Success and Opportunity Through Quality Charter Schools Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition, although I am certainly not opposed to this amendment.

The Acting CHAIR. Without objection, the gentleman from Pennsylvania is recognized for 5 minutes.

There was no objection.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank Chairman Kline and Ranking Member Miller for their work on the bipartisan Success and Opportunity Through Quality Charter Schools Act. This is the second bipartisan bill the committee has brought to the floor this week.

I also want to thank the gentleman from Rhode Island, my good friend, Representative Langevin, who I am proud to join in offering this bipartisan amendment. We cochair the Congressional Career and Technical Education Caucus together, and opportunities like this amendment are really at the heart of education: preparing students for viable workforce opportunities and to assist the American economy to be competitive in a global market.

The amendment we have put forward adds comprehensive career counseling to the criteria the U.S. Secretary of Education will consider when making grants to support high-performing charter schools and their expansion.

No matter the school, the further promotion of comprehensive career counseling helps drive curriculum improvements that are better aligned with local workforce trends and the availability of postsecondary opportunities, whether they be non-degree certificate programs, internships, apprenticeships, or 2-year and 4-year degrees.

In all schools, traditional and charter, we must advance every opportunity to guide students into postsecondary opportunities that reflect the individual's talents and interests, which includes offering them the support and the counseling necessary to begin them on that path to mobility and success.

I often say it is not where you start out in life, it is where you end up. And career counseling will help students maximize their individual potential to achieve during that journey.

Our amendment is supported by the American School Counselor Association, the Association for Career and Technical Education, the National Education Association, the American Federation of Teachers, and the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.

I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense amendment that builds on the important and valuable reforms included in the underlying bill, and I thank the gentleman from Rhode Island.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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