by Georgia Center for Opportunity | Feb 11, 2014
Georgia State Capitol image via Wikipedia
By Jacob Stubbs, GCO Legislative Intern
While I was a government major as an undergraduate, I had never really encountered anything close to actual politics. This is not necessarily a bad thing, for I was quite interested in the philosophical systems that underlie the beliefs that shape political action. With this focus, I did not take the general classes over political parties, the legislative branch, etc.
Following my time as an undergraduate, I served as a Fellow at the John Jay Institute where I read more political theory and continued to discuss the philosophy that underlies political science. When GCO approved my internship, I was quite nervous about actually encountering practical applications of political science. My professional mentors were all in agreement that this internship would be a great experience for me to finally be able to come down from the clouds and actually apply what I had been learning in a practical way.
When I started work at the Capitol, I realized that, despite my reading and research for the previous few weeks, my impression of how the political system worked was rather off base. For example, I was not aware of the amount of lobbyists that I would encounter. Reflecting on this with Eric Cochling, GCO’s Vice President of Policy Advancement, I was told that there were about 1000 lobbyists currently registered in the state of Georgia. Certainly, I would not have initially guessed this.
Though I did not expect to hear politicians talking about Plato’s Just City in Speech and its anti-utopian warnings, I was still a little surprised at how practical the discussions actually were. It makes sense that any discussion of Plato or Aristotle or virtue ethics would be out of place when you’re trying to determine how much money the state should allocate toward education expenditures. That being said, there have been certain “theoretical” discussions in some of the committee meetings I’ve attended thus far, such as issues of federalism, private property, and the extent of free speech. Furthermore, even deeper theoretical issues such as personal autonomy and privacy, have begun to make an appearance. Sorting through these issues on a more practical level has been refreshingly instructive in furthering my political education.
In terms of the legislative process, I have been quite amazed at how democratic everything actually is. Average citizens can come to committee hearings and register to give testimony as to how the bill at hand would affect them and their life. In one recent committee hearing, I heard concerns voiced from people whose case led to the bill’s introduction, as well as parents and various professional organizations who would be affected by the provisions in the bill. While I am sure that there is a certain forum for this in Washington, the fact that my family or neighbors can step into one of these committees to give their opinion on the legislation truly shows that state politics influences our everyday lives more than we may think.
The range of the General Assembly’s influence is not a bad thing, in my opinion. Recently, I asked a lobbyist if he had ever considered working in Washington. He expressed his love of state politics and assured me that the state politicians are intensely concerned with bettering the lives and situations of their constituents, not winning some political argument or jockeying for a better committee appointment. This lobbyist’s impressions helped reassure me that I was not naïve in my assessment of the political climate under the Gold Dome. While there may be some intense disagreements about the best ways to go about healthcare and other policy concerns, these disagreements reflect a care for the common man and a love for the particular. Certainly, the national political scene can quickly leave one jaded; however, my experience under the Gold Dome thus far has reinvigorated my interest in politics and my faith in the political process.
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Jacob Stubbs is a Georgia native who graduated from Berry College in May 2013 with a double major in Government and Philosophy. He has recently completed a fellowship at the John Jay Institute in Philadelphia, PA, and is currently serving as the legislative intern at Georgia Center for Opportunity. Following his time at GCO, Jacob is hoping to seek further graduate education in either political science or philosophy.
by Georgia Center for Opportunity | Feb 7, 2014
In a recent article addressing school choice alternatives – particularly the Georgia Tax Credit Scholarship program and its $58 million annual cap – some integral details regarding the execution of various school choice alternatives were somewhat blended together. We thought we’d take a minute to unpack some details about school choice and public funding of education.
First, the Tuition Tax Credit program is not a voucher program; rather, it simply allows individuals and corporations to donate money to Student Scholarship Organizations (SSO’s) that award scholarships to kids to attend private schools. A large number of these kids come from poorer families. Individuals or corporations contributing to SSO’s are eligible to receive dollar-for-dollar tax credits against their Georgia income tax liability for that year.
Second, those scholarships can only be used for private schools, not for homeschooling and not for charter schools. In fact, charter schools ARE public schools. So for what it’s worth, when a child leaves a traditional public school in order to attend a charter school, by definition, all the money being used to educate that child is still being spent by a public school.
Finally, it’s important to know that when a child leaves a traditional public school, the school no longer has the financial burden associated with educating that child. Additionally, the child rarely takes all of the money with him/her; a portion of the money – how much depends upon the program – stays at the original school. Typically, the amount the school keeps is not greater than the amount that is lost, but it hardly matters because they are keeping some portion of the money designated to educate a child who is no longer there. That means that on a “per pupil” basis, the school does have more money after a child leaves to take advantage of one of the state’s school choice programs.
Given the span of time in which the tax credit cap was met, it is apparent that Georgians are eager to exercise choice when it comes to seeking the best educational options for their children. As previously discussed, this high demand is no surprise but there are still many Georgia students in need of the opportunities presented by programs like the tax credit scholarship.
by Georgia Center for Opportunity | Feb 7, 2014
Georgia Center for Opportunity (GCO) is pleased to see Governor Nathan Deal and U.S. Attorney Sally Yates (Northern District of Georgia) exercise their influence to encourage business leaders across the state to hire ex-offenders. They are urging employers to give ex-offenders a fair shot in the hiring process and outlining the benefits available to those who choose to hire them.
Governor Deal speaking at a Reentry Summit with U.S. Attorney Sally Yates on Feb. 5, 2014.
Image credit: Georgia.Gov, Office of the Governor.
These actions are consonant with recommendations made by GCO’s Prisoner Reentry Working Group this past December based on input from criminal justice practitioners in Georgia and a review of best practices across the country (See Increasing Employment Opportunities for Ex-Offenders).
One important recommendation made by the working group included increasing the chance that a person with a criminal record will get hired by postponing the question about an applicant’s criminal history to a point after the interview stage of the hiring process. Such an action would give the applicant an opportunity to demonstrate his or her qualifications for a job and provide an explanation for any criminal history to the employer during the interview. It also prevents an employer from automatically screening a candidate who may be the best fit for the position.
Another key recommendation made by the working group is that the state should set the example for other employers by hiring ex-offenders. This action would demonstrate that the state is serious about helping ex-offenders become employed and successfully transition back into society. We believe that the degree of success the state has in finding and maintaining qualified ex-offenders as employees will directly impact the willingness of private employers to adopt similar policies.
Read the following articles posted on February 6, 2014 in the Savannah Morning News to learn more about steps that the key state leaders are making to encourage businesses to hire ex-offenders: http://savannahnow.com/news/2014-02-06/ga-officials-urge-businesses-hire-ex-prisoners#.UvTmvLT-L1V.
by Georgia Center for Opportunity | Dec 23, 2013
Thanks to your support, Georgia Center for Opportunity is making significant progress in removing barriers to opportunity through Research & Development, Policy Advancement and Delivery. Please review highlights from 2013 and preview our work for 2014.
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHTS
Central to GCO’s Breakthrough Process is the Research & Development Working Group. Each team is an expert panel from fields of government, academics, business and non-profits that convenes to evaluate research, field studies, public hearings and best practice observations to recommend evidence-based solutions to policymakers and service providers. Here are a few 2013 highlights from our current Working Groups:
Prisoner Reentry: Launched in July 2013, the team’s sixth meeting is scheduled for December 2013. The team has: visited five Georgia state prisons and two drug courts, conducted nearly four dozen interviews and completed initial research; developed policy recommendations on ways to improve employment opportunities for ex-offenders and presented the recommendations to the Governor’s Special Council on Criminal Justice Reform; and presented details of prisoner reentry work to a gathering of 70+ individuals in Washington, DC, who represent leading think-tanks from around the country and world, members of Congress and congressional staffers.
College & Career Pathways: Led by PhD researcher Eric Wearne, the College & Career Pathways team officially kicked off in November 2013. The team has: conducted dozens of interviews with education experts in Georgia, completed initial research and is currently narrowing its research agenda in this critical work.
Alternatives to Medicaid Expansion: This Working Group is in early stage development with an official launch targeted for January. The team is: conducting initial research on Georgia’s Medicaid program, including the details of Medicaid expansion, and expert interviews are in process.
POLICY ADVANCEMENT HIGHLIGHTS
GCO has made an impact through Education Advocacy during the 2013 legislative session resulting in two reforms signed into law:
- Tax Credit Scholarship Program reforms, including expansion of the cap to $58 million per year.
- Special Needs Scholarship reforms, including three specific enrollment opportunities each year.
Additionally, we spoke before the Georgia Senate committee to help prevent horseracing in Georgia and our VP of Policy Advancement, Eric Cochling, continues to serve on the Governor’s Task Force on Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children.
As part of our Grassroots Outreach efforts, the Policy Advancement team has:
- Recruited and trained advocates on topics including: how to talk with a legislator, how to use social media, op-ed and blog writing and interviewing skills for print and broadcast media.
- Organized the 2013 School Choice Celebration and Rally, drawing over 2,000 people (mark your calendars – the 2014 School Choice Rally is scheduled for January 28, 2014 at the State Capitol).
- Participated in several panels on education reform, including the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus annual conference and Heartland event at the National Conference for State Legislatures.
- Launched Georgia Parents Alliance, an effort to engage over 10,000 parents online to support school choice and reform (see www.georgiaparentsalliance.org).
BREAKTHROUGH DELIVERY HIGHLIGHTS
This past year our Breakthrough Delivery team has consulted with partner organizations such as Arete Scholars Fund and Every Woman Works to improve their delivery capacity, focusing on organizational branding, programs, operations and funding development.
We have established Breakthrough Norcross, a Collective Impact initiative uniting more than 30 partner organizations that serve the Norcross school cluster (includes students living in Peachtree Corners) to develop a shared vision for change: every child in the Norcross cluster will succeed academically, enter into a meaningful, self-sustaining career and develop into a contributing member of the community.
- Breakthrough Norcross has more than 30 non-profit organizations committed to the Collective Impact initiative and others who have shown interest. In early 2014 we will approach more local businesses to join as partners.
- The collective partners have identified key outcomes and corresponding metrics at each stage of a child’s life (e.g., early childhood, middle childhood, adolescence) that cumulatively lead to academic success, and will next research evidence-based interventions and programs available to bring about better outcomes at each stage.
- If local organizations and programs that deliver desired outcomes do not exist in the Norcross community, the Breakthrough Delivery team will incubate programs to deliver services designed to bring about needed change.
2014 PREVIEW
As we move forward to 2014 we plan to continue the important work started in 2013 and launch several new initiatives:
- Research & Development plans to assemble Working Groups that will focus on Stronger Families and Entitlement Reforms.
- Policy Advancement will advocate for the reforms proposed by the Prisoner Reentry and College & Career Pathways Working Groups.
- On the education front, Policy Advancement will pursue the establishment of Opportunity Scholarships that greatly expand the choices available to students in Georgia.
- GCO will also pursue Benefit Corporation legislation in Georgia. This is a new corporate structure that allows social entrepreneurs to access venture capital while remaining true to their purpose (creating positive social benefit) and producing financial returns for investors. B-Corps are a promising platform for job creation, investment opportunities and growth of high-impact organizations focused on a range of social goods.
- The Breakthrough Delivery Team plans to launch up to two additional Breakthrough Communities here in Georgia and are already in initial talks to start these collective impact initiatives.
by Georgia Center for Opportunity | Dec 11, 2013
This week, Georgia Center for Opportunity (GCO) published its first report on ways to improve reentry for ex-offenders in the state. The report focuses on increasing employment opportunities for ex-offenders and offers six recommendations for the State of Georgia to consider implementing. The report is a product of GCO’s Prisoner Reentry Working Group that has been working to develop solutions for curbing recidivism and improving offenders’ transition to communities throughout Georgia.
The first report focuses on employment because of the critical role it plays in an offenders’ success outside of prison.
Read the full report: Increasing Employment Opportunities for Ex-Offenders
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- Image credit: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics
