Mike Owen has had the unique vantage point of following students along their journey, from elementary to middle school and finally as high school principal, while his career in public education was fast-tracked to the administrative ranks.
As he enters his 25th year serving Poplar Bluff Schools, having led multiple school buildings, Owen has been promoted to assistant superintendent of personnel at the district level, succeeding Dr. Fara Jones.
“Mr. Owen’s long association with the district and his multivariate experiences across the spectrum in building administration gives me a unique perspective [on the cabinet] and affords him the vantage of a veteran practitioner,” said Dr. Scott Dill, R-I superintendent. “I believe that the deep relationships that he’s established throughout his time in Poplar Bluff will serve both his own interests and the district’s as he assumes these responsibilities in the human resources world.”
Owen had served as principal of PBHS for the past four years, ending his run with the highest graduation rate in R-I history, according to the Missouri student information system – at 94.5 percent – more than 10 percent higher than when he began as assistant principal in the building in 2013. He credits his teachers and office staff, noting that they have been known to work through lunch hours and into the evening hours, as needed.
“I’m proud of how we’ve expanded opportunities for the kids tenfold, through the Flex program and working with Three Rivers [College] to help students get associate degrees,” Owen reflected. “Students can earn credit in so many different ways now, from regular class in person, to online. A kid might be taking a credit recovery class.”
An Ellsinore native, he explained how he inherited his work ethic from his mother Wanda, who he recalls working at the former Brown Shoe Company in Piedmont in the daytime and the International Hat Company at night, while still managing to have dinner prepared in the slow cooker for Owen and his siblings.
“My motto is ‘work hard but have fun,’ and you should be able to do both at the same time, and be successful,” said Owen, who has been credited by co-workers and students alike for establishing a positive morale. In 2019, Owen was even named administrator of the year for the Southeast District of the Missouri Association of Student Councils.
Owen’s tenure began as a teacher at the former 5th & 6th Grade Center in 1998 for just a few years before he advanced to a dean of students position at PBHS. He went on to serve as assistant principal and lead principal at 5&6, as well as Oak Grove principal for several years in between. Owen earned his specialist degree in educational administration along with his master’s in administration, respectively, from Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau.
“As human resources director, Mr. Owen will have a pivotal role in shaping the frontline faculty here in Poplar Bluff as he will be intimately involved in the hiring and promotion of personnel,” Dill continued. “As such, he will help us perpetuate our mission, vision and established goals throughout the district.”
Owen noted that he looks forward to helping to recruit educators from his new position, “because it’s a great profession. Poplar Bluff has been good to me.” He philosophized: “All of our decisions on everything should be geared toward the students, but we have to take care of our people first, so we can have the best people taking care of our kids. We can’t forget that part of it.”
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Cutline: Having served as a building-level administrator since 2001, Mike Owen has advanced most recently from PBHS principal to assistant superintendent of personnel for the R-I district.