NEWS & OPINIONS
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...
Trending Today USA with Rusty Humphries: GCO’s Jamie Lord Discusses School Choice
GCO's Director of Government Affairs discusses school choice in Georgia with Rusty Humphries, host of Trending Today USA. For more information visit Georgia Parents Alliance or learn more through the GCO website.
New Report From Mississippi Finds High Levels of Satisfaction for ESA Families
Research evidence loves company. Consistent findings from different populations mean the results are less likely to be an accident and more likely to demonstrate a trend. A new report from Mississippi finds that parents using education savings accounts report high...
Private School Scholarships Save Money for Georgia Taxpayers
New research from EdChoice finds that Georgia’s scholarships for K-12 private school students have saved the state between $12 million and $85 million since 2011. Nearly two-dozen states have similar tax credit scholarship programs that allow individuals or businesses...
Be Careful What You Ask For
In 1952, Patrick Skene Catling wrote The Chocolate Touch, a retelling of the King Midas fable that reminds us we can have too much of a good thing. In Catling’s story, the main character finds that everything he eats turns to chocolate (with King Midas, everything he...
When Giving a Helping Hand Hurts – Part 2
Computational model exposes severe problems with the welfare system Previously, it was shown how a single mom with two kids in Gwinnett County could lose welfare program benefits by earning more money. This explained why $9 + $1 can equal negative $6,000. The Gwinnett...
When Giving a Helping Hand Hurts – Part 1
Computational model exposes severe problems with the welfare system Pop quiz: When does $9 + $1 equal –$6,000? This may look like new math, but it is not. This seemingly nonsensical equation illustrates the challenges faced by families who receive assistance from...
A Marriage Problem In Norcross and Peachtree Corners
A new report released by The Institute for Family Studies finds that 69 percent of 18-45 year olds in Peachtree Corners and Norcross think single parents can raise children just as well as two parents. Furthermore, 63 percent approve of divorce when married people...
Amid Shootings and Violent Protests, Georgians Consider Solutions
Something happened in College Park Wednesday night that hasn’t really garnered much attention but should be front-page news. Thanks to the College Republicans at Morehouse College, I was able to participate in a panel* focused on how to constructively respond to...
MEDIA MENTIONS
![PRESS RELEASE: GCO signs on to federal policy recommendations to provide educational opportunity for all schoolchildren](https://d1f2pmkajn85sd.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Educational-Opportunitys-Federal-Policy-Reccomendations.png)
PRESS RELEASE: GCO signs on to federal policy recommendations to provide educational opportunity for all schoolchildren
PEACHTREE CORNERS—The Georgia Center for Opportunity (GCO) announced today that it has signed on to policy recommendations to Congress that would expand educational access for more schoolchildren. The recommendations were jointly issued by GCO in partnership with...
![Lawrenceville creates a center to help vulnerable residents during COVID-19 | 11 ALIVE](https://d1f2pmkajn85sd.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/18-091-GCO-Graphics2.jpg)
Lawrenceville creates a center to help vulnerable residents during COVID-19 | 11 ALIVE
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. — Lawrenceville's response to the coronavirus is now up and running, offering short-term emergency assistance to residents. City council members, alongside Lawrenceville Mayor David Still, approved an agreement with Impact46, Inc. to create...
![Georgia Enters into May with a New Executive Order and Guidelines for Georgians](https://d1f2pmkajn85sd.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Copy-of-Special-Edition-of-Cover-of-Stay-Tuned-2.png)
Georgia Enters into May with a New Executive Order and Guidelines for Georgians
Georgia's Gov. Brian Kemp issued a new executive order today outlining guidelines as Georgia resumes more of a pre-coronavirus lifestyle. Many of the guidelines come with strict stipulations for businesses to follow in order to remain open. GCO's Vice President of...
![Lawrenceville creates a center to help vulnerable residents during COVID-19 | 11 ALIVE](https://d1f2pmkajn85sd.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/18-091-GCO-Graphics2.jpg)
Inside a week that could define Kemp’s political career | AJC
Gov. Brian Kemp’s brutal week started with the threat of a protest at the Capitol urging him to lift coronavirus restrictions as he was planning to do just that. It ended with a cacophony of horns from a caravan of demonstrators outside the Governor’s Mansion who were...
![Lawrenceville creates a center to help vulnerable residents during COVID-19 | 11 ALIVE](https://d1f2pmkajn85sd.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/18-091-GCO-Graphics2.jpg)
Meet 5 Chicago Tech Companies on the COVID-19 Front Lines | BUILT IN CHICAGO
They’re looking into 3D-printing N95 and N80 masks. They’re providing medical professionals with personal protective equipment made in-house. They’re distributing fanny-packs stuffed with medical supplies to healthcare providers. Tech companies across the nation are...
![Lawrenceville creates a center to help vulnerable residents during COVID-19 | 11 ALIVE](https://d1f2pmkajn85sd.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/18-091-GCO-Graphics2.jpg)
Business, policy leaders weigh in on what’s needed to help rebuild Georgia’s economy | BAKER CITY HERALD
While part of Georgia’s economy is scheduled to reopen Friday, business and policy leaders say the state needs to take action to secure long-term stability. Buzz Brockway, vice president of public policy for the Georgia Center for Opportunity (GCO) – an independent...
![Lawrenceville creates a center to help vulnerable residents during COVID-19 | 11 ALIVE](https://d1f2pmkajn85sd.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/18-091-GCO-Graphics2.jpg)
CENTER SQUARE: Business, policy leaders weigh in on what’s needed to help rebuild Georgia’s economy
While part of Georgia’s economy is scheduled to reopen Friday, business and policy leaders say the state needs to take action to secure long-term stability. Buzz Brockway, vice president of public policy for the Georgia Center for Opportunity (GCO) – an independent...
![Lawrenceville creates a center to help vulnerable residents during COVID-19 | 11 ALIVE](https://d1f2pmkajn85sd.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/18-091-GCO-Graphics2.jpg)
CENTER SQUARE: What they’re saying about Kemp’s decision to reopen Georgia
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp's decision to reopen some of the state's businesses as soon as Friday amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic drew strong reactions. Even Kemp did not hold back in speaking his mind: "I don't give a damn about politics right now." Kemp announced...