HJ0136 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HJ0136 LRB095 21570 NHT 51556 r

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, A charter school is a public school opened and operated by community organizations, universities, foundations, and school teachers with its own unique mission and focus, set by its board in accordance with the Charter Schools Law, which provides schools with autonomy in exchange for greater accountability; and

WHEREAS, In 1996, the General Assembly enacted the Charter Schools Law to "promote new options within the public school system" and "provide pupils, educators, community members, and parents with the stimulus to strive for educational excellence"; and

WHEREAS, There are now almost 20,000 students attending this State's charter schools; and

WHEREAS, Charter schools are a part of public education reform in this State; charters are not the single solution for all education needs, but they can offer flexible and innovative educational techniques and programs to talented professional educators and community members who otherwise lack an avenue through which to provide education within the public school system; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that, in order to investigate the effectiveness of charter schools and gather information, there is convened a task force of the General Assembly that consists of 5 House members from the majority party appointed by the Speaker of the House, 4 House members from the minority party appointed by the Minority Leader of the House, 5 Senate members from the majority party appointed by the President of the Senate, and 4 Senate members from the minority party appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate; and be it further

RESOLVED, That this task force shall do the following:

(1) identify the statutory and public policy limitations that have affected charter school operations;

(2) determine if changes to the charter school sector are needed to alleviate demand for charter schools throughout this State;

(3) identify the effectiveness of charter schools under current law and the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001; and

(4) assess current State Board of Education policies and practices to determine if they are maximizing the effectiveness of charter schools in increasing teaching and learning resources for students and teachers and improving performance in school districts across this State; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the task force shall file a report with the General Assembly concerning its findings on or before October 15, 2008; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the task force shall encourage the participation of as well as entertain questions from representatives of the following entities and any other interested parties: the Illinois Network of Charter Schools, the Illinois Federation of Teachers, the Chicago Teachers Union, Service Employees International Union, the Illinois Education Association, the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago, the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, the Metropolitan Planning Council, the State Board of Education, and the Alternative Schools Network.