NEWS & OPINIONS
Breakthrough Event: From Prison To Opportunity
Our first Breakthrough event was a huge success as we gathered to discuss the impact reentry and second chances programs had on our communities. Check out all of the latest video and presentations from the event.
Nicole’s story: How a raise meant losing food stamp benefits for this mom of four
Nicole had high hopes when she moved her family from a rural area in south Georgia to Henry County in the Atlanta metro. The cost of living went up, but the job opportunities were more plentiful and paid much better: She went from making $25,000 a year to over $35,000...
Q&A with Curtis and Tonika on their experience in the Elevate class
The COVID-19 pandemic has put stress and strain on peoples’ relationships like few other times. In this challenging environment, the Georgia Center for Opportunity has stepped up to be involved in a new series of relationship enrichment classes called Elevate for...
Education Disruption
The COVID19 pandemic has disrupted many things here in America. As every parent knows, one of the major disruptions took place in the realm of education. News has been coming out that among the disruptions in education has been the number of parents choosing to...
Taking it to the Next Level
It was a rainy Thursday night in Georgia, but that didn’t stop couples from gathering for a night of food and fun, and strengthening couples and marriages in their relationships. #ElevateCouples Pop-up Event was hosted by GCO’s Family team (formerly Healthy Families...
BETTER WORK Co-hosts A Job Fair To Support Gwinnett Families Facing Housing Crisis
GCO partnered with the Lawrenceville Cooperative Ministry to help displaced families Today we're witnessing an unprecedented labor market, with a record-high 10.9 million unfilled job openings across the country in August. One of the key challenges we are facing is...
The Georgia Center for Opportunity has signed on to a letter in favor of the EQUAL Act
The Georgia Center for Opportunity has signed on to a letter with 37 organizations across the ideological spectrum in favor of the EQUAL Act now pending in Congress.The EQUAL Act would end the federal prison sentence disparity between crack cocaine and powdered...
Better Work Access and Encourage Worker Freedoms
The Manhattan Institute recently released a report arguing that now is a key time to reform our nation's safety-net system. The goal should be not to offer more income guarantees but to minimize downside risk so that workers are able to move up the economic ladder....
Origins of the Georgia Center for Opportunity: Why we focus on education
If you’ve been following the work and mission of the Georgia Center for Opportunity (GCO), you’ve probably heard us talk about the Success Sequence. It’s a proven model to alleviate poverty that says a good education leads to a stable job, which in turn leads to...
Eviction Moratorium Expired and the House of Representatives Left Town. What now?
Late on the evening of August 3rd, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control announced it was extending its eviction moratorium for people in an area of “substantial and high transmission” of the COVID-19 virus. This was followed up by the astounding statement by...
Inflation’s Growing Problem: A warning shot for Congress
The inflation rate in July—as measured by the seasonally-adjusted Consumer Price Index (CPI)—abated somewhat from June's rate, increasing at 0.5% instead of 0.9%. But don’t cheer too much yet. This is known by economists as disinflation, not deflation. The rate came...
Why Mentoring Matters
As I write this, I can think of a handful of people who have impacted my life over the years. I consider these individuals to be mentors whether or not the relationship was a formal mentoring one, and I know I wouldn’t be the person I am without their influence. They...
MEDIA MENTIONS
Why Some Witnesses are Reluctant to Talk to Police After Crime
There are unsolved murders and crimes across the city, and in some cases lots of witnesses, but few tips. Almost two weeks ago, six people were shot in Chickasaw Park with two of them dying. Hundreds of people were in the park, but police have been begging for tips....
State Spotlight: Fighting for Students’ Futures in Georgia
What is it like when your child’s school is failing them? For Georgia mother Tanya Schlegel, it was heartbreaking. Her son “would routinely come home from school with tears in his eyes, saying the school wasn’t treating him fairly. I discovered they were not...
Looking at some of the causes, solutions to Louisville’s violence problem
As Louisville tries to get into the thunder and Derby spirit, violence hangs over the metro. We’ve heard from both sides of the political aisles about how to stop the bloodshed. Tonight the Jefferson County GOP heard some interesting thoughts in a presentation about...
Louisville leaders say violence reduction strategy falling short in key areas
According to the Louisville Metro Police Department, 2022 was the third-deadliest year in Louisville’s history. There were 160 homicides last year, a 150% increase from 2012 when the Metro finished the year with 64 homicides. “It is simultaneously fully...
Nelson Mullins – Gold Dome Report – Legislative Day 36
House Education Committee – Policy Subcommittee The Policy Subcommittee of the House Education Committee, chaired by Representative Scott Hilton (R-Peachtree Corners), met Monday to consider one measure: SB 233, authored by Senator Greg Dolezal (R-Cumming), is the...
Georgia school voucher bill stays alive after heated Senate debate
A school voucher bill is one of many that survived Monday’s legislative deadline where pieces of legislation have to pass at least one chamber in order to stay alive for Georgia’ 2023 legislative session. After some intense debate on the Senate floor, Senate Bill 233...
Georgia Senate passes bill to create state-funded education savings accounts
The Georgia Senate passed legislation to create state-funded education savings accounts. Under Senate Bill 233, the Georgia Promise Scholarship Act, taxpayers would fund $6,000 per student per school year. Families could use the money to defray "qualified" education...
‘School choice’ legislation is sweeping the nation. Here are the states where it’s been introduced
This year, there has been a spate of bills introduced around the country that would expand school choice programs following Arizona’s passage of universal school choice last year. Last week, Georgia’s Senate Education Committee voted to pass education savings account...
