The GCO 2022 year in review

by Kimberly Sawatka | Mar 27, 2023

The GCO 2022 year in review

Curious about our projects. progress, and achievements over the past year? The Georgia Center for Opportunity 2022 Annual Report is now available online. This year-in-review consolidates the most crucial information about where we’ve been and where we’re headed, all in one place.

We’re incredibly proud of the strides we’ve made for Georgia families in 2022. The GCO team stepped into 2022 on the other side of the COVID-19 pandemic, ready to lead the charge toward helping our neighbors thrive in education, work, and at home. In today’s climate, the need to alleviate suffering in our communities has never been more urgent.

Here at GCO, we believe that change at the community level is the most important of all. While state and federal policies can drive positive results, nothing is as personally impactful as change close to home. When our friends, families, and neighbors build better lives for themselves, those stories don’t just impact the individuals involved. They reverberate into the greater community.

Throughout 2022, we remained laser focused on local change. Here’s how we made an impact:

We supported 715 families across the state.
Our team hosted 13 workshops and trainings, with 234 in-person attendees and 266 virtual attendees.
Through the BETTER WORK program, we continued to help Georgia’s most vulnerable individuals find self-supporting, meaningful work.
Our Gwinnett County and Columbus BETTER WORK chapters expanded to 400 new job-seekers, 95 workplace partners, and 42 mentors.
GCO added Missouri and Utah to the BenefitsCliffs.org program, fueling our ongoing goal to encourage employment by overhauling the social safety net—bringing the overall initiative to 12 states (one-third of the nation’s population).
Our team successfully advocated for a bill during the Georgia General Assembly’s 2022 session that expands the state’s tuition tax credit scholarship by $20 million—giving over 4,000 additional students access to the program.
We attracted over 500 individuals to be a part of our relationship enrichment program, offering the classes across seven nonprofit partner agencies and seven schools.
Through assessments administered by the University of Georgia, we showed that our programs improve behaviors, attitudes, and knowledge, which are all top indicators of future relational wellbeing.
GCO’s Promise Scholarship campaign drove 1,050 messages and 7,573 calls to lawmakers across 10 districts.

In addition to our impact, we garnered some notable achievements:

Randy Hicks, GCO president and CEO, was named the 2022 recipient of State Policy Network’s Thomas A. Roe Award.
The GCO team received the State Policy Network’s Bob Williams Award for Outstanding Policy Achievement.
GCO was included in Atlas Network’s “Top 10 to Watch in 2022”

“While state and federal policies can drive positive results, nothing is as personally impactful as change close to home.”

“While state and federal policies can drive positive results, nothing is as personally impactful as change close to home.”

Throughout our report, we share stories of triumph: marriages revitalized, able-bodied workers gainfully employed, benefits cliffs overcome, and educational opportunities that honor students’ individual needs. You’ll get a glimpse of not only our state and local impact, but of some of the individual lives GCO’s work touched over the past year. These are just a few of our successes, and we’re thrilled to drive more transformation in Georgia over the coming year.

We’re proud of the legacy we’re helping to build for families and individuals in Georgia. Through stronger jobs, educational opportunities, and families, we’re bringing hope and positive charge to the most vulnerable people in our state. Most importantly, we wouldn’t be here without your support.

Here’s to an impactful 2023.

Read our 2022 annual report here.

Arkansas creates educational opportunity. It’s time for Georgia to step up

by David Bass | Mar 17, 2023

Arkansas creates educational opportunity. It’s time for Georgia to step up

Key Points

Arkansas is the fourth state in the U.S. to legislate universal educational opportunity — the others are Arizona, Utah, and Iowa.
Georgia Senate passed the Georgia Promise Scholarship Act (SB 233) in a 33-23 vote. It will go on to the House next, where it has traditionally faced more opposition.
Georgia Senate passed the Georgia Promise Scholarship Act (SB 233) in a 33-23 vote. It will go on to the House next, where it has traditionally faced more opposition.

Arkansas recently joined a growing list of states that have approved Education Scholarship Accounts, empowering parents to make the best decisions for their child’s unique educational needs.

The accounts, called Education Freedom Accounts (EFAs), will contain around $6,600 in funds per student every year. Families can then use the available funds to pay for education-related fees, including tuition, tutoring, textbooks, therapies, and other costs which have been approved by the state.

It will take three years to fully phase in the act. By the end of the third year, all students in Arkansas will be eligible for EFAs.

The creation of these accounts makes Arkansas the fourth state in the U.S. to legislate universal educational opportunity — the others are Arizona, Utah, and Iowa.

Now, Georgia could be next.

Last week, the Georgia Senate passed the Georgia Promise Scholarship Act (SB 233) in a 33-23 vote. It will go on to the House next, where it has traditionally faced more opposition.

If enacted into law, the Georgia Promise Scholarship Act would fund $6,000 per student every school year. Promise Scholarships would give families the financial freedom to select an educational environment that best fits their child’s needs. A wide range of educational expenses would be approved under the act, including tutoring, virtual classes, private school tuition, homeschool curriculum, special needs therapies, technology, college courses, and more.

In the wake of the pandemic, parents nationwide are demanding more options for their children’s education. Learning loss is one of many major crises to arise from nationwide lockdowns. At Georgia Center for Opportunity, we believe it is the state’s responsibility to help reverse that loss.

Families across the state need access to more opportunities now. With Promise Scholarships, Georgia’s children will have more opportunities to excel at school. Every child deserves empowerment through a high-quality education that works best for him or her. We believe that Georgia should lend support to every educational option for its students, including alternatives like homeschooling and virtual learning.

Promise Scholarships would give families the financial freedom to select an educational environment that best fits their child’s needs.

Over the past few years, more and more families have embraced alternatives to public education. While the majority of students across Georgia still attend public schools (and will likely continue to in the future), a growing minority of families are choosing differently. And, as the nation collectively faced an unprecedented pandemic, parents began to realize how many options were available to them outside the traditional school system.

Traditionally, families who select private schools or opt to homeschool receive no financial support to do so. Despite that choice, their tax dollars continue to fund public schools whose services they do not use.

Parents with special needs children struggle to find school systems that will accommodate their children’s needs. Often, they find that one facility lacks all the important resources they need so their children can thrive at school. While they could opt to build a hybrid program for their children, which might include home healthcare or virtual classes, those alternatives are cost-prohibitive.

Ultimately, we believe that tax dollars should follow each child, meeting their unique needs along the way. There is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to education. Public, private, home, and virtual education are of equal value, and as each family decides what is best for their children, Georgia should be willing to meet them where they are.

As the Georgia Promise Scholarship Act moves to the House, we urge you to contact your local representative to advocate for this bill. Our children can’t wait any longer for educational support that fits their individual needs and allows them to thrive. The future is depending on us.

Let’s transform parenting in Georgia! Recapping the Raising Highly Capable Kids kickoff event

by David Bass | Mar 15, 2023

Let’s transform parenting in Georgia! Recapping the Raising Highly Capable Kids kickoff event

Key Points

Positive relationships impact the opportunities and potential future for every child.
GCO is partnering with RezilientKids to bring the evidence-based program, Raising Highly Capable Kids to the Gwinnett area.
GCO is recruiting partners who are willing to local partners who could hold a class and for adults who might be interested in taking it.

Nothing has more impact on the life of a child than positive relationships.

That basic truth was the cornerstone of a kickoff event March 9 to launch the Raising Highly Capable Kids (RHCK) program across Georgia.

We’re thrilled to report that 43 people representing more than 20 community organizations attended the event at First United Methodist Church of Lawrenceville. The kickoff helped us build an inaugural network of RHCK trainers and liaisons who will help the Georgia Center for Opportunity (GCO) team bring the program to communities.

Attendees at the kickoff event heard from Angela Davis, regional representative for the Southeast region for RezilientKids, the national nonprofit that publishes the RHCK program. She shared how the program will work in Georgia.

Angela Davis of RezilientKids shares the power of Raising Highly Capable Kids with Gwinnett-area leaders.

What is RHCK?

GCO has partnered with RezilientKids to present the program to adults across Georgia. RHCK is a 13-week evidence-based parenting program developed to build stronger families by empowering parents with the confidence, tools, and skills they need to raise healthy, caring, and responsible children.

The program increases parents’ knowledge and skill level of the essential building blocks every child needs — the 40 Development Assets from Search Institute, which are proven to increase childhood resiliency and academic achievement.

The lessons are available to schools, nonprofits, churches, and other organizations focused on helping to build stronger families for Georgia — and ultimately stronger communities. Through a community grant issued by RezilientKidz, GCO is facilitating course offerings for interested parents who want to learn more effective skills and strategies as they raise their children.

What’s next?

We’re still looking for partners across Georgia to bring the RHCK program to parents. We are starting an interest list for local partners who could hold a class and for adults who might be interested in taking it.

If you are interested in referring contacts or getting involved in other ways, contact Joyce Mayberry, JoyceM@foropportunity.org, to start the conversation.

The Georgia Promise Scholarship (SB 233): Questions and Answers

by gaopp | Mar 14, 2023

The Georgia Promise Scholarship (SB 233): Questions and Answers

Key Points

The Georgia Promise Scholarship (Senate Bill 233) is the state’s newest education choice program to empower parents to access the best schooling option for their child. It creates state-funded scholarships that give eligible families $6,500 per student for each school year.
Eligibility is limited to kids attending low-performing public schools, as graded by the Georgia Department of Education.
On April 23, 2024, Gov. Kemp signed SB 233 into law, officially approving the Georgia Promise Scholarship program to launch for the 2025-2026 school year.

Across the country and in Georgia, parents have been calling for more choice and flexibility in K-12 education. Several states have responded to parents’ needs by adopting education savings account (ESA) programs, but Georgia has been slow to catch up.

In 2024, Georgia took a major step forward by passing the state’s first-ever education savings account program, the Georgia Promise Scholarship. Starting in the 2025 school year, this program will give eligible families $6,500 state-funded scholarships that they can use to afford the education option best suited to their child’s needs.

Here’s what parents and voters need to know about Georgia’s newest education opportunity.

What is the Georgia Promise Scholarship Act (SB 233)?

The Georgia Promise Scholarship Act (SB 233) is a type of education choice program for parents and families. It creates Promise Scholarships, which are state-administered, state-funded accounts that would give families $6,500 per year and per student to use for approved education expenses. Another common name for this type of program is “education savings accounts.”

An important distinction for Georgia Promise Scholarships: Eligibility is limited to students in the bottom 25% of Gerogia’s public schools.

How will the Georgia Promise Scholarship work?

The state will set aside the scholarship amount into an account the parent can direct. Parents can use these funds for the education option that best supports their child’s unique learning needs.

In 2024, Georgia Representatives made a few changes to the Promise Scholarship bill that limit its impact:

Funding Cap: Even though Promise Scholarship funding will be separate from public school funding, it cannot exceed 1% of public school funding. At this level, the program can serve an estimated 21,000-22,000 kids at most.

Expiration Date: Unless a future legislative body evaluates the program and chooses to extend it, the Promise Scholarships will end in 10 years. Furthermore, lawmakers will still have to vote to fund the program annually. These measures add a layer of uncertainty, making it difficult to secure a future of success and opportunity for our kids.

Who can apply for a Promise Scholarship?

To be eligible, families and students must meet the following criteria:

Parents must be Georgia residents.
The student must be enrolled in an under-performing public school.
The student may be entering pre-kindergarten or kindergarten.
Once eligible, a child remains eligible through 12th grade.
The student cannot be enrolled in a local school system, charter school, or state charter school while participating in the scholarship program.
Parents must agree to use accounts only for qualifying education expenses.

First priority will be given to students from families below 400% of the federal poverty level—around $120,000 a year for a family of four. Students above that threshold will be allowed to participate if funds are left over after lower-income students are served.

Use our interactive map to see which schools are in the lowest 25% of Georgia’s public schools.

Do you qualify?
Use our interactive map to see which schools are in the lowest 25% of Georgia’s public schools.

What could Georgia parents use a Promise Scholarship for?

Unlike Georgia’s other school choice programs, Promise Scholarships give parents the flexibility to pay for a range of education options and resouces. Qualifying education expenses include:

Tuition and fees for private schools, vocational programs, or college
Cost of online programs or classes
Tutoring services
Curriculum and textbooks
Technology, including adaptive or assistive technologies for students with special needs
Educational therapies
Transportation costs

How is the Promise Scholarship amount determined?

Amounts are set at $6,500, which is approximately the average per-pupil amount that the state sends to local school districts, based on Georgia’s current student funding formula.

Are Promise Scholarships currently available in Georgia?

Almost! Georgia passed the Georgia Promise Scholarship in April 2024, and parents will be able to use the program starting in Fall 2025.

Why does Georgia need Promise Scholarships?

There are three important reasons:

1. Georgia has a widespread problem of underperforming or failing public schools. At least one in four Georgia students (500,000 kids) are stuck in schools that receive a D or F grade from the Georgia Department of Education. For families seeking alternatives, Promise Scholarships are an opportunity to access other school options, including ones that may not be available or affordable otherwise.

2. Georgia, like many states, has thousands of parents who are frustrated with a one-size-fits-all school system. This parent movement for more education choice and flexibility has grown since the pandemic. This program would give parents more opportunity to customize their child’s education when the local public school is not the best fit.

3. The program would also benefit parents who want to stick with their local public school. States with robust education choice programs see better outcomes for all students, including those in the public school system. Education savings account programs, in particular, have a track record of empowering public schools to improve their budgets and increase student achievement.

One in four Georgia kids are stuck in public schools with a "D" or "F" grade across Georgia.

Are Promise Scholarships the same thing as school vouchers?

No, they are two different types of parental choice programs. This question is common because critics of education savings accounts often call them “private school scholarships” or “vouchers by another name.” However, both descriptions are inaccurate and misleading.

School vouchers allow parents to use public education dollars for private school tuition only. Education savings accounts can be used for a wider range of education expenses, and they allow parents more flexibility to pay for multiple education services and products if desired.

Are Promise Scholarships the same thing as 529 plans?

No. With a 529 plan, the parents are responsible for contributing money to the account in order to save for their child’s education expenses. Promise Scholarships would be state-funded and would not require parents to contribute any of their own money. Parents can choose to use a Promise Scholarship Account for education savings, such as saving for college tuition, but the account doesn’t have the same tax benefits that 529 plans do.

Do other states have education savings accounts?

Yes, 16 states have adopted some form of an education savings account program, including most of Georgia’s neighboring states:

Arizona and Florida have the most universal education savings account programs—every student statewide is eligible to apply.
Florida recently expanded its program to universal school choice, removing all caps previously placed on Florida’s education savings account program.
In a 2023 bipartisan effort, North Carolina opened its ESA program to all its students, putting it on track to be the nation’s second largest after Florida.
South Carolina and Indiana have adopted nearly universal education opportunity.
In 2024, Alabama passed its version of an ESA program, called the CHOOSE Act, which gives parents $7,000 per student to use for the education option of their choice.

Many states with ESA programs are moving to a universal eligibility set-up, where every kid has access regardless of income, race, zip code, or other circumstance. Georgia will need to be open to this model if we want to keep up and give our kids the best possible opportunities at school and in life.

Will SB 233 take money away from Georgia’s public schools?

No. The $6,500 scholarship would be funded separately from the Quality Basic Education (QBE) formula that funds students who attend traditional public schools.

While ESAs will be a good solution for certain families, many parents will continue to access education through their local public school. That means states will still need to prioritize sufficient funding for public schools.

Will Promise Scholarships help low-income families?

Yes. One benefit of education savings account programs is that they are one of the most equitable education choice methods out there. They give students from low-income families more opportunities to access schooling options that are often only available to families with greater financial resources.

The Georgia Promise Scholarship bill makes an intentional effort to support low-income students by giving first priority to students from families below 400% of the federal poverty level (around $120,000 a year for a family of four).

Will the Promise Scholarship Act (SB 233) hurt homeschooling families?

No. There are no provisions in the proposed law that would prevent homeschooling families from continuing this schooling option. Instead, SB 233 could make homeschooling an even more feasible option because families who qualify could use an account to pay for curriculum, courses, tutoring, or other educational resources that would enhance their homeschooling experience.

Related Resources

Georgia Passes Promise Scholarships and Exapnds Education Opportunity

Promise Schoolarships Cross Major Hurdle

The Georgia Promise Scholarship: What Private Schools Need to Know

What is the Georgia Promise Scholarship? (Georgia Public Policy Foundation)

The Public School Benefits of Education Savings Accounts (Goldwater Institute)

Why homeschool families should support ESAs or at least not oppose them (Goldwater Institute)

Georgia Promise Scholarship in the News

Georgia Students Need More Schooling Choices (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Governor’s Signature on School Choice Bill Is Good First Step (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Georgia Governor Signs Bill to Launch ‘Promise Scholarships’ (Washington Examiner)

Kemp backs $6,500 “voucher” measure (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Promise Scholarships Offer True Accountability (The Brunswick News)

Georgia is one of the top states for economic freedom

by David Bass | Mar 7, 2023

Georgia is one of the top states for economic freedom

Key Points

Georgia continues to be one of the most business friendly states.
Georgia did not impose strict lockdowns during the pandemic.
We believe that when the government refrains from heavy-handed intervention in the economy, everything from community life to poverty rates, job opportunities, upward mobility, and life expectancy will keep getting better.

Georgia is one of the most economically free states in the entire country, and that means more opportunity for our residents. That’s according to a new report from the Fraser Institute that tracks economic freedom in North America.

It’s clear that people across the country are realizing what a great place Georgia is to work and raise a family. According to Census.gov, Georgia is also among the top 10 most populous states in the U.S., and our population grew during the COVID-19 pandemic. We believe that our economic freedom is directly tied to this influx of new Georgia residents who moved into the state between 2021 and 2022.

The Fraser Institute report backs this statement. In the report, five out of the top 10 states for economic freedom are also in the top 10 list for population growth. Conversely, virtually all the states (roughly 17) losing population over the last few years are among the worst states in the nation for economic freedom.

“The truth is, the economic results Georgia has enjoyed over the past few years translate into our people’s wellbeing.”

A closer look at Georgia’s economic freedoms

Relative to other states in the U.S., Georgia has a low tax burden. This includes income tax and business taxes. Georgia also has a relatively low regulation on businesses and sole proprietors.

Georgia’s economic freedoms were already in place before the COVID-19 pandemic, but they became more apparent during the 2020 lockdowns. The Fraser Institute’s study covered the first five months of COVID restrictions in North America, and it showed that many of Georgia’s economic improvements were the direct result of the lack of tight restrictions in our state.

During 2020, Georgia didn’t impose widespread lockdowns or restrictions. We lifted those restrictions as quickly and reasonably as we could, given the situation. Without the burden of long-term, severe economic restrictions and COVID-related mandates, we gave people and businesses room to grow.

The good life, with room to grow

The truth is, the economic results Georgia has enjoyed over the past few years translate into our people’s wellbeing. Our economic freedoms here directly impact the daily lives of people from all backgrounds. By virtue of the state government’s low level of intervention, our communities are positioned to continually improve over time.

While economic freedom may not be experienced the same way by all (because the poor in a free state may not — and likely do not — feel very free), economic freedom generally means that even the poor benefit. That’s because, in free economies, there’s more charitable giving, more organizations who can help, and more job opportunities to help someone escape poverty for good.

Here at Georgia Center for Opportunity, we believe that when the government refrains from heavy-handed intervention in the economy, everything from community life to poverty rates, job opportunities, upward mobility, and life expectancy will keep getting better. We’ll draw people here who want to share in and enjoy those economic opportunities. And together, we can continue working toward creating a brighter future for our state and the people who live here.

We’re helping the water industry over the next five years

by Kimberly Sawatka | Feb 20, 2023

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 community infrastructures will suffer.

BETTER WORK Gwinnett and The Water Tower are joining forces. The Water Tower is a nonprofit organization “bringing together the public and private sectors of the water industry, side by side with academia and nonprofits, to tackle the industry’s greatest challenges.”

The next five years are crucial for the water industry as they expect 1200 water-related jobs opening in North Georgia. This generates the need to recruit, train, and vary operations to be most effective for the communities served.

A career in the water industry transcends pandemics and technology because it is a needed resource no matter what happens around us. To help fill the workforce needs, The Water Tower created training programs in the areas of Water and Wastewater Operators, Lab Analyst, Maintenance Technicians, and Field Technicians. The programs allow participants to receive the education and hands-on experience needed to walk into a living-wage career and not just a job.

The training course was designed for those in high school work programs, and those who may be already working but looking to expand their knowledge and create a career path in order to provide for themselves and their families.

Without skilled water laborers, many of the structures, products, and systems that are central to our daily lives would simply not exist. Furthermore, careers in the water industry offer stability, competitive wages, and opportunities for advancement, making them an important pathway to a fulfilling and prosperous life.

From protecting our precious water resources to providing clean and safe drinking water to communities, a career in this field is both fulfilling and impactful.

The water industry is a critical component of any healthy and thriving society, and the contributions of skilled laborers are truly invaluable. Careers in this field offer availability in many locations around the state, plus flexible hours to give workers the opportunity to create work-life balance.

To learn more about The Water Tower and the training programs offered, contact our BETTER WORK Gwinnett team.

From protecting our precious water resources to providing clean and safe drinking water to communities, a career in this field is both fulfilling and impactful.