GCO honored to be listed on Atlas Network’s top 10 to watch in 2022

by Georgia Center for Opportunity | Feb 2, 2022

GCO honored to be listed on Atlas Network’s top 10 to watch in 2022

The Georgia Center for Opportunity team is honored to be named as one of the Atlas Network’s top 10 nonprofit partners to watch in 2022. Atlas acknowledges GCO as an organization working “to make the world a better place for countless everyday people.”

Atlas’ designation focuses on our work to ensure that Education Scholarship Accounts (ESAs) are passed into law during the current session of the Georgia Legislature. These would allow public school funds to be used for private school tuition. Quoting Atlas:

Coming out of the pandemic and its devastating effects on educational outcomes, GCO sees the expansion of educational choice as more important and more achievable than ever before. With that perspective in mind, their campaign will push for the implementation of a sweeping educational savings account program in Georgia. These programs are an effective way of providing parents the financial means to choose the best educational option for their children, restoring hope, dignity, and prosperity.

The Success Sequence provides an outline of how to reverse the cycle of poverty in our communities. GCO uses this as a framework for much of our work.

Who is the Atlas Network

The Atlas Network is a nonprofit organization that seeks to secure for all individuals the rights to economic and personal freedom through its global network of strategic partners.

Georgia Education Academic Innovation Subcommittee Passed House Bill 999

by Buzz Brockway | Feb 1, 2022

Georgia Education Academic Innovation Subcommittee Passed House Bill 999

The Georgia Education Academic Innovation Subcommittee passed House Bill 999

Today, the Georgia Education Academic Innovation Subcommittee passed House Bill 999, legislation that would create Promise Scholarships allowing all children to find the right fit for their education. Scholarships could be used on any approved education expense, such as private school tuition, tutoring, homeschool curriculum, virtual classes, college classes, therapies (for kids with special needs), technology, etc. H.B. 999 now goes to the full House Education Committee for consideration.

The Georgia Center for Opportunity’s (GCO) take: “We have been fighting alongside parents and families to create more opportunities for students to access high-quality education options. Promise Scholarships are a huge leap in the right direction to put kids first,” said Buzz Brockway, GCO’s vice president of public policy. “This was a true bipartisan effort and we’re glad to see lawmakers working together for the common good of children and their education.”

GCO’s Take: The House Bill 999 “Georgia Educational Freedom Act”

by Buzz Brockway | Jan 26, 2022

GCO’s Take: The House Bill 999 “Georgia Educational Freedom Act”

GCO’s Take: The House Bill 999 “Georgia Educational Freedom Act”

The Georgia Center For Opportunity applauds the introduction of House Bill 999, the Georgia Educational Freedom Act. The legislation would create new Education Scholarship Accounts (ESAs) funded by the state in the amount of $6,000 for students for each school year.

GCO’s take: “We believe these types of steps give kids a fighting chance,” said Buzz Brockway, GCO’s vice president of public policy. “All Georgia’s kids deserve quality education and that includes students who may need additional help or need a different learning environment. This bill keeps our public school funding in place for the vast majority who access it while giving a lifeline to those left without opportunity or hope.A public education system should ensure that all students have access to quality education, no matter their race, past mistakes, or circumstances of their birth. This bill opens that door for kids in our state.”

State Unemployment December 2021 Statistics

by Erik Randolph | Jan 25, 2022

State Unemployment December 2021 Statistics

Today, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics announced state unemployment numbers from December 2021.

The results put Georgia as 6th best in the nation for jobs recovered since the beginning of the pandemic. Utah, Idaho, Texas, and Arizona lead the pack, with Utah the run-away leader in labor force recovery.

The Georgia Center for Opportunity’s (GCO) take: “An important factor aggravating the wide disparity among the states in the jobs recovery is out-migration. Many workers—and businesses who are taking jobs with them—are voting with their feet by moving out of states that imposed more severe COVID-19 shutdown measures compared to states that were less severe, including Georgia,” said Erik Randolph, GCO’s director of research.

For more, read Randolph’s research report on the economic impact of the pandemic shutdowns.

National School Choice Week

by Buzz Brockway | Jan 24, 2022

National School Choice Week

The Georgia Center For Opportunity is proud to acknowledge Jan. 23-29 as National School Choice Week in Georgia.

More than 1,000 events are planned across the state to celebrate the blessing of educational options regardless of a family’s income, zip code, or race.

GCO’s take: “One of the attributes that makes Georgia a great place to live—and a great place to relocate to from other areas of the country—is our diverse and growing set of educational options,” said Buzz Brockway, GCO’s vice president of public policy. “During National School Choice Week 2022, we are honored to join with our neighbors in Georgia committed to providing access to the best educational option for the unique needs of each child.”

Could inflation be a persistent problem for the foreseeable future?

by Erik Randolph | Jan 12, 2022

Could inflation be a persistent problem for the foreseeable future?

The CPI is up over 7% over last 12 months

Today, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that in December the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 0.5% on a seasonally adjusted basis. The CPI is up 7% over the last 12 months, not seasonally adjusted. That is the largest 12-month increase since 1982.

Georgia Center for Opportunity’s take:

“Pundits are breathing a sigh of relief after the latest CPI numbers landed because they weren’t worse than expected, but optimism may be misplaced,” said Erik Randolph, GCO’s director of research. “The problem is that we’ve established a new floor for prices that likely won’t go down in the coming years. Those impacts are most acutely felt in the areas that hit the pocketbooks of the lower income the hardest, such as food, rent, and energy. Now, it’s more important than ever to avoid pumping more stimulus into the economy that will only worsen the problem. Doing so could make inflation a year-in, year-out persistent problem for the foreseeable future.”