NEWS & OPINIONS
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.
A look back at everything we accomplished together in 2022
As 2022 comes to a close, let’s take a moment to share some of the many accomplishments the Georgia Center for Opportunity achieved with your help this year. Each of these wins contributes to our enduring legacy of helping fellow Georgians live a better life through the power of work, education, and family.
What will 2023 hold for educational opportunity in Georgia?
That’s because a new lineup of leadership in the Georgia Legislature increases the likelihood that our state will soon see new and innovative ways for parents to access the right and best educational option for their child.
Q&A with Amber Gorman at BETTER WORK Columbus
Amber Gorman joined the BETTER WORK Columbus team in October, 2022 as a program specialist. We recently had a chance to sit down with her and hear more about her background and what brought her to BETTER WORK.
MEDIA MENTIONS
Reversing DC crime trends
Josh Crawford, the Director of Criminal Justice Initiatives at the Georgia Center for Opportunity, visited Fox 5 DC to talk about his analysis on DC crime trends. Watch the full video here
Ask Dr. E: What should national leaders do to rescue America from an economic trainwreck?
OPINION: Dear Dr. E: The American economy is a mess. Few could argue otherwise, at least with a straight face. Inflation is out of control. Our national debt is unsustainable. Social Security is teetering on bankruptcy. Homeownership is out of the question for...
Food Stamps: New Report Outlines 5 Possible Ways To Combat SNAP ‘Benefits Cliffs’ at Federal Level — Would They Save Recipients Money?
A benefits cliff is when a household loses more in net income and benefits from governmental assistance programs — like SNAP — than it gains from additional earnings. According to a report by the Georgia Center for Opportunity, this net loss is a “perverse incentive”...
Georgia report finds steps Congress should take to SNAP ‘benefits cliffs’
Design flaws in the federal food stamp program hinder recipients’ upward economic mobility and effectively force them into governmental dependency. That’s the upshot of a new Georgia Center for Opportunity report exploring possible solutions for addressing the...
Getting serious about teen violence in Washington, D.C.: Louisville, Kentucky, provides a solution
In this opinion editorial published in The Washington Times, Joshua Crawford highlights the escalating crime crisis in Washington, D.C., particularly focusing on a significant surge in violent crimes, including a staggering 104% increase in carjackings from the...
New crime dashboard will report ‘real-time gun violence’ to expand transparency in Louisville
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg will hold a press conference Tuesday, introducing a real-time, comprehensive reporting tool that will expand information transparency on the city’s crime statistics. A media release said the dashboard aims to create more collaborative...
Josh Crawford, Covid Becomes an Excuse for Crime. The focus on comparing 2019 and 2022 rates obscures how bad policy has worsened violence. | The Steve Gruber Show
Josh Crawford serves as the Director of Criminal Justice Initiatives at the Georgia Center for Opportunity, leading efforts in public safety and re-entry programs. In his work, he addresses the impact of bad policy on violence, cautioning against solely comparing...
Josh Crawford Talks Criminal Justice, Policies and more
Josh Crawford, Director of Criminal Justice Initiatives, joins Leland Conway to discuss realistic solutions to policy initiatives to keep our neighbors and communities safe. Listen to the podcast
