Robin Christian is the proud Principal of Barack and Michelle Obama Academy.  Prior to this role, she was the principal for seven years at Burgess Peterson Academy. Principal Christian is a graduate of Spelman College, and upon graduating immediately began teaching in Atlanta Public Schools at Bethune Elementary School. After teaching for 8 years she served as an Instructional Liaison Specialist at Mary Lin Elementary School where she learned the value of supporting and coaching teachers. Closing out her 11^th year as a school principal and a total of 25 years in the Atlanta Public Schools district, Principal Christian is truly committed to the work of improving student achievement in the city of Atlanta.

Over the years Principal Christian has been sought out to serve in many capacities. During her 25 year tenure, she has been a part of several leadership programs including the district’s two year leadership development program, SABLE, whose goal was to develop the leadership potential of aspiring principals.  She has served as a Principal Mentor to first year principals through the district’s Principal Mentor Program and has provided input on various school and district related issues as a member of the former Superintendent’s Principal Advisory Council. Most recently she served as a panelist on the National Alumnae Association of Spelman College’s Educational Forum entitled “Leading and Teaching in a Global Pandemic”.  Some of Principal Christian’s most noted accolades include receiving the Atlanta Families’ Award for Excellence in Education in 2011; being named a 2018 Atlanta Magazine “Women Making a Mark” honoree; and being accepted into the prestigious 2018 Cahn Fellows Program for Distinguished Principals at Teachers College, Columbia University representing Atlanta Public Schools in the first cohort of principals.  In 2019 she received the Emmaus House’s Ethel Mae Mathews Courage and Character Award; the Joe Richardson Award for Exemplary Leadership given by the Principal’s Center at Georgia State University and was selected as one of the top three finalist for the Atlanta Public School’s Principal of the Year.

One of her most memorable events continues to be having Mrs. Michelle Obama come and spend time with the students and staff while serving as a principal. A proud moment that stands out for her will always be when the school where she currently serves as principal was renamed in honor of the Obama’s. Principal Christian truly loves working with school communities and partners to make a difference for all children. She is very passionate about being a voice for the underserved and does not believe in having low expectations for children based on income or socio economic status. She works to build partnerships which will provide resources for her students and families.

In her spare time Robin enjoys spending time with her husband, Mr. Neal Christian and her children, Kennedy Robbins, Kenneth Robbins, Jr, London Christian, and her godson, Caden. She is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated and is extremely active in her church and community. Her favorite quote is “I am not anxious to be the loudest voice or the most popular. But I would like to think that at a critical moment, I was an effective voice of the voiceless, an effective hope of the hopeless”, by Whitney Young. Mrs. Robin Christian strives daily to put this quote into action daily by serving her school and community.