NEWS & OPINIONS
Tight job market calls for creative educational solutions
By now, you’ve probably seen the headlines and read the stories—America’s economy is booming. Just last month the national unemployment figures came in for May and the rate dipped to 3.8%—a level that ties a half-century low dating to 1969, and which economists...
Congress should end marriage penalties in the tax code and welfare system
By Erik Randolph, GCO Contributing Scholar Last December, President Trump signed into law changes to the federal income tax. One of the supposed achievements was the elimination of the marriage penalty. This is not entirely correct. I recently analyzed marriage...
Two ways to build on the success of the special needs scholarship program
What goal is more important than ensuring our most vulnerable students have the best shot at success? That’s what Georgia’s Special Needs Scholarship Program is all about. Now in its 11th year, the scholarship enables children who have special needs to transfer to...
Desperate for options, Jan turns to school choice
Imagine the challenge of raising two children with special needs. That’s the task that Jan—a small business owner in Georgia—faces in bringing up her two girls. Katie has ADHD, dyslexia, and autism spectrum disorder, and Jessica has an auditory processing disorder and...
Helping Seth live up to his potential
Of the many bills that will be under consideration by the Georgia legislature in 2019, one that we are particularly excited about is a piece of legislation creating “Individualized Education Accounts” (IEAs), which aim to improve our state’s Special Needs Scholarship...
Randy Hicks Addresses Compassionate, Commonsense Welfare Reform on FoxNews.com
President Trump recently signed an order aiming to streamline welfare in the U.S., which is leading lawmakers to take a deeper look at the many programs that make up the complex system. It's a positive first step, as the current structure reinforces dependency and...
The federal government is tackling welfare reform, and Georgia needs to follow
You’ve probably heard the old adage, “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day … Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” And while this nugget of age-old wisdom seems like common-sense compassion to most folks, in reality most governmental welfare...
Session Wraps With Two Key Victories for School Choice
Expanded education options will soon be available to thousands of Georgia families, thanks to two measures approved in the closing hours of the General Assembly’s session last week. The last-minute approvals came at a time when school-choice advocates were losing hope...
Time is Running Out to Expand Tax Credit Scholarships
As Georgia’s 2018 legislative session marches to a close this week, will lawmakers act to expand Georgia’s Tax Credit Scholarship Program? Legislation pending in the state Senate, if passed, would yield huge benefits for families in desperate need of educational...
School Choice Expands the ‘Success Sequence’
According to scholars, America is increasingly becoming a society polarized between higher- and lower-income people. Whereas until recently a majority of Americans were considered middle class, now good jobs for those who only have a high school diploma are rapidly...
Will Georgia continue to be a leader in school choice?
With more than 17,000 students enrolled in scholarship programs, Georgia is a leader in educational opportunity, according to the 2016-2017 School Choice Yearbook put out by the American Federation for Children (AFC). In fact, the Peach State is seventh in the country...
Report: Atlanta’s charter schools are more cost-effective than traditional public schools
Do public charter schools deliver results in a more cost-effective way compared to traditional public schools? That’s the question addressed by a recent research report from the University of Arkansas (PDF download). The answer, it turns out, is unequivocally yes....
MEDIA MENTIONS
Push to increase foster care adoption tax credits could cost Georgia $4.8M | TIMES-GEORGIAN
A measure that would increase foster care adoption tax credits could result in a state revenue loss of $4.8 million over the next five years, according to fiscal researchers. House Bill 114, introduced by Rep. Bert Reeves, R-Marietta, would increase the annual tax...
Push to increase foster care adoption tax credits could cost Georgia $4.8M | HENRY HERALD
A measure that would increase foster care adoption tax credits could result in a state revenue loss of $4.8 million over the next five years, according to fiscal researchers. House Bill 114, introduced by Rep. Bert Reeves, R-Marietta, would increase the annual tax...
Lawrenceville organization gets money for coronavirus help | AJC
A Gwinnett County resource to help residents struggling through the coronavirus pandemic just got a boost in funding. The Lawrenceville Response Center, which opened last April, this month received more than half a million dollars in additional funding, including...
CBO: $15 minimum wage would lead to 1.4 million lost jobs | THE HIGHLAND COUNTY PRESS
A $15 minimum wage would result in 1.4 million jobs lost and disproportionately hurt younger workers and those with less education, a new Congressional Budget Office report says. President Joe Biden, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders and other Democrats have proposed raising...
New federal budget report boosts $15-an-hour minimum wage | GEORGIA RECORDER
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office in a report Monday found a gradual increase to a $15 federal minimum wage by 2025 would reduce poverty, add $54 billion to the deficit over a decade and increase pay for millions of low-income workers. The report could help...
Broadband expansion gives Gov. Kemp rural toehold | 11ALIVE
Internet access in rural areas has been a problem for years – the pandemic only magnified the challenges. The issue could make or break Kemp's re-election next year... "It's tied directly into economic development," said former state Rep. Buzz Brockway, who now...
Study: Education savings account program in Georgia could result in nearly $16B in long-term benefits | CROSSVILLE CHRONICLE
Giving parents the ability to choose what school their children attend could save Georgia taxpayers money and generate billions of dollars in economic benefits, according to a new study. Released this week by conservative think tank the Georgia Public Policy...
Study: Education savings account program in Georgia could result in nearly $16B in long-term benefits | THE CENTER SQUARE
Giving parents the ability to choose what school their children attend could save Georgia taxpayers money and generate billions of dollars in economic benefits, according to a new study. Released this week by conservative think tank the Georgia Public Policy...
