Director of Education

Dr. Stephen Owens

Dr. Stephen Owens is the education director at the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute. Stephen advocates for diverse, inclusive and excellent public schools through research and data analysis.

Prior to joining GBPI in 2018, Stephen was a research and data analyst at the Georgia Department of Education. He created data visualizations to help district and state policymakers better understand school outcomes, assisted in the creation of Georgia’s plan to implement federal education legislation (the Every Student Succeeds Act), and produced analyses that shaped public policy for Georgia’s schools.

Stephen graduated from the University of Georgia, where he holds a doctorate with a focus on education policy. His dissertation centered on state-level agenda formation.

Recent Posts by Stephen

Education Ashley Young

Georgia Education Budget Primer for State Fiscal Year 2024

This section is co-authored by Director of Education Dr. Stephen Owens, Director of Economic Justice Ife Finch Floyd …

Empty classroom with bright colors and zoom in on desks Bill Analysis

Fact Sheet: Voucher Dollars Take from the Many to Benefit the Few

    Using data from the state’s expenses for the existing tax credit voucher and comparing to population …

sb 233 bill analysis Bill Analysis

Bill Analysis: SB 233

Key Takeaways Senate Bill 233 is conservatively projected to cost an additional $150 million upon full implementation This …

Line of kids boarding a school bus Budget and Taxes

Overview: 2024 Fiscal Year Budget for K-12 Education

    Gov. Kemp’s budget proposal for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 provides Georgia’s public schools $11.9 billion, a …

State of Education 2023 cover photo K-12 Education

State of Education Funding (2023): Opportunity is Knocking

    The United States is experiencing income inequality at a level not seen since the 1920s, and …

k-12 survey cover image K-12 Education

Hidden Costs Exact a Toll: Results from GBPI’s 2022 School District Survey

This report was co-authored by Monica Obregon, a fellow in the Southern Education Leadership Initiative, a program within …

special education featured image K-12 Education

Special Education Funding in Georgia

By several measures Georgia has a typical special education program, but this says less about the state and …

3 ways to fix GA ed funding Blog

Three Ways to Fix Georgia Education Funding

Five Georgia senators will meet over the next few months to review education funding mechanisms as a part …

support schools post roe featured image Blog

How to Support Georgia’s Schools Post-Roe

The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling striking down Roe v. Wade has left states to decide limits on abortion …

School-Drop-Off Budget and Taxes

Hundreds of Millions of Dollars at Stake for a Failed Policy | Bill Analysis House Bill 60 (LC 49 0793S)

  Note: This piece provides an update to a 2021 analysis of a previous version of the bill, …

k12 education budget overview image (1) Budget and Taxes

Bill Analysis: House Bill 999 (LC 49 0739)

  Key Takeaways House Bill 999 relies on a faulty measure to calculate the state’s allocations to public …

k12 education budget overview image (1) Budget and Taxes

Overview: 2023 Fiscal Year Budget for K-12 Education

    Gov. Kemp’s budget proposal for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 provides Georgia’s public schools $10.7 billion, a …

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