[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 6] [Senate] [Pages 8160-8161] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]RECOGNITION OF NATIONAL CHARTER SCHOOLS DAY Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I rise this morning to recognize the contribution of charter schools to the education of our nation's children. Today, on Charter Schools Day, we celebrate the hard labor and accomplishments of charter school teachers, parents, and students. In 1993, Michigan became the ninth state to grant citizens the freedom to establish charter schools. Many public school educators had found that the complex labyrinth of federal and state regulations prevented them from providing their students the best education possible. The Michigan State Legislature passed charter school legislation to provide regulatory relief for educators, ensure school accountability, and encourage educators to innovate. The following year, Congress established the public Charter Schools program which authorized $15 million for the Department of Education to support the development, initial implementation, and evaluation of charter schools. During the 105th Congress, I voted for the Charter School Expansion Act of 1998 which increased federal charter school funding to $100 million. Mr. President, charter schools are integral to our nation's education system because they empower citizens to develop schools which meet the needs of their local communities. One fine example of charter school innovation may be found in Michigan's Saginaw County. Four year ago, the Saginaw County Intermediate School District opened their Transitional Academy. This school was designed to educate juvenile offenders and provide them with an individualized education that would allow them to return to their regular schools and graduate with their classmates. Today, I am pleased to report that the Saginaw County Transitional Academy has not only graduated a majority of their students, but that these students have remained crime free. Charter schools are also successful because they empower parents to send their children to the public school of their choice. Last year, Michigan parents sent 30,000 children to charter schools, an increase from 21,000 in 1997. Throughout the nation, charter school organizations report that most, if not all, schools have large waiting lists. These lists symbolize the healthy competition that charter schools have created within the public school system. However, a charter school's primary mission is to educate its students. Standardized testing has revealed that a charter school education has a dramatic impact on its students. All public schools in Michigan, including charter schools, administer the Michigan Education Assessment Program test. Between 1997 and 1998, Michigan charter schools exam results kept pace or surpassed those of traditional public schools. In fact, half of all charter schools in 1998 doubled or tripled the number of students receiving satisfactory scores in one or more subjects. These results indicate that charter schools are truly improving education. In closing, I wish to honor charter school students, who work day after day to develop their skills and gifts. These students are the future of our nation and contribute to the vibrant life found throughout the countryside and cities of America. I applaud them for their efforts and congratulate them [[Page 8161]] on this important day, Charter Schools Day. ____________________