Shirley A Barber was a pioneer in education for over 50 years advocating for parity, academic excellence, promoting social and economic justice for all children in the Las Vegas area . During her career she served as a teacher, an elementary school principal, and member of the Clark County School Board. She was a friend and mentor to both educators and students for the advancement and improvement of education at every academic level. Her motto was "Educate the Whole Child" fostering the student's emotional, social, and academic needs. She infused community into the development, support of, and implementation of educational goals in the schools.

Included among Mrs. Barber’s accomplishments are:

• Successful advocation for “All Day Kindergarten”
• Pre-First Grade Intersession Program, which prepares at-risk children for the first challenges of school.
• Key support in the development of the West Las Vegas Andre Agassi College Prepatory Academy for grades 3-5 opening in 2001; in 2003 prep was dubbed as the national model charter by the U.S. Department of Education.
• Village Foundation "Educational Living Legend Award" for years of educational leadership and community service to the academic achievement of all students in CCSD. (2017)
• Parent-Child Banquets, a family strengthening program, involving parents with their children during critical learning years in hopes to impact school achievement for the child and improve overall family functioning.
• Milken Educator Award (1992)
• Induction into the Excellence in Education Hall of Fame, recognizing extraordinary and lasting contributions to education in the Clark County School District (1990)

Due to the leadership and the many contributions Shirley A Barber has made in the Clark County community to develop the “whole child”, please honor her by nominating her to have an elementary school in her namesake slated to open in the Fall of 2018. Nominations for the school naming of 5 new schools will be conducted in the Fall of this year, 2017.