Clarke Central High School Communities In Schools Site Coordinator Heather Dean does work at her desk in the Administrative Suite on Jan. 9. Through working with Communities In Schools, Dean found purpose in her job by checking in with students and supporting them and their families. “(Communities In Schools’) vision is to empower every individual in Athens-Clarke County to reach their fullest potential,” Dean said. “If we can help remove barriers for a student, whether that’s transportation, missing assignments or challenges at home, then we’re helping them get one step closer to success.” Photo by David Wang
Communities In Schools Site Coordinator Heather Dean started her role at CCHS at the beginning of the 2025-26 school year and has since worked to support students.
Communities In Schools Site Coordinator Heather Dean supports Clarke Central High School students to ensure they have the local resources and guidance to succeed. She connects students with community partners to address immediate living necessities like food or clothing, or other needs like counseling or emotional support, to ensure academic success.
Dean meets with students daily to identify and address challenges, such as making up missing work, planning retakes or tutoring and resolving attendance issues caused by problems like student transportation issues or home responsibilities.
“I think a lot of students respond well when they feel like you’re listening, when they feel like you care,” Dean said. “I want students to know that even though it’s hard (at) the moment, coming to class and doing your work is so important because I want to see them graduate and do the things they want to do.”
Dean also connects directly with families, particularly for students under 18 who show patterns of absences on Infinite Campus and who require parental consent for one-on-one wellness check-ins. If they are unable to meet in person, she uses Talking Points, a multilingual texting platform to message families and bridge language barriers.
“I think it’s really important to meet families face-to-face. We want parents to know that we’re here to help their students. We’re here in the school every day, all day,” Dean said. “When parents see who we are and what we do, it makes it easier for them to reach out if they need something.”
“I want students to know that even though it’s hard (at) the moment, coming to class and doing your work is so important because I want to see them graduate and do the things they want to do.”
— Heather Dean,
CCHS Communities in Schools Site Coordinator
Dean and CCHS Family Engagement Specialist Christian Barner work closely together to support students and families, allowing Barner a firsthand view of Dean’s dedication and commitment to helping students.
“(Dean’s) position requires (self-motivation). You’ve got to jump in, figure out what the needs are, and make things happen, and she’s been very active in doing that,” Barner said. “She’s been active in meeting students and parents, getting more students on her caseload (and finding) out what she can do to engage in the local community for resources.”
