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 27th Annual National Charter Schools Week, to be held May 10 through May 16, 2026.

Whereas charter schools are public schools that do not charge tuition and enroll any student who wants to attend, often through a random lottery when the demand for enrollment is outmatched by the supply of available charter school seats;
Whereas high-performing public charter schools deliver a high-quality public education and challenge all students to reach their potential for academic success;
Whereas high-quality public charter schools promote innovation and excellence in public education;
Whereas public charter schools throughout the United States provide millions of families with diverse and innovative educational options for the children of those families;
Whereas high-performing public charter schools and charter management organizations are increasing student achievement and attendance rates at institutions of higher education;
Whereas public charter schools are authorized by a designated entity and—
respond to the needs of communities, families, and students in the United States; and
promote the principles of quality, accountability, choice, high-performance, and innovation;
Whereas, in exchange for flexibility and autonomy, public charter schools are held accountable by the authorizers of the public charter schools for improving student achievement and for sound financial and operational management;
Whereas public charter schools are required to meet the student achievement accountability requirements under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.) in the same manner as traditional public schools;
Whereas public charter schools often set high expectations for students to ensure that the public charter schools are of high quality and truly accountable to the public;
Whereas 45 States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico have public charter schools;
Whereas, as of the 2021 to 2022 school year, approximately 8,000 public charter schools served approximately 3,700,000 children in the United States;
Whereas enrollment in public charter schools grew from 660,000 students in 2002, to 3,700,000 students in 2021, a more than five-fold increase in 20 years;
Whereas, in the United States—
in 270 school districts, more than 10 percent of public school students are enrolled in public charter schools; and
in not fewer than 26 school districts, not less than 30 percent of public school students are enrolled in public charter schools;
Whereas high-quality public charter schools improve the achievement of students enrolled in the charter schools and collaborate with traditional public schools to improve public education for all students;
Whereas public charter schools—
give parents the freedom to choose public schools;
routinely measure parental satisfaction levels; and
must prove the ongoing success of the charter schools to parents, policymakers, and the communities served by the charter schools or risk closure;
Whereas a 2023 report from the Center for Research on Education Outcomes at Stanford University found significant improvements for students from low-income backgrounds in public charter schools, and when compared to peers in traditional public schools, as each year those students completed the equivalent of 16 more days of learning in reading and 6 more days of learning in math; and
Whereas the 27th Annual National Charter Schools Week is scheduled to be celebrated the week of May 10 through May 16, 2026: Now, therefore, be it
That the Senate—
congratulates the students, families, teachers, leaders, and staff of public charter schools across the United States for—
making ongoing contributions to public education;
making impressive strides in closing the academic achievement gap in schools in the United States, particularly in schools with some of the most disadvantaged students in both rural and urban communities; and
improving and strengthening the public school system throughout the United States;
supports the ideals and goals of the 27th Annual National Charter Schools Week, a week-long celebration to be held May 10 through May 16, 2026, in communities throughout the United States; and
encourages the people of the United States to hold appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities during National Charter Schools Week to demonstrate support for high-quality public charter schools.