“Charter schools work to improve student achievement by returning accountability and parent flexibility back to education where they belong,” Jones said.  “If we want to ensure that each child has access to a quality education, we must continue to provide options for parents, teachers, and children.  Charter schools help to accomplish this goal by bringing quality education to public schools and increasing school choice.”

H.Con.Res. 310 expresses Congress’ support for our nation’s charter schools and their contributions to improve our nation’s public school system.  The measure would provide for the public to conduct appropriate activities to demonstrate support for charter schools across the country.

Charter schools differ from most public schools in their organization and structure, which encourage, and may require, more collaboration among parents, teachers, and students. Charter schools exist in 32 states, including North Carolina, and will serve nearly 350,000 students in more than 1,700 charter schools during the 1999-2000 academic year. 

North Carolina's charter school program has at least six goals:

(1)   improve student learning; 
(2)   increase learning opportunities for at-risk students; 
(3)   encourage innovative teaching methods; 
(4)   create new opportunities for teachers; 
(5)   expand educational choices available to parents; and 
(6)   hold schools accountable through measurable results of student outcomes.