President Bush, Senator Lieberman & others
praise charter schools as part of "National Charter Schools
Week"
WA CHARTERS, Thursday, May 2, 2002
Dear Friends,
Political leaders of both Republican and Democratic
persuasions are taking time this week to honor America's 2,400+
charter schools, their 550,000+ students, and the educators, parents
and community leaders who created them.
National Charter Schools Week is being
celebrated for the third consecutive year. This year's celebration
is particularly meaningful in that this is the 10-year anniversary
of the opening of America's first charter school (in Minnesota)
in 1992.
Here are some of the highlights:
U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige:
"Charter schools embody the principles of President Bush's
NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND plan - marrying strict accountability for
results, greater options for parents and families, and more freedom
and flexibility than traditional public schools. This week, we
will celebrate the success of these schools and how they're changing
the education landscape across the country." (U.S. Department
of Education Press Release, April 25, 2002)
U.S. Senator (and former Vice Presidential
Candidate) Joe Lieberman: "From seeing several charter
schools up close, I am convinced that they represent one of the
most promising engines of education reform in the country today.
Charter schools grant educators freedom from top-heavy bureaucracies
and their red tape in exchange for a commitment to meet high academic
standards. . . . The results speak for themselves. Today, over
500,000 students attend more than 2,400 charter schools in 34
states, the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Puerto
Rico. And nationwide, charter schools have combined waiting lists
long enough to fill another 1,000 schools. Parents and educators
in turn have given these programs overwhelmingly high marks. Growing
research shows that charter schools are effectively serving diverse
populations, particularly many of the disadvantaged and at-risk
children that traditional public schools have struggled to educate.
. . . Recognizing that greater choice and accountability enhances
our public education system, I recently urged all American colleges
and universities to create charter schools. Parents are crying
out for more high-quality public school options that prepare their
children for college, and colleges are perfectly positioned to
help." (Congressional Record, April 25, 2002)
Governors issuing pro-charter school Proclamations:
Gray Davis (CA); John Rowland (CT); Ruth Minner (DE); Roy Barnes
(GA); George Ryan (IL); Jane Swift (MA); Jesse Ventura (MN); Ronnie
Musgrove (MS); Kenny Guinn (NV); James McGreevey (NJ); Michael
Easley (NC); Mark Schweiker (PA); Jim Hodges (SC); and Scott McCallum
(WI). (Charter Friends National Network, www.charterfriends.org).
As you know, Washington State is not celebrating
National Charter Schools Week because our state remains one of
the 13 "laggard" states that have still, after 10 years,
failed to authorize charter schools in any form, even for children
trapped in "persistently low performing schools." As
a result, families and educators have fewer choices, children
continue to "fall through the cracks" and Washington
state forfeits more than $2,000,000 EACH YEAR in federal charter
school funding.
Please contact your local legislators (each legislative
district has 2 representatives and one senator) and inform them
of your strong support for bringing charter schools to Washington
State. This is easy to do. Simply call the toll-free Legislative
Hotline at 800-562-6000 and ask the operator to leave the same
message for each of your local legislators. Your phone call will
help set the stage for the November 2002 elections and the January
2003 Legislative Session.
THANK YOU for everything you're doing to bring
these innovative, independent public schools to children, families
and educators of Washington State. HOLD THE VISION!
Jim
Jim & Fawn Spady, co-directors,
Education Excellence Coalition
4426 - 2nd Avenue NE
Seattle, WA 98105-6191
Jim office phone: 206/634-0589
Jim & Fawn home phone: 206/275-2089
Jim e-mail address:JimSpady@aol.co
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