NEWS & OPINIONS
Back to School: 6 Ways Communities Can Help Parents and Kids Succeed
Research consistently demonstrates that children with engaged parents tend to have higher academic performance, better attendance rates, improved behavior, and increased motivation to learn. When our kids are successful and able to show up as their best selves, our entire communities benefit from future generations.
Charter schools outshine the traditional public school model, Stanford University report finds
Between the years 2014 and 2019, charter school students were more advanced in math and reading than their public school counterparts. In terms of performance, 83% of charter school students had stronger reading skills than their counterparts in public school.
Unlocking Opportunities: Empowering Women at Whitworth Correctional Facility for Successful Re-entry
Key Point Those reentering society need a plan for gaining stable employment after serving time. Local businesses will hire and support those reentering society. There are tools, resources, and support available to former inmates. At the beginning of the summer,...
5 Summertime Tips to Support Children’s Development
Key Points Summers are for more family time and enjoyment! Studies show parental involvement is key to children's health and development. Raising Highly Capable Kids (RHCK) has tools to help parents. School breaks, warm weather, longer daylight hours—these are a...
Add South Carolina and Indiana to the list of states enacting nearly universal educational opportunity
Key states are adopting education legislation while Georgia continues to fall behind and leaves students and parents out of the conversation.
Are Work Requirements Good or Bad?
The discussion around work requirements is important because it challenges us to ask, “What is the purpose of our safety net system?”
Businesses fleeing cities over crime is a warning sign we can’t ignore
Crime is causing businesses to flee communities already experiencing a lack of opportunity. This is having an impact on healthcare, jobs, and social health.
National Police Week: Community Benefits of a Strong Police Force
Along with remembering these local heroes, Police Week is an opportunity to reflect on the role law enforcement has in building vibrant communities where everyone can achieve their potential.
Georgia parents deserve full transparency from state school systems
Key Points Georgia received a waiver from reporting its College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) metrics, including the A-F grading system for schools. The CCRPI metrics assess student performance, including comprehension of class content and preparedness...
Inflation is becoming worse for Americans on a fixed income
Today, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that in April the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by 0.4%, not seasonally adjusted. Year over year, the CPI has gone up 4.9% in the last 12 months. The Georgia Center for Opportunity’s (GCO) take: “Not only has the...
Free the Future Campaign Making an Impact in Columbus
Key Points Free the Future is an initiative of the Mayor of Columbus Georgia’s Commission on Reentry, in partnership with the Urban League of the Chattahoochee Valley. The Georgia Center for Opportunity’s BETTER WORK Columbus program director, Kristin Barker, is...
Navigating the current economic crisis: A guide to surviving the job market
Key Points As of March 2023, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a nationwide unemployment rate of 3.5%. Well-known companies are conducting large-scale layoffs—in some cases, laying off tens of thousands of employees. The BETTER WORK program can help you take...
MEDIA MENTIONS
GCO applauds signing of Promise Scholarships bill, says more work needs to be done
PEACHTREE CORNERS, GA—Today, the Georgia Center for Opportunity (GCO) applauded Gov. Brian Kemp and the Georgia legislature for ushering into law the Promise Scholarships bill that will bring much-needed relief to the over half-a-million low- and middle-income kids...
U.S. House passes a bill that’s a step toward ‘One Door’ social safety-net reforms
PEACHTREE CORNERS, GA—Yesterday, a bipartisan majority of the U.S. House passed H.R. 6655, a Stronger Workforce for America Act, which establishes a crucial demonstration waiver for a handful of states to implement safety-net reforms similar to Utah’s “One Door”...
Lou Penrose Show with Special Guest Josh Crawford
Josh Crawford, an expert in criminal justice reform from the Georgia Center for Opportunity, appeared as a guest on the Lou Penrose Show. He discussed the need for comprehensive changes to the justice system to reduce recidivism rates and provide better support for...
Policy and election-year politics mixed into new Georgia laws
Flush with cash and facing an election year, Georgia lawmakers prioritized bills that cut taxes, stoke political emotions and touch voters’ lives in some way. Legislators left the Capitol early Friday morning after making their mark on the state over the past three...
Shackled by Freedom: How Workplace Licensing Holds Back Ex-Convicts
After years of drug abuse and crime, Rudolph H. Carey III began to get his life back on track in 2007 when he checked himself into rehab and eventually drew on his experience to become a substance abuse counselor in Virginia. Then it was all taken away from him. After...
Is the tide turning on Larry Krasner?
Hate to say I told you so, but real is real. Back in 2018, three months into Larry Krasner’s revolution in ultra-lenient prosecution, I wrote these prophetic words: I’ve written before that many of Krasner’s reforms — as with those of many of the other Soros DAs — are...
The Alan Nathan Show
Josh Crawford, as a guest on The Alan Nathan Show, engaged in a thoughtful discussion about pragmatic approaches to reforming policies that negatively affect the criminal justice system. His expertise in criminal justice reform was evident as he highlighted key issues...
Want to reduce crime in DC? Ramp up enforcement and sentences
By Joshua Crawford, Director of Criminal Justice Initiatives What a difference a year makes. Around this time last year, the Council of the District of Columbia overrode Mayor Muriel Bowser’s veto of a criminal code reform bill that, among other things,...
