Barbara K . Barnes Educator , Administrator and Businesswoman
When I reflect on my life and the factors that contributed the most to helping me develop in to the woman I am today , I realize that there are two reasons that I was able to enjoy a fruitful career as an educator and to now foresee a promising second career as a business woman . The first reason is the family into which I was born in Mobile , Alabama . My parents even though of modest means sacrificially and incredibly found a way to educate seven of their eight children in Christian schools and to send the elder four including myself to the Alabama Lutheran Academy and College .
My many years of Christian education and my earlier childhood in a nurturing , loving , and " church-going " home instilled in me beliefs , values , and selfconfidence that have supported me throughout my adult years in my personal and professional endeavors . Recently , one of my former colleagues described me as a leader who is " fair ", " frugal ", and " fierce ". [ However , I would have preferred " focused or resolute " as more feminine than fierce .] Over the years , I have come to recognize that I have emulated the values , attitudes , behavior , even the demeanor , of my late mother , Abbie , in much of what I do from homemaking to social engagement to my business activities .
Front Cover Feature Dr . Barbara K . Barnes Anti Hazing , FAMU , Education University Tallahassee , Florida August 2013
My mother was a civil right activist in the 60s and 70s . In a manner of following in her footsteps , I became an " educational activist " in the 90s . As an educational activist , I am a proactive educational problem solving leader whether the problem is high school dropout rates , low retention rates , underperforming teachers and school leaders , bullying in schools , hazardous hazing , or impediments to the progress of historically black colleges and universities .
Through my firm , Coordinated Services for the Improvement of Education ( CSIE ), I have been able to both extend and elevate my career as an educational problem solver by developing and making available programs , tools , and support services that can be utilized by schools , colleges , universities , and state entities . Recent news