May 1, 2007 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S5401 Resolved, That the dustry, ushered movies into the digital era, Whereas charter schools give parents new honors and recognizes the numerous con- championed artists’ rights, and condemned freedom to choose public schools, routinely tributions made by the United States Air intellectual property theft; measure parental satisfaction levels, and Force Academy football program over the Whereas Jack Valenti authored 5 books, must prove their ongoing success to parents, last 27 years to Colorado Springs and the sur- including ‘‘A Very Human President’’, ‘‘Pro- policymakers, and communities; rounding communities, the United States tect and Defend’’, ‘‘The Bitter Taste Of Whereas nearly 56 percent of charter Air Force Academy, and the United States Glory’’, ‘‘Speak Up With Confidence’’, and, schools report having a waiting list, and the Air Force. his most recent, ‘‘This Time, This Place: My total number of students on all such waiting f Life in War, the , and Holly- lists is enough to fill over 1,100 average-sized wood’’, and wrote numerous essays for the charter schools; SENATE RESOLUTION 182—HON- New York Times, the Washington Post, the Whereas charter schools nationwide serve ORING THE LIFE OF JACK VA- Los Angeles Times, Reader’s Digest, Atlantic a higher percentage of low-income and mi- LENTI Monthly, Newsweek, Cox newspapers, and nority students than the traditional public Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself, Mr. other publications; school system; SPECTER, Mr. LEAHY, Mr. HATCH, Mrs. Whereas Jack Valenti was awarded with Whereas charter schools have enjoyed France’s highly-prized Legion d’Honneur, the broad bipartisan support from the President, BOXER, Mr. CORNYN, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. French Legion of Honor, and has been hon- Congress, State governors and legislatures, DURBIN, Mr. DODD, Mr. KERRY, Ms. ored with his own star on the Hollywood educators, and parents across the United STABENOW, Ms. CANTWELL, Mr. HARKIN, Walk of Fame; and States; and Ms. LANDRIEU, Mr. MENENDEZ, and Mr. Whereas Jack Valenti will be remembered Whereas the eighth annual National Char- COLEMAN) submitted the following res- as a dedicated family man, a philanthropist, ter Schools Week, to be held April 30 through olution; which was considered and a voice for copyright owners, a true vision- May 4, 2007, is an event sponsored by charter agreed to: ary whose devotion, intelligence, creativity, schools and grassroots charter school organi- S. RES. 182 and wisdom transformed the film industry, zations across the United States to recognize and as Hollywood’s ultimate leading man: the significant impacts, achievements, and Whereas Jack Valenti was born September Now, therefore, be it innovations of charter schools: Now, there- 5, 1921, in , , the grandson of Resolved, That the Senate honors the life of fore, be it Sicilian immigrants, Joe and Josephine Va- Jack Valenti, a pioneer in the fields of mo- Resolved, That the Senate— lenti, and was the youngest high school grad- uate in the city at age 15; tion pictures and public service, a dedicated (1) acknowledges and commends charter Whereas Jack Valenti married his beloved family man, and a legendary figure in the schools and students, parents, teachers, and Mary Margaret in 1962, with whom he had 3 history of the United States. administrators of charter schools across the United States for their ongoing contribu- children, John, Alexandra, and Courtenay; f Whereas Jack Valenti joined the United tions to education and improving and States Army Air Forces in 1942 and flew 51 SENATE RESOLUTION 183—SUP- strengthening the public school system; combat missions as a pilot of a B–25 attack PORTING THE GOALS AND (2) supports the goals and ideals of the bomber with the 12th Air Force in Italy dur- IDEALS OF NATIONAL CHARTER eighth annual National Charter Schools ing World War II, obtained the rank of lieu- SCHOOLS WEEK, APRIL 30, 2007, Week; and (3) encourages the people of the United tenant, and received 4 decorations, including THROUGH MAY 4, 2007 the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air States to conduct appropriate programs, Medal with 4 clusters, the Distinguished Ms. LANDRIEU (for herself, Mr. AL- ceremonies, and activities to demonstrate Unit Citation with one cluster, and the Euro- EXANDER, Mr. LIEBERMAN, Mr. CARPER, support for charter schools during this week- pean Theater Ribbon with 4 battle stars; Mr. BURR, Mr. DEMINT, Mr. VITTER, long celebration in communities throughout the United States. Whereas Jack Valenti received a B.A. de- Mrs. DOLE, and Mr. GREGG) submitted gree from the in 1946 the following resolution; which was f after doing all of his undergraduate work at considered and agreed to: night and working during the day, and be- SENATE RESOLUTION 184—EX- came the first University of Houston grad- S. RES. 183 PRESSING THE SENSE OF THE uate to be admitted to Harvard Business Whereas charter schools deliver high-qual- SENATE WITH RESPECT TO School, receiving an M.B.A. degree in 1948; ity education and challenge students to CHILDHOOD STROKE AND DESIG- Whereas, in 1952, Jack Valenti cofounded reach their potential; NATING MAY 5, 2007, AS ‘‘NA- Weekley and Valenti, an advertising and po- Whereas charter schools provide thousands TIONAL CHILDHOOD STROKE litical consulting agency that worked on of families with diverse and innovative edu- Dwight D. Eisenhower’s presidential cam- cational options for their children; AWARENESS DAY’’ paign in Texas, Representative Albert Thom- Whereas charter schools are public schools Mr. CHAMBLISS (for himself and Mr. as’s run for Congress, and John Connally’s authorized by designated public entities to CASEY) submitted the following resolu- campaign for Governor of Texas; respond to the needs of communities, fami- tion; which was considered and agreed Whereas Jack Valenti met then-Senate lies, and students, and to promote the prin- to: Majority Leader Lyndon B. Johnson in 1957, ciples of quality, choice, and innovation; the two became close friends, and Valenti Whereas, in exchange for the flexibility S. RES. 184 worked on Lyndon Johnson’s presidential and autonomy given to charter schools, Whereas a stroke, also known as a ‘‘cere- campaign during the primaries of 1960; charter schools are held accountable by their brovascular accident’’, is an acute neurologic Whereas Weekley and Valenti handled sponsors for improving student achievement injury that occurs when the blood supply to press during President John F. Kennedy’s and for their finances and other operations; a part of the brain is interrupted by a clot in and Vice President Lyndon Johnson’s fateful Whereas 40 States and the District of Co- the artery or a burst of the artery; trip to , Texas, in November 1963; lumbia have passed laws authorizing charter Whereas a stroke is a medical emergency Whereas Jack Valenti became the first spe- schools; that can cause permanent neurologic damage cial assistant hired when Lyndon Johnson Whereas more than 4,000 charter schools or even death if not promptly diagnosed and ascended to the Presidency; operating across the United States serve treated; Whereas Jack Valenti resigned his White more than 1,140,000 students; Whereas 26 out of every 100,000 newborns House post in 1966 and went on to serve as Whereas, over the last 13 years, Congress and almost 3 out of every 100,000 children the president of the Motion Picture Associa- has provided more than $2,026,225,000 in sup- have a stroke each year; tion of America (MPAA) for the next 38 port to the charter school movement by pro- Whereas an individual can have a stroke years; viding facilities, financing assistance, and before birth; Whereas Jack Valenti, as president of the grants for planning, startup, implementa- Whereas stroke is among the top 10 causes MPAA, created the voluntary film rating tion, and dissemination of information; of death for children in the United States; system that is still in place today, which Whereas many charter schools improve the Whereas 12 percent of all children who ex- provides parents with advance information achievement of students and stimulate im- perience a stroke die as a result; they can use to determine which movies are provement in traditional public schools; Whereas the death rate for children who appropriate for their children; Whereas charter schools must meet the experience a stroke before the age of 1 year Whereas Jack Valenti’s persona and skill student achievement accountability require- is the highest out of all age groups; combined to give the motion picture indus- ments under section 1111 of the Elementary Whereas many children who experience a try a strong and enduring presence in the and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 stroke will suffer serious, long-term neuro- Nation’s capital, which grew year by year U.S.C. 6311) in the same manner as tradi- logical disabilities, including— during his nearly 4 decade tenure at the tional public schools, and often set higher (1) hemiplegia, which is paralysis of 1 side MPAA; and additional individual goals to ensure of the body; Whereas Jack Valenti presided over a that charter schools are of high quality and (2) seizures; worldwide change in the motion picture in- truly accountable to the public; (3) speech and vision problems; and

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