NEWS & OPINIONS
Two major school choice bills to keep an eye on for the 2018 legislative session
With much ceremony, the Georgia General Assembly kicked off the 2018 legislative session last week. Thanks to election-year buzz, candidates have fueled talk of big education reforms that could see needed movement. Because this session is expected to fly by, we have...
GCO advice on increasing employment gets hearing in D.C.
In the post below, Executive Vice President Eric Cochling talks about a recent visit with leaders in Washington D.C. and how GCO's work is being noticed on Capitol Hill. I have to admit that last week was a tiring whirlwind of activity, but it turned out to be a...
Another study confirms Georgians want more choice in education
As lawmakers prepare to head back to the Capitol in January, Georgians have now received a glimpse of some issues that might move the needle in the 2018 election cycle. A new study released by the Georgia College Department of Government and Sociology finds that...
Show some love: The Angel Tree program is about more than gifts
The Christmas season is often marked by joy, but for many children with incarcerated parents, the holidays can be a painful reminder of their mom or dad’s absence. The Georgia Center for Opportunity is committed to building healthy family relationships and enabling...
Georgia’s 3 largest counties show need for the Success Sequence
Georgia Center for Opportunity focuses policy reform efforts around the success sequence. Research shows that those who graduate from high school, get a job, get married, and have kids (in that order) are less likely to end up in poverty. In fact, only 2 percent who...
SOLD OUT!
Studies show that couples who spend quality time together stay together. That’s why 75 couples in the Norcross and Peachtree Corners area have decided to take an evening to invest in their relationship by attending the Healthy Family Initiative’s date night event,...
Exploring Healthy Relationships with Online Classes
Many years ago we began laying the groundwork for the Healthy Families Initiative (HFI), and two years ago we kicked off a public campaign to change the hearts and minds of those in the Norcross and Peachtree Corners areas. Your support, partnerships, and prayers have...
Advocating for innovation, Steve Jobs championed school choice
Earlier this month, Apple made waves by introducing the iPhone 10. Since being unveiled, the updated smartphone and several other new products have received praise as the latest credit to Steve Jobs’ tech legacy. Years following his death, Americans still remember the...
Georgia Center for Opportunity announced as finalist for Atlas Network’s prestigious Templeton Freedom Award
Amid growing acknowledgment for efforts to reduce prison recidivism rates in Georgia, the Georgia Center for Opportunity (GCO) has been named as a finalist for the highly competitive Atlas Network Templeton Freedom Award. The honor recognizes GCO for recent efforts to...
Getting non-working men working again in Georgia
In the coming decades, could so-called “middle skills” jobs be a key factor in reversing the contemporary epidemic of non-working males in the U.S.? There is reason to hope the answer is a resounding yes. A phenomenon thoroughly documented by the American Enterprise...
GCO’s Healthy Families Initiative announces #FatherhoodFriday: Celebrating the joy of being a dad
Being a dad is one of the greatest challenges in life, but it often gets overlooked. Though the everyday joys of being a father are overshadowed in pop culture by fast-paced news and Hollywood gossip, that doesn't mean celebrity dads aren't talking about how their...
Could charter schools improve the performance of surrounding schools?
Advocates for school choice have long argued that charters encourage higher performance among all public schools. But is it possible that local students could benefit from the presence of a charter school even if they never go to school there? According to a...
MEDIA MENTIONS
Georgia groups push Kemp for virtual-learning microgrants | MDJ ONLINE
ATLANTA - Several groups are pressing Gov. Brian Kemp to start divvying out small federal grant funds aimed at helping families pay for school supplies, child care and other expenses while their children are taking online classes amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In...
Less than half of Georgians approve of how Trump, Kemp have responded to COVID-19 | 11 Alive News
A new, exclusive 11Alive News/SurveyUSA Poll finds that if a coronavirus vaccine is developed, a full one-third of Georgians are not likely to take it. While there is a consensus across the state that the nation has done a poor job at controlling the spread of the...
Nonprofits face funding shortages, increase demands amid COVID-19 | The Center Square
Nonprofit organizations in Georgia are facing higher demands for services but decreases in revenue amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a recent survey found. According to a June survey by the Georgia Center for Nonprofits (GCN), 90 percent of nonprofit organizations that...
Leaders React to Passing of Georgia Congressman John Lewis | All On Georgia
Civil rights icon and Georgia Congressman John Lewis passed away Friday at the age of 80. He was the last of the Big Six civil rights activists led by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., and so congressional congressional colleagues, civil rights leaders, and individuals...
City of Savannah creates new task force to help formerly incarcerated community members | WJCL
SAVANNAH, Ga. — Savannah Mayor Van Johnson’s newest task force is focusing on welcoming those who have previously been in prison back into the Savannah community and helping them become productive members of society. It’s called Advocates for Restorative Communities...
Criminal record expungement bill clears Georgia House | The Center Square
A bill that would increase the number of criminal records that can be sealed was approved unanimously Wednesday by the Georgia House. Senate Bill 288 would allow certain misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies to qualify for expungement. The legislation is "an important...
Criminal record expungement bill clears Georgia House | Marietta Daily Journal
A bill that would increase the number of criminal records that can be sealed was approved unanimously Wednesday by the Georgia House. Senate Bill 288 would allow certain misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies to qualify for expungement. The legislation is "an important...
Criminal record expungement bill clears Georgia House | Cherokee Tribune & Ledger
A bill that would increase the number of criminal records that can be sealed was approved unanimously Wednesday by the Georgia House. Senate Bill 288 would allow certain misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies to qualify for expungement. The legislation is "an important...
