Broadband expansion gives Gov. Kemp rural toehold | 11ALIVE

by Corey Burres | Feb 9, 2021

Broadband expansion gives Gov. Kemp rural toehold | 11ALIVE

Internet access in rural areas has been a problem for years – the pandemic only magnified the challenges. The issue could make or break Kemp’s re-election next year…

“It’s tied directly into economic development,” said former state Rep. Buzz Brockway, who now leads the Georgia Center for Opportunity. “That could be a real economic boon to rural Georgia in years to come. But a lot of that is predicated on having good internet access.”

For Gov. Kemp, it’s also about giving back to a constituency that helped elect him. Though Democrats won statewide races last year, the map still shows Republican red prevailing in rural Georgia. Putting high speed internet in rural Georgia is good business. For Kemp, it’s also good re-election politics.

“His strategy for winning (in 2018) was to do really well in rural Georgia, and he did,” Brockway said. “That provided the margin for him. And he’s going to have to rely on that again.”

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School closures, a job loss, and health emergencies: How the pandemic is impacting one family of a student with special needs in Georgia

by David Bass | Feb 8, 2021

School closures, a job loss, and health emergencies: How the pandemic is impacting one family of a student with special needs in Georgia

Students are missing the magic that happens in a classroom that cannot be replicated on a Zoom call

When the pandemic came home to DeKalb County in March 2020, Jennifer Sheran and her husband never expected that it would touch off a year-long stint of trials.

It all began with the public school system’s transition to online learning. A virtual classroom worked fine for Jennifer’s two older children, but her youngest son, 10-year-old Joey, has Down syndrome. Online learning is entirely unworkable for him due to his special needs.

For example, DeKalb is following a normal bell schedule but staying engaged on Zoom for hours on end is not working. Morning classes will sometimes go well, but by lunchtime Joey is tuned out. It is impossible to get him back online after the lunch break for specials, such as music and art, and Jennifer cannot stay tied up until 2:30pm every day. She has seen academic and social regression for her son as he has little to no interaction with peers.

Additionally, his academic growth is limited due to repetitive practice of current skills on worksheets with no new individual instruction to learn new concepts in language arts or math. As a highly visual and experiential learner, he is missing the magic that happens in a classroom that cannot be replicated on a Zoom call.

“It’s day-by-day and minute-by-minute,” Jennifer shares. “One class he is engaged and on task, and the next minute he is hiding under the bed or taking his shirt off.”

Adding fuel to the fire, Jennifer’s 25-year career in PR and corporate communications hit a speed bump in July when she lost her full-time job. Her income was a significant part of the household budget.

Normally, Jennifer would have launched a job search immediately, but the demands of online learning for Joey meant that she could only pick up a few freelance projects to try and bridge a small part of the gap in their family budget.

Today, nearly a year after DeKalb schools went virtual, Jennifer is getting so desperate that she and her husband have decided to list their home in Dunwoody and move south to Henry County, where public schools have been open for in-person instruction since September.

We’re expanding opportunities and giving new hope to children across the state. All students deserve access to high quality education options.

Good news on the horizon

Another layer of challenges hit when Jennifer’s mother had a stroke and is now in rehab. With her father already suffering from COPD and advanced kidney disease, the Sherans will be selling their home and moving in with her parents to be caregivers until they can make the permanent move to Henry County.

All schools continue to have their doors shut to in-person learning, Jennifer shares that the special needs community “is getting completely overlooked.”

“In other states and even elsewhere in Georgia, school districts make accommodations, understanding that special-needs students have a need to return back to classrooms earlier than others,” she said.

There is good news on the horizon for families like Jennifer’s: Georgia Governor Brian Kemp recently allocated $10 million in federal emergency relief dollars specifically to reimburse parents of students with special needs for education expenses incurred during the pandemic.

In Jennifer’s case, the funds would be crucial to help hire tutoring help so that she can find more work to make ends meet.

“One-size-fits-all won’t work here,” she said. “We can’t allow our special-needs students to fall even further behind. They will be more dependent on society as they transition to adults. These children are capable of so much if we give them the support they need.”

The importance of the African American family in our history

by Corey Burres | Feb 1, 2021

The importance of the African American family in our history

A focus on the contributions of the African American family

As we head into February, we at the Georgia Center for Opportunity (GCO) are proud to celebrate Black History Month and the experience of the African American community. In particular, we plan to take this month to celebrate and promote the African American family and how it has positively shaped our nation as a whole.

We believe that all communities can learn from each other. The strength and generational bond that is particularly strong within the African American family is something that should be applauded and modeled for others. African American families have had to face so much in our nation’s history—from slavery to legally sanctioned discrimination—yet there are so many stories of the triumphs and stories of these strong relationships. They inspire us all.

So this month we will feature blogs and commentary around family and the strength of the African American community. Expect to see features on Marriage Week (Feb. 7-14), the foundational principles that define family, creating an extended family for foster children, and fundamentals for a healthy marriage. These universal principles will help shape our understanding of what it means when we say “better relationships”.

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.

Family makes us stronger

We are all stronger when we have the support base of a family that will stand by us throughout hardships. We know that the support structure and relationships formed out of strong family bonds lead to success throughout life. It is why we provide training and support to further family development in our communities. Healthy relationships and strong family bonds are a key part of the Success Sequence, a process that helps people avoid poverty and leads to meaningful work, finances, and relational lives. In short, it leads to a vibrant and thriving life.

We value the importance of listening and learning from the experiences of others. That is why throughout February we will be highlighting the strength and values of the African American family from the perspective of those in the African American community. GCO staff members will share their experiences and we will draw on the experiences of those we serve—all of this with the purpose of applauding the marriage, family, and diversity of experience

Study: Education savings account program in Georgia could result in nearly $16B in long-term benefits | CROSSVILLE CHRONICLE

by Corey Burres | Feb 1, 2021

Study: Education savings account program in Georgia could result in nearly $16B in long-term benefits | CROSSVILLE CHRONICLE

Giving parents the ability to choose what school their children attend could save Georgia taxpayers money and generate billions of dollars in economic benefits, according to a new study.

Released this week by conservative think tank the Georgia Public Policy Foundation (GPPF) in conjunction with National School Choice Week, the study said establishing a statewide education savings account program that serves 5% of the student population would provide at least $15.7 billion in long-term economic benefits….

Buzz Brockway, vice president of public policy at the Georgia Center for Opportunity, said education scholarship accounts could increase opportunities for low-income families.

“Our No. 1 priority should be giving parents as many options as possible for their child’s education, particularly for our low-income and minority communities who lack the resources to change school environments without our help,” Brockway said.

Read the full article here

Study: Education savings account program in Georgia could result in nearly $16B in long-term benefits | THE CENTER SQUARE

by Corey Burres | Feb 1, 2021

Study: Education savings account program in Georgia could result in nearly $16B in long-term benefits | THE CENTER SQUARE

Giving parents the ability to choose what school their children attend could save Georgia taxpayers money and generate billions of dollars in economic benefits, according to a new study.

Buzz Brockway, vice president of public policy at the Georgia Center for Opportunity, said education scholarship accounts could increase opportunities for low-income families.

“Our No. 1 priority should be giving parents as many options as possible for their child’s education, particularly for our low-income and minority communities who lack the resources to change school environments without our help,” Brockway said.

Read the full article here