A resolution congratulating the students, parents, teachers, and leaders of charter schools across the United States for making ongoing contributions to education and supporting the ideals and goals of the 26th Annual National Charter Schools Week, to be held May 11 through May 17, 2025.
This is a Senate resolution (S. Res. 238) that publicly congratulates charter schools and their communities—students, parents, teachers, and leaders—for their ongoing contributions to education and for supporting the goals of National Charter Schools Week. The resolution acknowledges charter schools as public, tuition-free options that promote innovation, accountability, and community responsiveness, and it affirms the goal of celebrating the 26th Annual National Charter Schools Week (May 11–17, 2025). While it highlights positive outcomes and data related to charter school growth and performance, it does not create new policy or funding; its primary effect is symbolic support and public messaging in favor of high-quality charter schools and related programs.
Key Points
- 1The resolution congratulates students, families, teachers, leaders, and staff of U.S. public charter schools for their contributions to education and for advancing the ideals of National Charter Schools Week.
- 2It supports the ideals and goals of the 26th Annual National Charter Schools Week (May 11–May 17, 2025) and encourages nationwide programs and activities during that week to demonstrate public support for high-quality public charter schools.
- 3Charter schools are described as public, tuition-free options that enroll any student who wants to attend (often via lottery when demand exceeds supply) and are designed to respond to community needs while promoting quality, accountability, choice, high performance, and innovation.
- 4The resolution notes that charter schools operate under accountability to authorizers and must meet student achievement requirements under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) just like traditional public schools, with a focus on measurable performance and responsible financial/operational management.
- 5It presents data illustrating growth and impact: charters exist in 45 states plus DC, Guam, and Puerto Rico (as of the time cited), with about 8,000 public charter schools serving roughly 3.7 million students in the 2021–2022 school year; enrollment growth from 660,000 in 2002 to 3.7 million in 2021. It also cites Stanford’s 2023 findings that low-income students in charter schools often gain more learning days in reading and math compared to peers in traditional public schools.