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Stephen Owens

@stephenjowens.bsky.social
1.8K followers 481 following 1K posts

Passionate public education advocate--but not an acolyte. Atlantan. Dawg fan. I've started blogging about public education here: drowenseducationblog.blogspot.com

PostsRepliesMedia
Stephen Owens @stephenjowens.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Nikole Hannah-Jones wrote a deeply personal article on the cost of combatting systemic barriers with individual choices. I have nothing but awe for her humility and I refuse to join the chorus of arrogance/ dismay at the decisions of a Black family in the most segregated state in the nation. 1/n
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Stephen Owens @stephenjowens.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Wild to beat the University of Oklahoma by 4 TDs and feel like our offense underperformed
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Stephen Owens @stephenjowens.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
If I was an Oklahoma fan I would simply start cheering for UGA
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Stephen Owens @stephenjowens.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
So proud of Amari, who worked with me this summer, and her research on the historic magnet school program in Atlanta. She argues that magnet schools could be a powerful tool for education excellence and equity, but would need key guardrails for implementation. www.ajc.com/education/20...
ajc.com
Atlanta’s history of magnet schools offers lessons for its future
Atlanta Public Schools can learn from its history to create educational opportunities that can help all students.
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Stephen Owens @stephenjowens.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Joined Threads and the engagement is fantastic but also the overall experience is... bad? Chaotic? Unhinged? Disjointed is maybe a better way to describe it. Maybe I just don't know how to curate my feed yet but it feels like walking past the clubs tables at orientation when I was in undergrad.
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Stephen Owens @stephenjowens.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Me forcing my kids to stop cheering for the Falcons
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Stephen Owens @stephenjowens.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Like a punch in the stomach www.nytimes.com/2026/09/20/m...
nytimes.com
In Fighting for Every Black Child, Did I Betray My Own?
A decade ago, I made a decision about my daughter’s education that I hoped would challenge New York City’s separate and unequal school system. Now 16, she thinks I made the wrong choice.
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Stephen Owens @stephenjowens.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
I don't want to be too dramatic but my organization is working on something like this right now and we have a fighter's chance of transforming the education funding in Georgia in the not too distant future.
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Stephen Owens @stephenjowens.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Coach Sark won't see your post derisively calling him "Steve" for blowing off Holly Rowe but your friends named Stephen will so let's all take a breath before typing
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Stephen Owens @stephenjowens.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
picture of the atlanta falcons logo with the text "average falcons game." The first section reads "oh boy i'm worried this team might be terrible." while the next says "i was right" and final section reads "somehow more terrible than i imagined."
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Stephen Owens @stephenjowens.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
down by 6 5 holding calls 4th string QB looking tempting 3 batted passes 2 missed field goals Rise up Falcons
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Stephen Owens @stephenjowens.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Hmm. I know rush threw that but let’s be real that was a Bijan TD #RiseUp
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Stephen Owens @stephenjowens.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Falcons defense celebrating a turnover like we’re not about to hand it to Cooper Rush
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Stephen Owens @stephenjowens.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Me and my friends would have tried to drown liberty biberty in a puddle I can tell you that
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Stephen Owens @stephenjowens.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Can't explain it well but the color scheme of Texas-OSU is gross. Unpleasant.
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Stephen Owens @stephenjowens.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Look to the helpers
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Stephen Owens @stephenjowens.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
I’m going to eat a Cuban at Cali n Titos and get to hear a lone trumpeter play the battle hymn of the republic and watch a kid name Gunner sling it college football is so back baby
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Stephen Owens @stephenjowens.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
I can hear tech fans start to rebuild themselves this morning with the weak assurances that other teams are earning swagger by beating GT. "under collins beating tech didn't mean anything, now we are a force to be reckoned with..." they tell each other, nodding. "we'll be their bosses one da-"
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Stephen Owens @stephenjowens.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
In this op-ed I argue that the NBA does a better job of modeling equitable spending across markets than states do for our public schools www.the74million.org/article/want...
the74million.org
Want More Equitable School Funding? NBA Salary Caps Can Be a Model
Owens: Vermont and Texas limit how much wealthy districts can spend, as sports leagues do for rich teams. Exceed the limit, and there's a penalty.
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Stephen Owens @stephenjowens.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
There are a lot of issues with the idea of implementing trade work in elementary school curriculum but the biggest is: it sucks. No one wants this. Imagine if the federal goverment started pushing for a change in elementary curriculum?? Bedlam. www.the-independent.com/news/world/a...
the-independent.com
Education Sec. Linda McMahon wants elementary students on ‘pathway’ to be plumbers
The Trump administration has pushed to prioritize apprenticeships and technical education while at the same time cutting billions in education and research funding
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Reposted by Stephen Owens
USER WAS BLOCKED FOR THIS POST @blockedforthispost.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
@REDACTED Im not mad
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Stephen Owens @stephenjowens.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Nothing reminds me how much of happiness is tied to relative need more than excel. Am I good at excel? No, I'm fine. In a room of data scientists I am the equivalent of a toddler, but being the only person in the office who knows how to use VLOOKUP and I feel like superman.
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Stephen Owens @stephenjowens.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
I need to put this prediction out there: Mayor Dickens is going to hop into the comments of one my anti-TAD posts and will absolutely dunk on me. My response will be... fine. I've been studying the pattern of who he is willing to respond to on socials and I'm afraid I fit the bill.
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Stephen Owens @stephenjowens.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Why unions are needed, example 13,552: www.wsbtv.com/news/local/c...
wsbtv.com
Over 100 teachers questioned for walking out of superintendent’s speech
Employees are being asked if they had permission to leave the speech.
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Stephen Owens @stephenjowens.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
Watching The Holdovers and Big Tobacco could not have created a better advertisement for smoking. What I wouldn't give to stand in sub zero temperatures smoking a cigarette wearing a tie
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Stephen Owens @stephenjowens.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
Cash Jones scoring a TD in the NFL preseason??? Dreams do come true
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Stephen Owens @stephenjowens.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
“To even consider extending any of the six TADs in the midst of a budget shortfall and school closures is a complete betrayal to the children and families the board was elected to serve.” If Atlanta Public Schools board extends TADs, future funding will be at risk www.ajc.com/opinion/2026...
ajc.com
If Atlanta Public Schools board extends TADs, future funding will be at risk
Atlanta Public Schools board of education should not vote to extend Tax Allocation Districts, which will divert funding away from future generations of students.
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Stephen Owens @stephenjowens.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
the fact that uga has zero first place votes will be forgotten by the end of the SEC championship game. in its place players will swear on the bible that "the media" predicted we would go 6-6.
screenshot of AP Top 25. Georgia is ranked 3rd with no first place votes
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Stephen Owens @stephenjowens.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
When I was in 9th the 1 white guy on our basketball team, during a recorded rivalry game, contested a layup by leaping at full speed. Missed the ball, player, everything & crashed into the wall behind the goal. They played it Fridays on the morning announcements and one time on repeat for 3 minutes
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Stephen Owens @stephenjowens.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
My 9 year-old wasn't a "shoot his toddler brother with an arrow" kid until I gave him a bow and arrow for Christmas
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Stephen Owens @stephenjowens.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
From the draft AI policy that the Atlanta Public Schools Policy Review Committee will look at tomorrow. Absolutely de-humanizing. No person who pretends to respect the teaching profession should use language like "AI-powered co-teachers."
screenshot from the APS AI policy draft. "Collaborate with AI-powered co-teachers"
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Stephen Owens @stephenjowens.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
UGA should do a city edition. Could honor the experience of trying to cross the street and having an 18-year old driving a brand new expedition almost killing you
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Stephen Owens @stephenjowens.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
If you live in the city of Atlanta and want to join a grassroots movement to oppose the TAD extensions and shore up finances for our public schools then please sign up for our emails below Also I'm not in love with the name I came up with so if you have a better name lmk forms.gle/zHxWJ3eanfuF...
forms.gle
A TAD Too Far
If you're interested in staying connected and possibly joining the effort to oppose the diversion of billions of dollars worth of property taxes away from Atlanta Public Schools, please put your conta...
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Stephen Owens @stephenjowens.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Shout out to Atlanta Public Schools and what appears to be significant growth in test scores and reduction in chronic absenteeism. www.atlantapublicschools.us/about/depart...
atlantapublicschools.us
The Work Is Working: APS Ranks No. 1 in Atlanta Metro for Year-Over-Year Academic Gains In Math, Science and Social Studies
Math, science, and social studies proficiency rose across every grade and nearly every student group, according to 2026 GMAS data.
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Stephen Owens @stephenjowens.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
y'all know how long i worked interpersonally to not know the business of people who talk like this guy? if i wanted to know more people like this man I would have spent time at the Pi Kappa Alpha house in Athens. keep him off my timeline please and thank you.
Max Miller. A congressman I believe? He definitely plays golf every Saturday.
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Stephen Owens @stephenjowens.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
Reading up on the Atlanta TAD legislation and they have written down that tax allocation districts will reduce child poverty in the city by 25 percent by 2030. Big if true.
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Reposted by Stephen Owens
Wesley Tharpe @wesleytharpe.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
Yesterday, Missourians had the final say on one of the most important state policy debates this year: whether to eliminate their personal income tax, which funds two-thirds of their budget, while raising taxes on many working people. They voted it down. missouriindependent.com/2026/08/04/m...
missouriindependent.com
Missouri voters reject income tax phaseout, initiative petition changes • Missouri Independent
Missouri voters resoundingly rejected major Republican priorities on Tuesday as proposals to eliminate the income tax and change the way majorities are counted lost by large margins across the state.
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Stephen Owens @stephenjowens.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Truly shocking to me. The author could have at least mentioned that this “principled conservative” was accused of wasting millions of dollars to party with his friends as president of UF. It was so bad other Republicans in FL called for an investigation! www.christianitytoday.com/2026/02/ben-...
christianitytoday.com
Ben Sasse and a Dying Breed of Politician - Christianity Today
The former senator is battling cancer. Losing him will be one more sign that a certain kind of conservatism—and a certain kind of politics—is disappearing.
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Stephen Owens @stephenjowens.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
School Principals: No jeans on Fridays
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Stephen Owens @stephenjowens.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
From my limited experience public schools could take a leaf out of private school books and start to coddle the customer--parents and grandparents. A small thread
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Stephen Owens @stephenjowens.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
Jess is absolutely right here. The goal from conservative voucher folks isn’t for parents to have authority inside education, but to let wealthy folks off the hook for paying into a universal system of education. If parents are the ultimate arbiter of quality, then they should be the ones paying.
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Stephen Owens @stephenjowens.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
Is this a thing? Is this a typical response to seeing student housing being built?
Two comments under an article: one says “Learning from North Korea” and the next says “your website link IS North Korea”
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Stephen Owens @stephenjowens.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
www.maptap.gg July 27 98🔥 100🎯 96🔥 96🔥 95🏅 Final score: 963 Master and Commander books really saved me on that last one
maptap.gg
🎯MapTap Daily Geography Game
Play MapTap - the daily geography game! Find 5 world locations on a 3D globe with historical stories. Free browser-based daily game for geography lovers.
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Stephen Owens @stephenjowens.bsky.social · 26/07/2026
did I imagine it or was there a movie trailer before the odyssey where a famous actor and a dog are in the woods and the actor literally says "it's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog." It's very possible I've made this up I went to a late showing.
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Stephen Owens @stephenjowens.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
9 points is a lot, y'all. 9 points for the top of the ticket makes me think Mayor Bottoms should also be considered the favorite. thehill.com/homenews/cam...
thehill.com
Ossoff leads Collins by 9 points in Georgia Senate race: Poll
Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff (Ga.) holds a 9-point lead over Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.) in a new AARP poll, with less than four months remaining before voters in the Peach State decide whether to give…
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Stephen Owens @stephenjowens.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
begging another produce company to start using the gob bluth marketing angle
a screenshot from arrested development with a sign that reads "a frozen banana that won't make you sick and kill you!" with the word "won't" underlined. I've (cleverly) replaced the words "frozen banana" with "lettuce." yes I was in gifted classes, I thought you'd never ask.
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Stephen Owens @stephenjowens.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
“According to the district, Atlanta Public Schools has the largest police force in the state.” Imagine bragging about accelerating the police presence in schools www.atlantanewsfirst.com/2026/07/21/a...
atlantanewsfirst.com
Atlanta Public Schools unveils new drone, tactical teams ahead of school year
Atlanta Public Schools is adding two new units to its security operation: a tactical team and a drone team.
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Stephen Owens @stephenjowens.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Hi, I’m Stephen, and I’m driving 25 minutes to go watch the Odyssey in IMAX at a 10 PM showing on a Sunday night. Welcome to jackass.
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Reposted by Stephen Owens
Serial Bookseller @serialbookseller.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
I have to get a permission slip signed for kids to watch a PG-13 film. But yeah this is fine I’m sure.
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