Shelley Berkley Elementary School
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NAMING OF SCHOOL FACILITIES SHELLEY BERKLEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL On November 14, 2016, the School Name Committee considered nominations for seven new school facilities to be named. Congresswoman Shelley Berkley was born in New York City, then her family moved to Clark County, where she has resided for more than 50 years. Congresswoman Berkley is a product of the Clark County School District (CCSD) and often credits her success as an adult to the exemplary education she received. She attended John C. Fremont Middle School and was part of the first graduating class at Valley High School. She was the first person in her family to graduate from college, attending the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and then continuing on to law school. Few people in our community have dedicated their entire professional career to public service the way Congresswoman Berkley has. Her notable experience includes two years in the Nevada State Assembly, eight years on the Nevada System of Higher Education University Board of Regents, 14 years in the United States House of Representatives, and now her current role as Chief Executive Officer and Senior Provost of Touro University of Nevada. As a member of the University Board of Regents, Congresswoman Berkley worked closely with CCSD to improve the skills of graduating seniors planning to attend college. She views education as a K-16 process and is a passionate advocate for quality education in Nevada. Affordability and access to higher education were the hallmarks of her service and she was instrumental in helping to create the Boyd School of Law at UNLV to enable local students who wished to attend law school to remain in Nevada. As a United States Congresswoman, Shelley Berkley was a strong advocate for K-12 education. She fought for federal funding for drop-out prevention programs and literacy programs and for after-school, summer-school, and mentoring programs for our students. She co-sponsored legislation for zero-interest construction bonds to build desperately needed schools and supported providing federal income tax credits for teachers who used their own money to purchase school supplies for their students. She supported funding for technology training for our teachers and supported reducing class sizes in Grades 1 through 3. She worked closely with CCSD to create occupational training programs throughout our community college system. She also supported the proposal that allowed qualified students to receive college credits while still in high school to give them a jump start in obtaining a college degree. For all of her efforts on behalf of public education she earned a 100 percent rating from the Nevada Education Association. Congresswoman Berkley is also active in community service. With the Anti-Defamation League, she introduced a “world without hate” antibullying program to CCSD, and through Kids in Distress, she provided thousands of new books to local schools. Her community service, coupled with her public and government service, demonstrates Congresswoman Berkley’s unwavering commitment to the children of Clark County. A petition was provided as part of her application listing 450 supporters of this nomination. Discussion and possible action on approval to name a new elementary school the Shelley Berkley Elementary School, is recommended. Nicole Rourke January 26, 2017 Page 1 of 1 Reference 5.01.