The district’s new superintendent, Steve Barber, has been working in Atlantic for nearly five months now, and has many positive things to say about the district. The majority of students interviewed said that Barber seemed like a very nice person.

Sophomore Tyler Moen, who had been given a speech from Barber along with the rest of the high school football team, said that he seemed “pretty down to earth,” and will get along well with the students. Two other students, Katie Saluk and Jackson Mullin, stated that he seemed to be very nice while also remaining professional.“He has a gentle figure,” Mullin said.

Of all schools in the district, Barber acknowledges that the high school is the most open to the public with athletics and public activities. He was happy to see the variety of extra-curricular opportunities that students were given by the district. Barber especially enjoys watching the students outside of the classroom.

While attending sporting events, Barber said, “It is very apparent to me that we are a proud school.” He also said the students have great character and they experience much success. He noted that Iowa high school athletics do a great job of creating the opportunity to “uphold sportsmanship.”

Barber also compared his role in the district as superintendent to a CEO. He makes decisions beneficial to the school budget, the staff, and the students. He is also the instructional leader. Barber collaborates with the principals and administrators, and strives to develop the staff in a way that best serves the students. He thinks of the superintendent role as “a kind of point person that connects the school to the community,” and they are aware of what is happening in the school district.

Also similar to a CEO, Barber has to report to a board that makes decisions and guides him on solving problems in the district. In addition, Barber advocates to the state legislature for the advancement of public education, stating that each decision made at a state level affects our district. 

Because communication is very important for a school district, Barber has taken steps to keep the school connected to the community and to keep all the staff aware of what is going on. He has created a group facebook page for the district, and sends weekly messages out to the staff. He believes professional development meetings are an important part of this, and believes it is very important that everyone collaborates in order to provide students the best opportunities to be successful.

“Information is powerful. Once they know what’s going on, they can disagree or support that,” Barber said.