Kemp signs school-choice expansion bills in Georgia | WASHINGTON EXAMINER

by Corey Burres | May 11, 2021

Kemp signs school-choice expansion bills in Georgia | WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Gov. Brian Kemp signed a trio of bills Thursday to expand education options in Georgia.

Senate Bill 47 expands the state’s Special Needs Scholarship program to students with 504 Plans. The program offers scholarships for students with individualized education plans to attend a private school or a public school of their choice…

“Gov. Kemp and lawmakers in the General Assembly have done right by Georgia’s special-needs community, and we applaud them for it,” Georgia Center for Opportunity Vice President of Public Policy Buzz Brockway said. “Coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic where so many families of students with special needs suffered disproportionately due to closed classrooms, it’s unconscionable to think we wouldn’t do everything in our power to lighten their load. This is an important first step as we move toward helping more marginalized communities access quality education options.”

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Kemp signs school-choice expansion bills in Georgia | CENTER SQUARE

by Corey Burres | May 11, 2021

Kemp signs school-choice expansion bills in Georgia | CENTER SQUARE

Gov. Brian Kemp signed a trio of bills Thursday to expand education options in Georgia.

Senate Bill 47 expands the state’s Special Needs Scholarship program to students with 504 Plans. The program offers scholarships for students with individualized education plans to attend a private school or a public school of their choice…

“Gov. Kemp and lawmakers in the General Assembly have done right by Georgia’s special-needs community, and we applaud them for it,” Georgia Center for Opportunity Vice President of Public Policy Buzz Brockway said. “Coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic where so many families of students with special needs suffered disproportionately due to closed classrooms, it’s unconscionable to think we wouldn’t do everything in our power to lighten their load. This is an important first step as we move toward helping more marginalized communities access quality education options.”

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Foster children, homeless students to get free tuition in Georgia | JOHNSON CITY PRESS

by Corey Burres | May 4, 2021

Foster children, homeless students to get free tuition in Georgia | JOHNSON CITY PRESS

Foster children and students who are identified as homeless will be able to attend Georgia public universities and technical colleges for free, starting July 1.

Senate Bill 107 was part of a legislation package signed Monday by Gov. Brian Kemp aimed at improving the state’s foster care system…

“Adoptive and foster children face unique challenges in their lives, so it’s our duty to knock down barriers they face and to create a path to success in education and in life,” said Corey Burres, vice president of communications for the Georgia Center for Opportunity. “This bill creates opportunities that expand educational access and opportunity. That is something that we should expect from all educational initiatives and legislation.”

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Georgia nonprofit joins coalition pushing to use federal aid to expand broadband access | CENTER SQUARE

by Corey Burres | Apr 21, 2021

Georgia nonprofit joins coalition pushing to use federal aid to expand broadband access | CENTER SQUARE

A Georgia nonprofit is among a group of organizations calling on state lawmakers to prioritize improving internet access with federal relief money.

The Georgia Center for Opportunity (GCO) joined a coalition of 13 other organizations across the country urging state leaders to use American Rescue Plan funding to increase internet bandwidth in rural and underserved areas of the states.

“Broadband for rural areas should’ve been a priority prior to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Buzz Brockway, GCO’s vice president of public policy. “Now, it’s an emergency.”…

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Poll: Support for school choice increases after COVID shutdowns | KULR8

by Corey Burres | Apr 12, 2021

Poll: Support for school choice increases after COVID shutdowns | KULR8

After states shut down schools and forced families into virtual learning, parents and families found new ways to provide K-12 education to their children. While doing so, support for school choice options soared, a new poll from Real Clear Opinion Research found.

Among those surveyed, 71% said they support school choice, which is defined as giving parents the option to use the tax dollars designated for their child’s education to send their child to the public or private school that best serves their needs. Across all racial and ethnic demographics, an overwhelming majority expressed support for school choice: Blacks (66%), Hispanic (68%), and Asian (66 percent)…

The Georgia Center for Opportunity’s (GCO) take: “As this poll clearly shows, ensuring educational access for all is a common-sense, non-partisan issue,” said Buzz Brockway, Georgia Center for Opportunity vice president of public policy, said in a statement. “Unfortunately, a sliver of loud and influential special interest groups work to bar parents, families, and students from achieving true educational equity. We can’t allow that to happen. When 65% of registered voters tell you they support a concept like the Education Scholarship Account idea proposed right here in Georgia, lawmakers need to listen.”

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Resilience and Equity | SAPORTA REPORT

by Corey Burres | Apr 6, 2021

Resilience and Equity | SAPORTA REPORT

The challenges of the last year have impacted all of us. From social injustices to racial inequality and COVID, our communities are suffering. We have also seen great acts of heroism with our front-line workers who have continued to serve our communities. A common thread that has emerged is the power of resilience. At Families First, we believe that resilience is the foundation of building strong communities…

Through this approach, baseline assessments of the families are created to determine each member’s unique needs, care plan, check-in timelines, and aftercare plan to measure improvement. Working with partners like the Westside Future Fund, Georgia Center for Opportunity, Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce, Impact46, Goodwill of North Georgia, Raising Expectations and others, Families First is helping our families create a personalized approach to move from surviving to thriving.

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