Barbic, Chris
Superintendent, Tennessee
Chris Barbic was named the superintendent of the ASD in May 2011. Chris leads a student-focused, people-powered organization committed to moving the bottom 5% of schools in Tennessee to the top 25% in five years. Under Chris’s leadership, the ASD is creating the conditions for students and teachers to succeed—and parents to have great choices—in a rapidly growing network of high-performing schools. Prior to becoming superintendent of the ASD, Chris was the founder and chief executive officer of YES Prep Public Schools, 2012 winner of the prestigious Broad Prize.
To date, YES Prep has graduated 12 classes of seniors, 100% of whom have earned acceptance to a four-year college or university. Prior to founding YES Prep, Chris taught for six years in the Houston Independent School District and was a member of Teach for America. In 1995, he earned HISD’s “Outstanding Young Educator” award. In 2001, Chris was selected by President Bush to serve on the President’s Commission on Excellence in Hispanic Education, and in 2006 was awarded Vanderbilt University’s Distinguished Alumnus Award. Barbic graduated from Vanderbilt University in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in English and human development.
