Fortunately, charter schools give families another option: access to high quality public schools.

Too many students across the country are stuck in failing schools with little chance of escaping. They are often passed from grade to grade with the hope that the next person will take responsibility for their future.

In fact, there are nearly a million students on waiting lists across the country to get into effective charter schools.

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to see first-hand the great things happening in Minnesota’s charter schools when I visited Beacon Prep in Bloomington.

During my visit, I encountered an atmosphere that cultivated innovation. Students were thriving, the lessons where challenging and classrooms were filled with dedicated teachers. They were presenting new and innovative ways of learning that grabbed students’ attention and made them excited to learn. On top of that, parents are involved in their child’s education each step of the way.

Minnesota has a rich tradition of providing a world-class education to students in both public and charter schools. I have been fortunate to vist 164 schools in the district and appreciate meeting fantastic teachers and outstanding students.

As the founder of the charter schools movement, Minnesota is a perfect example of how charter schools and public schools can coexist. Charter schools and public schools have the opportunity to learn from and help one another to make everyone more successful.

Charter schools have achieved levels of success that few thought possible when this experiment first started. There are currently over 6,000 charter schools serving over 2.2 million students throughout the country. Over the last decade, enrollment in charter schools has grown by 225 percent.

Despite all the success achieved by charter schools, there is still work to be done. There are over 1 million students on waitlists to get into a charter school. Nearly 80 percent of schools have a wait list with an average size of 214 students. Simply put, there is overwhelming demand to open new charter schools.

Recently, the House of Representatives passed "The Success and Opportunity through Quality Charter Schools Act." This bipartisan legislation will reform the Charter School Program to put the focus on states supporting the replication of high-quality charter schools. By shifting the focus to high-quality schools, we are assuring grants going to states are being used to expand and replicate charter school models that have had proven success.

As the debate continues on how best to educate our children, Minnesota should strive to continue being a great example. We have one of the best education systems in the country and we must continue to work together to improve our schools.

Charter schools have tremendous bipartisan support, and I will continue to work to make sure that every family in Minnesota has access to the best schools possible.