NEWS & OPINIONS
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....
Will Work for Happiness
America was founded on the principle that people should have the opportunity to flourish, to live out their dreams - to be happy. Our country’s forefathers cherished this important truth so much they included it in the United States’ Declaration of Independence....
Georgia’s Failing Future
“Children of today are the leaders of tomorrow and education is a very important weapon to prepare children for their future roles as leaders of the community.” – Nelson Mandela The Georgia Department of Labor recently released a list of the state’s chronically...
Was Trump and Clinton’s Campaign Silence Regarding Family Fragmentation Golden?
In a recent project spearheaded by the Center of the American Experiment, Georgia Center for Opportunity's President and CEO, Randy Hicks, tackled the one topic even politicians and religious leaders are shying away from - family fragmentation. The written symposium...
It’s the End of Session, Will Legislators Help Struggling Students?
A large majority of Georgians support expanding school choice in the state, including more than 80 percent of African-Americans and Latinos. The numbers are astounding, and for good reasons. Georgia’s students continue to struggle in national measures of academic...
ESAs Could Ease Overcrowding in Georgia Public Schools
Education savings accounts could help Georgia lawmakers ease overcrowding in public schools, an ongoing challenge for some school districts. Legislators are considering bills that would allow students to use an account to choose how and where they learn, modeled after...
Choosing Between Family or Welfare Benefits
We know that to avoid poverty, it is essential to get a high school diploma, maintain a steady job, and marry before having children (see research from the Brookings Institution and Harvard University on these points). Not only are they key to avoiding poverty, upward...
Disappearing Act: How an Entire Class is Fading From America
While lower, middle and upperclass can be defined in various ways, a State of the States report, defined lower class as those who did not complete high school; middle class (or moderately-educated, as referred to in the report) as those who graduated high school but...
National Marriage Week – Celebrating the Indispensable Institution
National Marriage Week will be celebrated next week, just in time for Valentine's Day. The celebration is now in its eighth year and seeks to foster collaboration around the country to "strengthen individual marriages, reduce the divorce rate, and build a culture that...
MEDIA MENTIONS
Investment’s key to Ga.’s economic mobility | AJC
Over the last decade, Georgia has experienced remarkable progress in developing our transportation and infrastructure network. We stabilized our roads and bridges in 2015 with HB170, regional transit systems in 2018, and invested over $300 million in state money in...
Warnock, Ossoff win: Ga. Democrats flip the U.S. Senate | Rome News-Tribune
ATLANTA — Democrats have captured both of Georgia’s seats in the U.S. Senate for the first time in nearly 20 years, a momentous feat that gives the party control of Congress and the White House. Beyond the cash and cameos, Democratic operatives in Georgia also managed...
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...
