Chris Barbic

Chris Barbic is a Partner at City Fund, where he collaborates with local leaders to expand access to high-quality public school options and improve student outcomes. A lifelong educator and advocate for school transformation, Chris brings extensive experience in school leadership, charter school expansion, and district turnaround efforts.

Before joining City Fund, Chris founded and led YES Prep Public Schools, one of the nation’s most recognized charter networks and the inaugural recipient of the Broad Prize for Public Charter Schools. During his tenure, YES Prep grew into a nationally acclaimed model for high-performing public charter schools, significantly increasing college access for students from underserved communities.

Chris later became the founding Superintendent of Tennessee’s Achievement School District (ASD), overseeing the state’s effort to turn around its lowest-performing schools. Under his leadership, Priority Schools grew four times the state average, and the threshold for the bottom 5% of schools increased by 10 percentage points in just three years. During this period, Memphis saw a dramatic improvement, with the number of Priority Schools dropping from 68 in 2012 to 31 in 2018, reflecting significant academic progress.

Chris began his career as a Teach For America corps member in Houston, where he taught middle school before transitioning into school leadership. He holds a degree from Vanderbilt University and remains committed to helping education leaders scale innovative solutions that drive student success.

Originally from Georgia, Chris now lives in Nashville with his wife, Natasha, and has two adult children - Tatiana and Ramiz.