On the recordJuly 18, 2013
I thank the gentleman from Colorado for offering this amendment, along with Mr. Petri for his work on this amendment. It's another example of the fact that as we work through this process in committee and here on the House floor, there's a lot of opportunity for the bill to get better and for the language to get better. And I say that as just one of the authors. I rise in support of this amendment, which clarifies some of the uses for charter school startup grants and ensures charter schools are reaching out to underserved populations so they may have an opportunity to attend a charter school. Recently, I had the opportunity to visit the SENSE Charter School in my home State of Indiana. What I saw in the students there was, again, nothing short of young people who are reaching and exceeding their potential. What that visit also showed--and I have seen it in other schools as well, including one right here in Washington, D.C. this week--is that when given the choice, parents will put their children in the school that best fits their educational needs. Choice works, and funding shouldn't be tied to any kind of cookie-cutter standards or programs. It should be about what works and what doesn't. Parents know their children. As we've heard on the House floor all afternoon and into the evening, I dare anyone here in Washington to say, Mr. Chairman, that they know our children better than we do. They are the best to make the evaluation, not bureaucrats.…
