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
State of Education Funding (2022)
This report offers an assessment of the state of education funding in Georgia by analyzing how it compares …
Districts Turn to Federal Money to Fill Holes Made by the State: Results from GBPI’s 2021 School District Survey
This report was co-authored by Allie Schneider, Southern Education Foundation Policy Fellow Key Takeaways: 93 percent …
Retirement in Georgia’s Public Schools
Overview The state of Georgia maintains two pension systems for employees in public schools: the Teachers Retirement …
Updated: Georgia Risks Losing Billions in Federal Funds for Public Schools
UPDATE: On 8/6/21 the U.S. Department of Education released updated guidance on the calculation for Maintenance of Equity …
Fund Georgia’s Future and Partners Recommend a Plan for ARPA Funding
Dear Superintendent Woods: The undersigned civil rights and education advocacy organizations in Georgia write to provide …
Betting on our Future: Results from Pre-K Survey on Lottery Funding, Effects of COVID-19
This report was co-authored by Stephen Owens, Ph.D, Senior Policy Analyst & Denae Clowers, Policy Intern …
School Vouchers: Myth vs. Fact
Debates around school funding and the best use of public dollars are rife with confusion. Discussion around school …
Testimony on Senate Bill 47
Dear Chairman Payne and Members of the Georgia Senate Committee on Education and Youth: By way of introduction my name is Stephen Owens, and …
Overview: 2022 Fiscal Year Budget for Lottery-Funded Programs
Co-authored by Jennifer Lee, Senior Policy Analyst and Stephen Owens, Ph.D, Senior Policy Analyst Gov. Brian …
Overview: 2022 Fiscal Year Budget for K-12 Education
Gov. Kemp’s budget proposal for Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 provides Georgia’s public schools $10.2 billion, a …
Hundreds of Millions of Dollars at Stake for a Failed Policy | Bill Analysis: House Bill 60 (LC 49 0301)
Update on Feb. 25, 2021: A new substitute for House Bill 60 (LC 49 0460S) lowers …
Resources on School Vouchers
Current Status: In the 2022 Legislative Session, lawmakers may consider House Bill 60 and House Bill 142, two …
