NEWS & OPINIONS
ESAs are the next logical step for Georgia
The Georgia legislature is back in session, and school choice is likely to be a front and center issue. As we look to build off past school-choice successes in Georgia, a key priority will be to see Educational Scholarship Accounts (ESAs) become a reality. Along these...
One of the best ways to escape poverty: Full-time work
It may surprise you to learn that data from the U.S. Census data show that just 2.4 percent of those who work full-time year-round live in poverty. In contrast, 14 percent of those who did work—but not full-time, and not year-round—were in poverty, and fully 32...
Lt. Gov. Duncan wants to provide more educational options for Georgia students
This week marks National School Choice Week, a program that began in 2011 and has rapidly grown across the country highlighting the benefits and need for more school choice options. Lt. Gov. Duncan is leading the state's celebration at Atlanta Youth Acadamy in...
A Photo Journey through Breakthrough
On December 5th, some of the nation’s most innovative researchers, policy experts, and community-based practitioners lead a series of discussions at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on solutions that are unlocking human potential in Georgia and around the country, enabling...
Results are in: Georgians want school choice
The mandate from Georgia voters is clear—by an overwhelming margin, they want lawmakers in the General Assembly to pass legislation expanding school choice in 2019. That’s the finding of a new poll released by the Georgia Center for Opportunity (GCO). The survey found...
GCO poll: Nearly 70 percent of Georgia voters want the legislature to pass school choice legislation in 2019
Peachtree Corners—A new poll released by the Georgia Center for Opportunity (GCO) has found that a significant majority of likely Georgia voters—to the tune of 68 percent—support school choice for families across the state. Ahead of the 2019 legislative session,...
Poll: School choice growing in popularity
A new poll from Education Next shows a surge in support for educational choice programs nationwide. Across the board, support is up for publicly funded school-choice scholarships, tax-credit scholarships, and public charter schools. And not only is public support for...
Buzz Brockway joins GCO as VP of Public Policy
PEACHTREE CORNERS – On Tuesday, the Georgia Center for Opportunity (GCO) announced that Buzz Brockway, an outgoing state representative from Lawrenceville, has joined the group’s executive leadership team as Vice President of Public Policy. Since being elected to the...
2018 Georgia Legislator Scorecard on School Choice Now Available
When it comes to expanding educational choice for all students and families in Georgia, our state has a lot to celebrate this year. During the last legislative session, lawmakers took some crucial strides to help kids trapped in failing schools or stuck in classrooms...
GCO releases report card grading lawmakers on school choice support
33 state lawmakers recognized for outstanding support of school choice in 2018 PEACHTREE CORNERS – On Wednesday, the Georgia Center for Opportunity (GCO) released their 2018 Legislator Report Card, a scorecard recognizing state lawmakers according to their voting...
New Study on Black Men Shows Improvement in Achieving American Dream
There’s an old saying that a rising tide lifts all boats. This seems to be true in today’s booming economy—with low unemployment rates at the state and national levels translating into historical lows in communities that often lag behind. For example, economic...
Tight job market calls for creative educational solutions
By now, you’ve probably seen the headlines and read the stories—America’s economy is booming. Just last month the national unemployment figures came in for May and the rate dipped to 3.8%—a level that ties a half-century low dating to 1969, and which economists...
MEDIA MENTIONS
Georgia Center for Opportunity CEO reacts to leaked audio of Lt. Governor
ATLANTA - During the 2018 legislative session, the Georgia Center for Opportunity stood with parents across the state and fervently advocated for the expansion of the tax credit tuition scholarship program. In response to a leaked audio recording involving Lt....
Helping Seth live up to his potential
Of the many bills that will be under consideration by the Georgia legislature in 2019, one that we are particularly excited about is a piece of legislation creating “Individualized Education Accounts” (IEAs), which aim to improve our state’s Special Needs Scholarship...
Randy Hicks Addresses Compassionate, Commonsense Welfare Reform on FoxNews.com
President Trump recently signed an order aiming to streamline welfare in the U.S., which is leading lawmakers to take a deeper look at the many programs that make up the complex system. It's a positive first step, as the current structure reinforces dependency and...
The federal government is tackling welfare reform, and Georgia needs to follow
You’ve probably heard the old adage, “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day … Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” And while this nugget of age-old wisdom seems like common-sense compassion to most folks, in reality most governmental welfare...
Executive Order on welfare an opportunity to restore hope to welfare recipients
News | For Immediate Release April 10, 2018 Executive Order on welfare an opportunity to restore hope to welfare recipients, says Georgia Center for Opportunity CEO ATLANTA - On Tuesday, President Trump issued a sweeping Executive Order urging the restructuring of...
Savannah Morning News: What real education reform looks like
This op-ed was originally published in the Savannah Morning News on March 26th. Check out the original post here. By Randy Hicks Once again, it’s an election year. And as in the past, we’ll probably hear a lot of talk about the state of education in Georgia. But...
Georgia Center for Opportunity lauds approval of tax credit scholarship expansion
News | For Immediate Release April 2, 2018 Georgia Center for Opportunity Lauds Approval of Tax Credit Scholarship Expansion ATLANTA - On the final day of Georgia’s 2018 legislative session, lawmakers gave final approval to a bill expanding the state’s wildly popular...
Session Wraps With Two Key Victories for School Choice
Expanded education options will soon be available to thousands of Georgia families, thanks to two measures approved in the closing hours of the General Assembly’s session last week. The last-minute approvals came at a time when school-choice advocates were losing hope...
