Chamblee has a new principal’s assistant for the 2022-23 school year! Christian Cooper joined Chamblee staff this year, but he isn’t new to the school.

“I have history with the school. I am a graduate of Chamblee High School. I graduated in 2003, so I feel like I have a pretty good understanding of the culture of Chamblee. Now as a member of the staff, I think it gives me insights into the past and the present, as well as the perspective of a student and the perspective of an adult,” said Cooper. 

He enjoyed his time here at Chamblee as a student, but the school, from his perspective, has changed a lot since then.

“Yes, I did like my time here as a student. It was very different. The school was a lot smaller. I didn’t really have a lot of focus on doing other things. It seems like there are a lot of things you can distract yourself with here, and there’s so many classes and so many places,” he said.

Cooper was also very involved in extracurricular activities.

“I did a lot of after-school sports. I was in art club. I was in chorus. I wasn’t in SGA, but I helped out with it. I played football. I was on the track team,” he said.

A typical day for Mr. Cooper is filled with things to get done. While students and teachers get to sit in the comfort of our classrooms, Mr. Cooper is busy completing all sorts of tasks. 

“Everything that happens, I’m involved. So, at the beginning of the day, I come in and go check the Fine Arts building, make sure that the bells are working, and then I check in with Ms. Barnes to find out all of the things around the school that she wants to be accomplished. Every person in the school who needs something pretty much comes to me, and I try to solve their problems the best that I can,” said Cooper.

He is sincere about completing these tasks as well, claiming that there is no specific task he dreads.

“There are some tasks that I like less than others, but to this point, there hasn’t been a particular task that I dislike doing,” he said.

Cooper used to be a teacher at Redan High School where he taught Analytic Geometry and Advanced Algebra, but he decided to switch to a more administrative position after changes in his school’s system.

“When I was at Redan, our student numbers went down, and so they were looking to move people around, and they wanted to move me to a middle school, and I wasn’t interested in going to work in a middle. I decided I just wanted to do something more administrative in terms of where I wanted to work in the school, but not necessarily in the classroom. So I wanted to have a little bit more freedom to move around instead of being stuck in the classroom,” he said.

Aside from being a teacher, Cooper has a very diverse resume, which he feels has prepared him for his job. 

“I have a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Systems. I also have a degree in Culinary Arts. I have a Bachelor of Business Administration through Economics, and I have a Master’s in Information Systems with a concentration in cybersecurity. My education prepared me for this particular role because I’ve gone through a lot of process improvement and process innovation training due to my education as well as my background in the military. So those experiences in my education have prepared me pretty well for this job,” said Cooper.

Outside of school, Cooper has many hobbies he enjoys. 

“I like to read. I read a lot. I like to do puzzles. I collect a lot of board games and play [them]. I try to stay fit. I try to get out and do a little bit of exercise here and there,” he said. 

Mr. Cooper’s work ethic is apparent in how he handles his responsibilities. Staff members can easily rely on him, and his motto shows his responsible nature.

“A lot of people will say, why do today what you can do tomorrow? I’m kind of the reverse, “ he said. “So I feel like if you put stuff off, then you’ll always find a reason to put it off. So I’d rather just take the bitter medicine now and enjoy the sweet after the bitter.”