First year HOPE Academy teacher and Troup County School System employee, Christina Cooper, was surprised when she received the announcement that she was one of 90 teachers in the state of Georgia to be named to Georgia’s School Superintendent Teacher Advisory Council. Her work was noticed, and she was subsequently nominated, by Georgia Department of Education’s Gary C. Wenzel, PHD, who is the Operational Support Specialist for the Division of Schools and District Effectiveness.

Cooper will visit Atlanta several times throughout the school year to share her expertise on education and issues that are important to teachers. She feels her attendance at meetings is important because, “Education is a career that is constantly evolving to better fit the needs of our students, families, teachers, schools and community. I can listen to the upcoming education changes to help my students as well as share issues of teacher importance as I represent Troup County School System,” said Cooper.

Her seven year tenure in the classroom, with six of them being at the middle school level teaching 7^th grade Life Science, helped her earn a position on the council. At HOPE Academy, she says her students are often misunderstood and Academic Success Under Construction is a theme that encompasses their everyday lives.

Cooper stated, “In my classroom, we have a positive mindset of Coopers Can Do Kids. I teach them that even if the circumstances surrounding us or outside elements influence us, we have a ‘can do’ and ‘I will’ persistence that helps us achieve the mission of academic success and developing necessary life skills to succeed.”

Aside from helping students rebuild a foundation towards success, Cooper loves to teach group fitness classes at Towne Fitness. She is hosting an upcoming RPM benefit at Towne Fitness that will benefit the Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports program for HOPE students. She says, “This is a community event that anyone can be involved in. You don’t have to be a member of Towne Fitness to participate. The stationary ride helps the students who are doing the right thing.”

Cooper can also be found relaxing on the couch watching Netflix with her family. She claims Bones and Izombie are her guilty pleasure shows. Her other hobbies include hiking, biking, swimming, reading, reflective writing, and watching hummingbirds.