Welcome lawmakers to Atlanta for the opening of the 2023 session

by Buzz Brockway | Jan 9, 2023

Welcome lawmakers to Atlanta for the opening of the 2023 session

The Georgia Center for Opportunity issued the following media statement welcoming lawmakers to Atlanta for the opening of the 2023 session of the Legislature on Jan. 9.”We’re excited to see what the new session holds for our state, and we stand ready to assist lawmakers in passing an agenda that serves all Georgians,” said Buzz Brockway, executive vice president of public policy for GCO. “GCO has served our state for nearly 25 years, and has dedicated itself to expanding opportunity by helping increase access to quality education, fulfilling work, and healthy family life. We know that by addressing these critical barriers we can help pull communities out of poverty and expand opportunity to every community in our state.”As an organization, GCO stands ready to provide resources and education to lawmakers on the impact policies have on underserved communities and the opportunities available (and not available) to all Georgians. Here are three key area:

Eliminating benefits cliffs

- Some workers find themselves torn between taking steps toward a more secure future, but ultimately forced into making decisions that traps them into long-term dependence on government benefits. These are known as benefits cliffs. We’ll be working to educate lawmakers on this reality and propose reforms to ensure all workers have the opportunity to climb the economic ladder. Learn more

Expanding educational freedom

- We are still uncovering the extent of learning loss experienced by kids during the pandemic. We know that expansion of educational opportunityis a key solution to this problem. Passing Education Scholarship Accounts, or ESAs, will be a big step forward in helping all Georgia students achieve their full potential.

Promoting an anti-poverty agenda

- GCO is part of the Alliance for Opportunity, a three state network of policy organizations built around furthering an anti-poverty agenda. We will be working with lawmakers to promote solutions to poverty that lift Georgians up into the middle class.

Georgia education officials cite education loss as a top priority for 2023

by Georgia Center for Opportunity | Dec 21, 2022

Georgia education officials cite education loss as a top priority for 2023

Georgia education officials say they plan to address lost learning opportunities stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.

But a leading Georgia nonprofit says state lawmakers should pass legislation to give parents more educational choices, saying the pandemic proved the “one-size-fits-all” model no longer works.

“We are pleased that Georgia’s public education officials are acknowledging the very real pain of learning loss, plus the pleas of parents for as wide a spectrum of educational options as possible,” Buzz Brockway, executive vice president of public policy for GCO, said in a statement. “As we head into the legislative session in 2023, there are a wide variety of ways lawmakers can help families, including by finally passing Education Scholarship Accounts that empower families to choose the very best type of school for their students.

Read the full article here

Why Our Justice System Is Making More Criminals Than Preventing & Ways to Reform w/ Joshua Crawford

by Georgia Center for Opportunity | Dec 6, 2022

Why Our Justice System Is Making More Criminals Than Preventing & Ways to Reform w/ Joshua Crawford

On this Heard Tell Good Talks our guest is Joshua Crawford, Director of Criminal Justice Initiatitives at the Georgia Center for Opportunity returns to Heard Tell to have a grown folks talk about crime and punishment, how our criminal justice system is making more criminals than it is preventing, the economic impact of folks with criminal records not being in the regular workforce, regulatory reforms and legislative needs, and how everyone involved needs to keep the human aspect front and center in policy discussions.

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Report: Charter school enrollment increases in Georgia

by Georgia Center for Opportunity | Dec 1, 2022

Report: Charter school enrollment increases in Georgia

More Georgia students are attending charter schools, while enrollment at public schools is declining, according to a new report.

New figures from the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools show that Georgia experienced a roughly 4.9% increase in charter enrollments between 2019-20 and 2021-22. Meanwhile, traditional public schools saw a roughly 1.9% decline in enrollments during the same period.

“Public education is about ensuring students and parents have access to quality education,” Buzz Brockway, executive vice president of public policy for the Georgia Center for Opportunity, said in a statement.

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New national study shows America’s gun epidemic is more deadly than ever

by Kimberly Sawatka | Nov 30, 2022

New national study shows America’s gun epidemic is more deadly than ever

A new national study commissioned by the Journal of American Medical Association shows America’s gun violence epidemic is more deadly than ever.

The study analyzes data from 1990-2021 and provides context into the gender and racial disparities of gun violence in that time.

The numbers show more than one million people were shot and killed in that time, 86 percent of them men.

They also show all homicides doubled across the country from 2014 to 2021, with men five times more likely to die.

“The first is the group violence intervention that has started to gain some steam and while is not functioning perfectly, is in a far better place than it was a year ago,” Crawford said. “And the other thing is that our homicide clearance rates a year ago at this time were abysmal. One of the things that was done was try to reduce homicide detectives’ case loads.”

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New national study shows America’s gun epidemic is more deadly than ever

by Georgia Center for Opportunity | Nov 30, 2022

New national study shows America’s gun epidemic is more deadly than ever

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) – A new national study commissioned by the Journal of American Medical Association shows America’s gun violence epidemic is more deadly than ever.

The study analyzes data from 1990-2021 and provides context into the gender and racial disparities of gun violence in that time.

The numbers show more than one million people were shot and killed in that time, 86 percent of them men.

They also show all homicides doubled across the country from 2014 to 2021, with men five times more likely to die.

“The first is the group violence intervention that has started to gain some steam and while is not functioning perfectly, is in a far better place than it was a year ago,” Crawford said. “And the other thing is that our homicide clearance rates a year ago at this time were abysmal. One of the things that was done was try to reduce homicide detectives’ case loads.”

Read the full article here