FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 6^th, 2013

Paulsen Introduces Bipartisan All-STAR Act

Expands and Enhances Charter School Options for Families

Washington, D.C. – Today, Representative Erik Paulsen (MN-03) introduced bipartisan legislation to expand and enhance educational options for Minnesota families. The ALL-STAR Act gives current federal programs the flexibility needed to support the financing and growth of public charter schools in Minnesota and across the country. Representatives Jared Polis (D-CO), Tom Petri (R-WI), Rubén Hinojosa (D-TX), Brett Guthrie (R-KY), Susan Davis (D-CA), John Delaney (D-MD), and Aaron Schock (R-IL) join Rep. Paulsen in introducing the legislation.

“Minnesotans can take pride in the fact that we’ve led the nation in developing successful public charter school options for our young students,” said Rep. Paulsen. “The All-STAR Act will give new and already established charter schools the opportunity to grow, replicate, and provide our kids with the highest quality education possible. This bill takes us one step closer to ensuring a student’s zip-code doesn’t dictate the quality of education he or she receives.”

"We want to thank Rep. Paulsen for his strong leadership in support of the All-Star Act,” said Al Fan, Executive Director, of the Minneapolis-based Charter School Partners. “The next phase of the charter movement, what we call Charters 2.0, must be about developing and replicating successful and high-achieving charter schools. This legislation will do that -- putting targeted resources towards great schools and into replicating what works. This is smart public policy and a great thing for Minnesota's kids."

This bill will expand and enhance options for Minnesota families by:

• Allowing state educational agencies, state charter school boards, or governors to award sub-grants to support new charter school start ups in addition to the replication and expansion of high-quality charter schools and new charter school models;

• Allowing local education agencies and charter school authorizers to compete for existing state grant programs, increasing the opportunity for successful charter schools to be created;

• Providing incentives for states to lift arbitrary caps on the growth of charter schools;

• Allowing the Secretary of Education to award grants to individual charter schools in states that have a demonstrated record of success and did not receive a grant under the state competition;

• Providing support for public charter schools to secure facilities through credit enhancement activities.

These provisions will ensure Minnesota communities continue to have access to innovative educational options. Read the legislation HERE.

Paulsen, a champion of small business and advocate of free enterprise, entrepreneurship, and innovation, serves on the House Ways and Means Committee, the bicameral Joint Economic Committee, and is co-chair of the Congressional Medical Technology Caucus.

For more information on Rep. Paulsen’s work in Congress visit www.paulsen.house.gov.

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