Clarke Central High School Family Engagement Specialist and Academic Support Specialist Christian Barner stands at the CCHS Ceremonial Entrance on Sept. 28. CCHS English department teacher Brian Ash has worked with Barner in various capacities during the last decade. “He’s good with people, he can talk to anybody, he can relate to most people,” Ash said. “That’s a big part of our job, trying to make connections, and it’s pretty easy for him to make connections with people.” Photo by Aza Khan
CCHS Family Engagement Specialist Christian Barner has dedicated himself to CCSD throughout his 16-year career by focusing on his impact on the systems he supports.
Upon opening their inbox, Clarke Central High School students and families can expect to see at least one weekly email sent by CCHS Family Engagement Specialist (FES) and Academic Support Specialist Christian Barner.
Though, few will know much else about the man behind the scenes of CCHS.
Barner graduated in 2000 from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, a field which left him with limited career options. Unsure of his post-college path, Barner opted for exploring the world while he figured out his next steps.
Clarke Central High School Family Engagement Specialist and Academic Support Specialist Christian Barner meets with a community member in his office at CCHS on Oct. 6. Barner’s passion for education began when he attended graduate school at Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville in 2003. “When I got into graduate school, I got really interested in education. That’s probably where a lot of (my) work ethic and passion kicked in,” Barner said. “Prior to that, I definitely didn’t have drive, (but in education), there was a lot more purpose and meaning to it than there was when I was working in a restaurant. (My job) became much more purposeful.” Photo by Aza Khan
“The first thing I did (after graduating) was I moved away from Athens,” Barner said. “(I’d) lived in Georgia and Tennessee my whole life, so I moved to Portland, Oregon and lived there for a few years, just (working) in restaurants.”
After working in the food service industry for two years in Portland, Barner began his search for a more fulfilling career path.
“I wanted to do something that was challenging, something that I felt could make a difference and could be beneficial to people,” Barner said. “Arguably, most jobs, in some way, are beneficial to people, but I wanted something that had more of a direct impact with people, so I (started) thinking about teaching.”
Barner moved back to Georgia in 2003 and attended Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville, graduating in 2006 with a Masters of Arts in teaching. Later that year, Barner began working at Cedar Shoals High School as an English department teacher, a position he held for six years, before transferring to CCHS in 2012.
CCHS English department teacher Brian Ash worked closely with Barner in the English department as members of the Literature 10 team, prior to Barner’s move to the FES position.
“We had to write lesson plans together. We would come up with an idea that we wanted to teach students and then he always had some way of building it, making it accessible to all levels,” Ash said. “So he was, and still is, really good at that. I think that transferred over to his role (in) family engagement. He’s just really good at brainstorming ideas to include all people.”
“(I) was just kind of looking for something different. I wanted to have a little more ability to influence things at the school at a different level than I felt like I had in the classroom. I was kind of stepping out of that a little bit when I was still teaching, but (I was) trying to find other ways to affect change and try to make different things happen.”
— Christian Barner,
Family Engagement Specialist and Academic Support Specialist
After 12 years in the classroom, Barner began seeking new challenges that would provide a greater impact on the CCHS community.
“(I) was just kind of looking for something different. I wanted to have a little more ability to influence things at the school at a different level than I felt like I had in the classroom,” Barner said. “I was kind of stepping out of that a little bit when I was still teaching, but (I was) trying to find other ways to affect change and try to make different things happen.”
Clarke Central High School Family Engagement Specialist and Academic Support Specialist Christian Barner talks with CCHS Principal’s Secretary LaToya Hill in the Administrative Suite on Oct. 6. Barner has enjoyed his current position as FES because it allows him greater flexibility than when he was an English department teacher. “I like (being the FES because) I’m able to be autonomous,” Barner said. “I don’t have anybody directly over me. I don’t have as much of a set schedule as you would when you’re teaching, so I can kind of jump around.” Photo by Aza Khan
The role of FES oversees many significant systems at CCHS, including technical support and guidance for CCHS families, faculty and students, as well as event coordination. Barner appreciates the fresh perspective on school operations and interconnectivity that the FES position offers him.
“Moving into this position from teaching, I’ve learned there’s a million moving parts within high school,” Barner said. “(I’ve) enjoyed being able to be involved in a lot of things throughout the school and have my hand in a lot of different parts of the school. I can support and feel like I’m a part of the school at large instead of focused in just one small area.”
CCHS Principal Dr. Swade Huff met Barner in 2009 when Huff worked as CSHS Associate Principal. Due to their existing relationship, Huff felt Barner would be an ideal candidate for the FES position.
“Those two years that we worked together (were) a pleasant experience. He (was) respected by his colleagues, he had a great rapport with his students and his classrooms (were) always engaging,” Huff said. “That made it easier for me to vet him as a candidate for the (FES) position when it became available.”
Despite joining the CCHS Administrative Team as an Associate Principal at the beginning of the 2022-23 school year, Dr. Cindi Lowe acknowledges Barner’s presence at CCHS.
“Given my limited experience (with Barner), which has been a couple of months, he has really stood out as a person who’s extremely welcoming (and) helpful,” Lowe said. “He’s engaging, he makes you want to be (at CCHS), he makes you feel welcomed here (and) he wants you to be a part of things.”
A timeline shows events in Family Engagement Specialist Christian Barner’s life and career. Clarke Central High School Principal Dr. Swade Huff worked with Barner at Cedar Shoals High School in 2009, prior to working together at CCHS. “(Working with Barner) was a pleasant experience. He’s respected by his colleagues, and he had a great rapport with his students, so there are never any issues in regards to his relationships, and his classrooms (were) always engaging.” Timeline by Cadence Schapker
Barner’s work and dedication at CCHS and across the Clarke County School District were recognized when he was awarded FES of the 2021-2022 School Year in August, an award voted on by all of the CCSD FES.
“I was honored,” Barner said. “I try really hard to help out those people who are new to being family engagement specialists at different schools, so it’s nice to hear that people were thankful for the help that I’ve provided them as they come into the position.”
Overall, Huff recognizes Barner not only as an integral part of the CCHS community, but as a positive influence across the CCSD.
“His brand at Clarke Central has really grown so much that some of the initiatives and steps he’s taken to create this positive environment at Clarke Central (are) being imitated in other aspects of our district,” Huff said. “Mr. Barner is a resource and we’re fortunate to have him at (CCHS).”
Story by Cadence Schapker
Story by Miles Lawrence
