Supporting National Charter Schools Week
Floor Speech
SUPPORTING NATIONAL CHARTER SCHOOLS WEEK -- (House of Representatives - May 05, 2009)
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Mr. POLIS. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support the designation of May 3-May 9, 2009, as ``National Charter Schools Week,'' and to recognize the growing charter school movement in our Nation.
The charter school movement is grounded in the concepts of community empowerment and parental involvement. The core idea behind charter schools is simple, yet powerful; seeking to serve the unique needs of all children, local communities, parents and educators come together to design, create, and manage schools that provide a high quality education through innovation, flexibility, autonomy, and a focus on results.
Sometimes people ask me, what is a charter school? A charter school is simply a governance model. It is site-based government, where the decisions of who runs the school and the curriculum are left up to the folks most directly involved with the outcome.
Charter schools date back to 1991, when Minnesota enacted the first charter school legislation. California followed suit in 1992. My home State of Colorado soon joined the growing movement in 1993.
Since their inception, charter schools have grown by leaps and bounds to address the various needs of our Nation's public school students. Diverse charter schools across the country offer innovative instruction. With site-based control and flexibility, charter schools can make timely decisions about how to structure the school day, which curriculum best suits the needs of their students, and what type of staff and staff development will enrich their school community. Additionally, charter schools form important community partnerships with parents and businesses.
This week, charter schools across the country will celebrate the 10th annual National Charter Schools Week. This year's theme, ``Promoting Innovation and Excellence,'' was inspired by President Obama. It celebrates and encourages charter schools to continue to share their successes as part of the effort to reform public education in our country.
As a former chairman of the Colorado State Board of Education and the founder and superintendent of a system of charter schools that empower new immigrants and English language learners to succeed and live the American Dream, I have seen firsthand how innovation in the education system can achieve remarkable results. I also cofounded a charter school serving youths who are homeless or in unstable living conditions, the Academy of Urban Learning.
I know how the power of educational opportunity can transform lives and serve the most at-risk youth. All of the entrepreneurial creativity around charter schools has been an important part of serving all Americans across our country.
Today, there are almost 4,700 charter schools operating in 40 States that have charter school legislation, as well as the District of Columbia. Their combined force serves over 1.4 million students, and 61 percent of charter schools report waiting lists. These waiting lists of nearly 365,000 students nationally are enough to fill over 1,100 new charter schools. To answer this growing need, between 300 and 400 new public charter schools open each year, and nearly 150,000 new students enroll in charter schools annually.
The growing charter school movement is providing opportunities for many historically underserved communities. Nationally, charter schools disproportionately serve minority and low-income students. In fact, 58 percent of charter school students are minorities and 52 percent qualify for free and reduced lunch. Many charter schools are able to achieve impressive academic results.
In the charter school that I ran, 85 percent of the students are English language learners. In Colorado, 78 percent
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of our charters made Adequate Yearly Progress, or AYP, last year, and 55 percent of charters were rated excellent or high.
In the Second Congressional District of Colorado that I represent, over 14,000 students attend one of our 26 charter schools, and almost 8 out of 10 made Adequate Yearly Progress.
Peak-to Peak Charter School in Lafayette was named by Newsweek the 40th best high school in the Nation, out of 27,000 public high schools--quite a distinction. It is the only school in Colorado to rank in the top 100. This follows Peak to Peak High School's recognition by U.S. News and World Report as a 2008 Gold Medal School, ranking 47th in the Nation, and one of only two Colorado schools to rank in the top 100.
[Time: 13:30]
Mr. Speaker, once again, I express my heartfelt support for National Charter Schools Week and encourage all social entrepreneurs and activists across the country to include charter schools in their efforts to improve the quality of education for young people and recognize the charter school's movement, a 17-year history of providing a quality public education option based on innovation, flexibility, and community partnerships.
I urge my colleagues to pass this resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. POLIS. We need to call upon all the innovation of the American people to help meet the learning needs of all children. Charter schools provide one important avenue to do that. And it is with great pride that I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting National Charter School Week.
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