve about 4 percent of all public school students. In urban areas. that number is much higher. Charter schools are not a silver bullet and will not solve all of the education challenges. but they have become an important part of the education system. We need to update the law to reflect that reality. The Empowering Parents through Quality Charter Schools Act encourages effective reforms that will help transform schools and communities. First. this bill makes significant improvements to the existing Charter School Program and addresses issues that we have heard from education advocates across the country. It rightfully returns charter schools to their original purposepublic schools that identify and share innovative practices that lead to improvements in academic achievement for all public schools. It requires that charters be brought back into the traditional public school system as opposed to running in a parallel system. And it requires charters to actually serve all student populations and therefore provides more parents with real choices. Second. this bill prioritizes accountability. It puts student achievement first. and it greatly increases the accountability of charter school authorizers and oversight by State education authorities. Third. this bill addresses a recurring problem in charter schools. which is the lack of service to students with disabilities and English language learners. In this bill. we dramatically improve access for underserved populations. We require better recruitment and enrollment practices for underserved populations. Lastly. this bill rightly focuses on our students and what they need to succeed. In many States. highperforming charter schools are a great option for some students. These schools are closing achievement gaps and shattering the low expectations that have stood in the way of student success. Charter schools have been on the forefront of bold ideas and innovation in education. They have shown that. given the right tools. all students can achieve at high levels. We are learning from great charter schools about what works for students and what students need to be able to compete in the global economy. Replicating this success will help our students. our communities. and our economy. With this legislation. we can help ensure that the positive reforms happening at some charter schools will happen at all charter schools. and we can help ensure that best practices are shared throughout that school district. But this legislation is only one piece of the education reform puzzle. Unfortunately. we are not taking up the whole Elementary and Secondary Education Act. but just one part. This country is in the midst of the most dynamic education reform atmosphere that I have seen in my tenure in Congress. The reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act presents an opportunity to take hold of that momentum and bring our education system into the future. The bill before us today is good. but we need to do much more. It will be a tremendous disservice for our children and our country if we do not provide relief for schools that are struggling under an outdated law. This relief should come in the form of a full. comprehensive reauthorization of ESEA. To do that. we must take on all of the real issues facing all our schools. not just charters. We need to address accountability. data. assessments. and college- and career ready standards and modernizing the teaching profession. We all have to hold true to the reason that the Federal Government has a role in education in the first place: to ensure equal opportunity for every student in this country to access a great education. We know what it will take to fix our schools. It isnt a mystery. But accomplishing that goal isnt easy. It takes real political will to overcome ideology and to stay focused on whats best for kids. I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this legislation. and I hope that we can get to a much more comprehensive reauthorization of ESEA in the near future. I reserve the balance of my time.