NEWS & OPINIONS
We’re helping the water industry over the next five years
Key Points BETTER WORK Gwinnett and The Water Tower are partnering to expand water industry job training to high school students and young adults. The water industry will need to fill 1200 positions over the next five years. Without skilled water workers our...
Opinion: Increase choice as public schools can’t meet all kids’ needs
OpEd Written by Corey Burres, VP of Communication Unedited Title: Public Schools Are At the Heart of School Choice As states like Utah and Iowa pass sweeping school choice legislation, it is important to understand no one is trying to defund public schools. The...
7 African-Americans Who Fought for Educational Opportunity
Key Points Access to quality education is a top conversation in Georgia and many other states and has been for decades. Stories of black educators offer inspiration for continuing to pursue better education opportunities for every kid. The examples set by African...
New survey shows spike in misbehavior among K-12 students
Key Points A new survey puts forward more evidence of increased social and behavioral problems among students in K-12 public schools arising from the pandemic. Georgia parents need more education options for their children. GCO is working to bring a new curriculum,...
Announcing the Raising Highly Capable Kids program in Georgia
Key Points Georgia Center for Opportunity has partnered with a national nonprofit, RezilientKidz, to present the Raising Highly Capable Kids parenting program to adults across Georgia. Raising Highly Capable Kids is a 13-week evidence-based parenting program...
5 Reasons Why It’s a Good Idea to Expand Georgia’s Tax Credit Scholarship
Lawmakers are considering a 2024 bill that would raise the cap of Georgia’s Tax Credit Scholarship program to $200 million, allowing it to meet the growing demand from parents and communities who want to invest in our students’ futures.
Now is the time to expand educational freedom in Georgia
Key Points Georgia's recent growth could be halted because it's falling behind other states who are increasingly offering families more and more choices in K-12 education. Georgia lawmakers have another chance this year at passing ESAs. Georgia’s public schools are...
There’s Hope for Reducing Crime in Georgia
Key Points Addressing gang violence is an important way to bring down Georgia’s crime rate Improving public safety and reducing crime in Georgia are key to growing economic opportunity Governor Kemp should add re-entry programs to his crime-solving agenda By Josh...
Why educational opportunity is good for rural areas, too
This year, the Georgia Legislature is poised to once again consider creating Education Scholarship Accounts (ESAs) for families statewide. These scholarships would allocate funds to allow parents to choose the best educational option for their child’s unique needs.
A Georgia Center for Opportunity agenda for 2023
We’re excited about everything we were able to accomplish with your support in 2022. But our focus is also forward, and our team is excited to expand our growth and reach into Georgia communities and beyond in 2023.
Why are so many families switching schools?
One-in-five families switched the school their child attended during the pandemic. The Harris Poll found that 89% of parents whose children have switched school types report that they or their child experienced a positive change as a result of the switch.
Holiday cheer, from our GCO family to yours!
To spread some holiday cheer, we put together a short, fun video of the Georgia Center for Opportunity staff sharing a little more about what makes the season so special.
MEDIA MENTIONS
The Ripple Effect of Local Philanthropy
Reflecting on her two-month tenure, Ms. T remarked, "Things are going great. I'm beyond pleased with the job. It's hard to believe it's approaching two months; it feels longer." The center emphasizes that continuous backing, via one-time or recurring donations,...
Benefits Cliffs in the Aggregate: Consequences for Welfare and Business Cycles
Benefits cliffs - sudden decreases in public benefits that may occur with a small increase in earnings - may inhibit upward mobility. I study the effect of a multitude of cliffs across the universe of benefit programs in nine southern US states on intensive-margin...
Opinion: New Missouri law will help residents escape safety-net cliffs
This new law will help more Missourians escape from an entrapping safety-net system and experience the dignity and opportunity of work.
Group offers recommendations to address Atlanta’s spike in violent crime
A Georgia public policy group has released a report offering suggestions on mitigating Atlanta’s uptick in violent crime. The Georgia Center for Opportunity suggests the city focus on disrepair by expanding cleanup efforts, addressing abandoned buildings and...
Steve Gruber Show: Josh Crawford, NEW Landmark Study on Reducing Crime
September 20, 2023 Josh Crawford is an attorney, criminologist and a director at the Georgia Center for Opportunity. NEW Landmark Study on Reducing Crime Listen to the interview
The Shelley Wynter Show Special guest Josh Crawford
Listen to the Shelley Wynter Show, September 18, 2023, for a thought-provoking and crucial discussion on the pressing issue of rising crime in our cities, public safety, and effective public policy solutions. We are thrilled to have our own Josh Crawford as a special...
Lilly grant will bring the Parents First Initiative to Lawrenceville, enabling families to thrive
Lawrenceville, Ga. - Lilly Endowment Inc. has awarded an endowment grant to Lawrenceville First United Methodist Church. The grant will enable the church to facilitate the Raising Highly Capable Kids parenting program — called the Parents First Initiative — across the...
New report seeks to ease spike in Atlanta crime, restore community safety
The Georgia Center for Opportunity is releasing a new report on violent crime in Atlanta, which highlights the city’s recent spike in violent crime and how to mitigate it. Josh Crawford, Director of Criminal Justice Initiatives at GCO, developed the report, along with...
