Already a school principal in Vero Beach, Florida, a career move to the Aiken County area for her
husband also opened Caroline Barker to new opportunities, and she recently accepted the
position as principal at Greendale Elementary for the upcoming 2018-19 school year.
Aiken County Board of Education members approved Barker’s appointment as Greendale
Elementary principal during Tuesday’s regularly scheduled board of education meeting.
Barker currently serves as principal of Beachland Elementary School, one of the higher
performing elementary schools in Indian River County. Robin Hill-Davidson, who currently serves
as principal at Greendale Elementary, has accepted a position as the next principal at A.L.
Corbett Middle School for the 2018-19 school year.
“I am very excited and eager to meet the rest of the staff, and I am just ready to hit the ground
running,” Barker said Tuesday. “When we visited here it was just wonderful, and really reminded
us of the same community feel as Vero Beach. I know there is already a positive culture at
Greendale Elementary among the staff. They are committed to the school and the students and I
was very attracted to that.”
Barker’s academic background includes a Bachelor of Science degree in Special Education with a
minor in Business Administration from Dowling College in New York, and a Master of Science in
Educational Leadership from NOVA Southeastern University. She also holds certification in
Educational Leadership as a school principal and behavior analyst.
Prior to serving as principal at Beachland Elementary, Barker served as an assistant principal with
Indian River Schools. Additionally, for the last eight years Barker has been a member of a number
of district-level committees, which have addressed emergency management, leadership and
student performance.
“I was a member of a district literacy steering committee focused on raising student
performance and, more specifically, working to ensure that ninety percent of our students would
be reading on grade level by 2018,” Barker stated, adding that her school was able to reach 88
percent among students who started at the school in Kindergarten. “At our school we were
making great strides toward reaching that goal.”
Heading into the 2018-19 school year, Barker says she anticipates a smooth transition as she
gets to know her school and stakeholders in the close-knit New Ellenton community.
“I am very excited to get involved in the community at Greendale Elementary,” she said.
“Cementing those foundational language and literacy skills is really the key at the elementary
level because through the third grade you are learning to read, but then in fourth grade you are
reading to learn.”
Barker begins her duties as Greendale Elementary principal in July.
LINK TO DISTRICT PRESS RELEASE: 2018 PR GREENDALE ELEM PRINCIPAL