Jasper Packard: “Parents across the nation want greater control of their children's education and greater accountability from their…”

“Parents across the nation want greater control of their children's education and greater accountability from their children's schools. Parents must be able to send their children to safe, quality schools that reinforce the lessons of responsibility and respect that they try so hard to teach at home. Charter schools are innovative public schools that, once freed from burdensome regulations, have made great strides in improving and reforming public education. Today, we consider H.R. 2616, the Charter Schools Amendments Act. This measure will direct much-needed new money to states that provide character schools with a high degree of fiscal autonomy, allow increases in the number of charter schools from year to year and ensure academic accountability. In addition, this bill ensures that 95 percent of federal charter schools' money goes to the state and local levels. Mr. Speaker, some will argue that charter schools would skim the best students from public schools. However, when you consider that 55 percent of U.S. charter school students in 1995-1996 were poor, 63 percent were minority-group members, 19 percent had limited English proficiency, and almost one in five had disabilities, I'd say their arguments have very little merit.”