Along with new students, new administrators join ACHS every year. One of our newest assistant principals is Tiffany Barner. Having experience teaching science at the King Street Campus since 2009, she already has a feel for the Alexandria City atmosphere.
Barner began her career in 1997 in Newport News, Virginia, and went on to teach in Washington, D.C. and Virginia Beach before settling in Alexandria.
“What I love about ACHS is the diversity and different backgrounds that people have, that I get to learn about,” said Barner.
One of Barner’s favorite stories she has heard is about a colleague who grew up in Saudi Arabia due to her father’s work and had to dress like a man when she was learning to drive.
Barner appreciates not only hearing unusual and interesting stories from those around her, but also observing the growth and personal development of the kids she works with. For example, one of her students, Noah Lyles, went on to win several olympic medals for track and field.
“It meant a lot to me to be able to say I encouraged him and got to see him from when he was young to where he is now. I just enjoy seeing how I can help students become the best they can be,” Barner said.
In fact, helping students is one of the reasons why she took this job.
“When I worked at Dunbar High School in Washington, D.C., the principal, Dr. Eva Rousseau was a woman I admired,” Barner said. “She was involved in the community, always helping others, and hearing her story made me say, ‘I wanna be an administrator.'”
Carolyn Lewis, who previously worked at ACHS, was another administrator who influenced Ms. Barner to become an assistant principal.
“Watching her and seeing how she handled some difficult situations definitely inspired me,” Barner said.
Barner has learned a lot from those two women, which has helped her in her new position on a daily basis.
Barners’ favorite aspect of being an assistant principal so far is getting to step into classrooms and see what amazing things teachers are doing with their students.
“As teachers, we never had the time to go visit others, and I’ve been teaching since 1997, so having these new experiences is great,” Barner said.
Her least favorite aspect of the work is having to attend all of the meetings and dealing with disciplinary issues.
“We don’t always have the opportunity to get to know the student who is being disciplined and get the full story,” she said.
Even with the highs and lows, Barner has had a great support system here to help. Dr. Michelle Campiglia, Kelly Davis, and Jessica Hillary are all colleagues who have assisted her in adjusting to her new position.
“Everyone here has been extremely nice and always willing to help,” Barner said. “So, even though being an assistant principal is new to me, I definitely feel more comfortable knowing that there are people here that are happy to lend me a hand.”
