The Current System is Failing Many of Our Children
According to the most recent data released by the National Center for Education Statistics this January, Georgia’s high school graduation rate is still one of the lowest in the nation at 72 percent, despite good improvement over the last two years. Only three states...
Education Savings Account Bill Introduced
We are very pleased to report that Rep. Mark Hamilton introduced a bill today to create Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) in Georgia (Read HB 243: "Education Savings Account Act"). ESAs are a terrific way to give parents and their students a choice when it comes to...
Education Savings Accounts – A Good Idea
There is buzz under the gold dome about the potential for a bill proposing Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) for Georgia's students and parents. ESAs have earned the praise of many as the "next generation of school choice." Here is a run down of how they work and...
Why School Choice Matters
Imagine being told that your daughter won’t graduate from high school. Now imagine that your daughter is only 5 years old when you receive the news. This happened to someone I know. Katherine is the mother of now 17-year-old Grace. Twelve years ago, at about the time...
Celebrating Thirty Years of Successful Reintegration
Successful reentry for those coming home from prison is a concept that is not easily defined. Most often, success is defined in terms of low recidivism – that is, fewer people who return to prison within three years of their release. However, simply measuring...
Mom and Apple Pie, Meet School Choice
With Congress returning to work this week and the Georgia General Assembly doing so on Monday, many voters are watching to see what issues are tackled (or not) in the coming months. A new poll released this week suggests Georgia lawmakers ought to carefully consider...
GCO’s 2014 Annual Report
Georgia Center for Opportunity’s recently released annual report shows the impact that is being made in the lives of Georgians, thanks to the generous support of GCO's donors. Over the past year, GCO has successfully advocated for prisoner reentry reforms which were...
Your Gift has Real Life Impact
With your support, we have been working hard to make Georgia a state where ALL have a real chance to prosper. In recent months GCO has: • advocated for ideas and policies that will expand access to quality education, particularly for those for whom such access is...
New GCO Report: A High Price to Pay
GCO's latest report provides solutions that aim to minimize the role debt has in driving recidivism rates. Offenders often leave prison owing tens of thousands of dollars in debt, creating serious obstacles to a successful reentry. The state expects returning...
A Reflection on a Norman Rockwell Classic
On September 25, 1954, the cover of The Saturday Evening Post featured what would become one of Norman Rockwell’s most iconic and revered paintings. It’s called “Breaking Home Ties” and it tells a poignant story: A father and son sit side-by-side on the running board...
