House Congratulates Charter Schools

On May 3, the House approved, by voice vote, a resolution (H. Res. 781) that would congratulate charter schools for their contributions to the educational system and convey the support of the House for the seventh annual National Charter Schools Week, May 1-6, 2006. The Senate approved an identical resolution on April 27 (see The Source, 4/28/06).

Sponsored by Rep. Jon Porter (R-NV), the resolution contains a number of findings, including:

• Charter schools deliver high-quality education and challenge our students to reach their potential;
• Over 3,600 charter schools are now operating in 40 states and the District of Columbia, serving more than 1 million students;
• Charter schools nation-wide serve a higher percentage of low-income and minority students than the traditional public school system; and
• Congress has provided nearly $1.775 billion in support to the charter school movement through facilities financing assistance and grants for planning, startup, implementation, and dissemination.