Overview:  Over the past year, the cost of things has risen substantially. The United States, and really the world, is  experiencing the highest rate of inflation in more than four decades. In fact, adults who grew up in the  1970s will remember “stagflation,” when the  country experienced rising prices and interest rates, even though the […]

By Sondra Mims, retired Chief Academic Officer, after 36 years at the Atlanta Speech School Research is clear that our brains activate in concert with the experiences and characters we come to know through books. Whether it is through storybooks or great literature, our brains “feel” what the characters feel and become solution oriented when […]

By Rebecca Parshall, PhD Learn4Life (L4L) recently released the 6th annual State of Education in Metro Atlanta. The report highlights three focus areas: our region’s educational data, how to use data as a flashlight, and some of the strategies that are improving outcomes for traditionally underserved students. The data can help all stakeholders play a […]

By GEEARS: Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students One Saturday morning in November, GEEARS’ Pre-K Recruitment Specialist Dawan Barfield stood before a meeting room at the Dean Rusk YMCA Head Start Academy. With his characteristic warmth and ease, he welcomed tables full of volunteers, who smiled back at him over boxed breakfasts.  “Let’s start […]

By David Jernigan, President & CEO, Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta FAMILY HOLDS CANDLELIGHT VIGIL FOR 12-YEAR-OLD KILLED NEAR ATLANTIC STATION 15-YEAR-OLD GIRL SHOT TO DEATH AT CLAYTON COUNTY PARTY ATTENDED BY HUNDREDS APS’S STUDENT ADVISORY COUNCIL GIVES CALL TO ACTION DURING RALLY TO STOP GUN VIOLENCE With more than three dozen young […]

By GEEARS As the state agency responsible for meeting the child care and early education needs of Georgia’s children and their families, the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) is constantly looking for ways to improve the experiences of our state’s youngest students.  In the late 2000s, a series of independent studies found […]

By Damian Ramsey  The College Bound Partnership: Making College More Affordable  The government sets aside funds each year to help students pay for postsecondary education, but too often students are unable to access them. In fact, $2B+ is left unclaimed annually. Why? Because the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is intensely complicated, especially […]

By Comer Yates, Executive Director, Atlanta Speech School Just before the start of this school year, I had the privilege of serving as the closing speaker at the Alabama Early Childhood Education Conference, the theme of which was the “Measure of Tomorrow.” The new school year was on the immediate horizon, and the teachers had […]

By GEEARS  These days, the topic of mental health seems to be everywhere. In the wake of the pandemic, medical practitioners, educators, and government leaders are all freshly aware of mental health challenges and the imperative that we incorporate their treatment into everyday healthcare.   Yet, the public still has some catching up to do when […]

By Brooks Robinson Board Director and Technology Advisory Board member of Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta and advisor to technology companies and investors including Tech Square Ventures and Engage Technology has transformed how we live and work. The need to continually invest in technology and innovation is critical for companies to remain competitive. […]