Press Releases

Today, the U.S. House of Representatives began consideration of the Empowering Parents through Quality Charter Schools Act (H.R. 2218).

In his opening remarks on the House floor, House Committee on Education and the Workforce Chairman John Kline (R-MN) called H.R. 2218 “a key component of our efforts to reform the nation’s education system and ensure more students have access to a quality learning experience.”

Chairman Kline said, “The stories of charter school success are nothing short of impressive. Students who previously had little hope have been inspired by excellent teachers to reach new heights. The tales of groundbreaking programs and initiatives at local charter schools have motivated surrounding public schools to improve. Parents have witnessed children of all backgrounds transition from struggling to excelling as a result of their charter school education.”

“Unfortunately,” continued the chairman, “there are not enough charter schools to meet demand, and hundreds of thousands of students remain on waitlists each year. The legislation we will consider today takes important steps to encourage and support the establishment of more high quality charter schools in communities across the United States.”

Watch Chairman Kline’s full remarks below:

The House Committee on Education and the Workforce is advancing a series of legislation designed to reform elementary and secondary education law, currently known as No Child Left Behind. Over the summer, the committee approved the first three bills in this series: the Setting New Priorities in Education Spending Act (H.R. 1891), the Empowering Parents through Quality Charter Schools Act (H.R. 2218), and the State and Local Funding Flexibility Act (H.R. 2445). H.R. 2218 is the first piece of education reform legislation to come before the full House of Representatives for a vote.

The committee is in the process of developing legislation to address accountability and teacher quality issues, and expects the full package of education reform legislation to be considered this year.  

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