​Dr. Barbara Starnes Rountree is a native Alabamaian from Guntersville, Alabama. She has been a certified teacher in Alabama and Tennessee since 1969 and has taught grades K-8 in public schools. She earned her doctorate from Vanderbilt University/Peabody College in Nashville, Tennessee. Dr. Rountree taught in the College of Education at The University of Alabama for 22 years where she served as co-chair of the Multiple Ability Program. She worked with children in Tuscaloosa County to help found CHOM, the Children's Hands-On Museum and served as the first Director for 2 years. Dr. Rountree worked as a Consultant with many international schools in Europe, Central and South America. She received the Outstanding Commitment to Teaching Award in 1992 from the University of Alabama Alumni. In 1993, she founded The Capitol School with Margaret Brown Hill and other outstanding faculty who were former public school teachers. It was the culmination of a dream to create a world-class PK- 12 school based on educational research and best practices. Dr. Rountree was inducted to the University of Alabama’s Education Hall of Fame in 2018 in recognition of her many contributions and her devotion to education in Alabama