NEWS & OPINIONS
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...
Report: A declining birth rate could spell trouble for the economy
When the great recession hit in 2007, economists weren't surprised to find that young couples held off on starting families. However, ten years later, they've found that the birth rate hasn't yet bounced back. Now, some experts fear that fewer babies could equal...
Legislators Being Thanked for Supporting School Choice
As children across the state are returning for a new school year, Georgia’s legislators are being featured on digital ads because they voted in favor of school choice. The Georgia Center for Opportunity released a Legislative Report Card earlier in the summer which...
You can’t fix the past, you can improve the future
John F. Kennedy once stated “Children are the world’s most valuable resource and its best hope for the future.” But according to a new study by the Annie E. Casey Foundation called 2017 Kids Count Data Book, the future for Georgia’s children appears dismal.
Freakonomics: ‘Poverty and family structure are intertwined’
Freakonomics is the popular podcast that aims to expose the "hidden side of everything" by applying economics research to everyday realities. In a recent episode, they sought to understand why marriage is on the decline. Their conclusion was staggering: there is a...
GCO Goes to the Nation’s Capitol
On June 28th, GCO's Eric Cochling traveled to Washington, D.C. to be part of the Full House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform meeting, which took an in-depth look into "programs and legislation aimed at rehabilitating offenders, facilitating a successful...
Three Keys to Millennial Success in Georgia
By: Randy Hicks and W. Bradford Wilcox Although young men and women are taking what seems like a dizzying array of paths into adulthood these days, one path stands out as maximizing their shot at the American Dream: what scholars Ron Haskins and Isabel Sawhill have...
GCO Seeking Experienced Communications Manager
GCO is seeking an experienced Communications Manager to manage and execute on our communications strategy and day-to-day communications needs in cooperation with other team members. We are especially interested in candidates who want to grow with the organization and...
School Choice Vouchers: Keep an Open Mind
Earlier this month New York Times columnist David Leonhardt joined the nationwide conversation with his article — “School Vouchers Aren’t Working, but Choice Is”—tackling the crucial issues of charter schools and vouchers in the broader school choice debate. Mr....
MEDIA MENTIONS
Criminal records expungement expansion in Georgia takes effect Jan. 1 | The Moultrie Observer
Millions of Georgians will start the new year with a second chance. A new law that increases the number of criminal records that can be sealed takes effect Friday. The law, the result of Senate Bill 288, allows certain misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies to qualify...
Criminal records expungement expansion in Georgia takes effect Jan. 1 | The Center Square
Millions of Georgians will start the new year with a second chance. A new law that increases the number of criminal records that can be sealed takes effect Friday. The law, the result of Senate Bill 288, allows certain misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies to qualify...
Nonprofit organization offering free job training to Columbus residents | WTVM-9
COLUMBUS, Ga. (WTVM) - As many continue to deal with unemployment, a local nonprofit has created a program to help people wanting to get back to work. Under the Hiring Well, Doing Good program, the Georgia Center for Opportunity is offering something free...
The Working-Class Welfare Trap: How Policy Penalizes Marriage | NONPERELE
Our tax and welfare policies often penalize marriage, trapping too many people in poverty. ...Not surprisingly, these penalties seem to play a role in fueling working-class Americans’ retreat from marriage that we have seen play out over the past three decades. In...
UGA grant will help Georgia couples improve relationship skills | KPVI
ATHENS — A team of University of Georgia faculty in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences aims to provide Georgia couples with healthy relationship skills and financial guidance with the help of a five-year, $6.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health...
The Working-Class Welfare Trap: How Policy Penalizes Marriage | NATIONAL REVIEW
Our tax and welfare policies often penalize marriage, trapping too many people in poverty. ...Not surprisingly, these penalties seem to play a role in fueling working-class Americans’ retreat from marriage that we have seen play out over the past three decades. In...
Virtual learning isn’t working. Gov. Kemp, we need your help | THE CHAMPION
Gov. Brian Kemp is in a unique position to help families like mine during one of the most challenging times in our lives. My wife and I have two school-aged children, a son and a daughter. Both are being educated within the Decatur City Schools district. Our son,...
UGA receives $6.2 million grant to provide relationship, financial training | UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
A team of University of Georgia faculty in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences aims to provide Georgia couples with healthy relationship skills and financial guidance with the help of a five-year, $6.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human...
