NEWS & OPINIONS
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...
Congress should end marriage penalties in the tax code and welfare system
By Erik Randolph, GCO Contributing Scholar Last December, President Trump signed into law changes to the federal income tax. One of the supposed achievements was the elimination of the marriage penalty. This is not entirely correct. I recently analyzed marriage...
Two ways to build on the success of the special needs scholarship program
What goal is more important than ensuring our most vulnerable students have the best shot at success? That’s what Georgia’s Special Needs Scholarship Program is all about. Now in its 11th year, the scholarship enables children who have special needs to transfer to...
Desperate for options, Jan turns to school choice
Imagine the challenge of raising two children with special needs. That’s the task that Jan—a small business owner in Georgia—faces in bringing up her two girls. Katie has ADHD, dyslexia, and autism spectrum disorder, and Jessica has an auditory processing disorder and...
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...
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...
Time is Running Out to Expand Tax Credit Scholarships
As Georgia’s 2018 legislative session marches to a close this week, will lawmakers act to expand Georgia’s Tax Credit Scholarship Program? Legislation pending in the state Senate, if passed, would yield huge benefits for families in desperate need of educational...
School Choice Expands the ‘Success Sequence’
According to scholars, America is increasingly becoming a society polarized between higher- and lower-income people. Whereas until recently a majority of Americans were considered middle class, now good jobs for those who only have a high school diploma are rapidly...
Will Georgia continue to be a leader in school choice?
With more than 17,000 students enrolled in scholarship programs, Georgia is a leader in educational opportunity, according to the 2016-2017 School Choice Yearbook put out by the American Federation for Children (AFC). In fact, the Peach State is seventh in the country...
Report: Atlanta’s charter schools are more cost-effective than traditional public schools
Do public charter schools deliver results in a more cost-effective way compared to traditional public schools? That’s the question addressed by a recent research report from the University of Arkansas (PDF download). The answer, it turns out, is unequivocally yes....
MEDIA MENTIONS
Less than half of Georgians approve of how Trump, Kemp have responded to COVID-19 | 11 Alive News
A new, exclusive 11Alive News/SurveyUSA Poll finds that if a coronavirus vaccine is developed, a full one-third of Georgians are not likely to take it. While there is a consensus across the state that the nation has done a poor job at controlling the spread of the...
Nonprofits face funding shortages, increase demands amid COVID-19 | The Center Square
Nonprofit organizations in Georgia are facing higher demands for services but decreases in revenue amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a recent survey found. According to a June survey by the Georgia Center for Nonprofits (GCN), 90 percent of nonprofit organizations that...
Leaders React to Passing of Georgia Congressman John Lewis | All On Georgia
Civil rights icon and Georgia Congressman John Lewis passed away Friday at the age of 80. He was the last of the Big Six civil rights activists led by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., and so congressional congressional colleagues, civil rights leaders, and individuals...
City of Savannah creates new task force to help formerly incarcerated community members | WJCL
SAVANNAH, Ga. — Savannah Mayor Van Johnson’s newest task force is focusing on welcoming those who have previously been in prison back into the Savannah community and helping them become productive members of society. It’s called Advocates for Restorative Communities...
Criminal record expungement bill clears Georgia House | The Center Square
A bill that would increase the number of criminal records that can be sealed was approved unanimously Wednesday by the Georgia House. Senate Bill 288 would allow certain misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies to qualify for expungement. The legislation is "an important...
Criminal record expungement bill clears Georgia House | Marietta Daily Journal
A bill that would increase the number of criminal records that can be sealed was approved unanimously Wednesday by the Georgia House. Senate Bill 288 would allow certain misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies to qualify for expungement. The legislation is "an important...
Criminal record expungement bill clears Georgia House | Cherokee Tribune & Ledger
A bill that would increase the number of criminal records that can be sealed was approved unanimously Wednesday by the Georgia House. Senate Bill 288 would allow certain misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies to qualify for expungement. The legislation is "an important...
99 Nonprofits to Receive Funding from ECMC Foundation Employee-Nominated Grant Program | YAHOO FINANCE
LOS ANGELES, June 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Ninety-nine nonprofit organizations will receive funding from ECMC Foundation as part of an annual program designed to give back to the communities where employees live and work. For the first time, ECMC Foundation will...