About Us
Barber & Barber, Inc. is a team of experts in special education policy, finance, governance, Medi-Cal billing, and charter schools. Both Vicki and Lou Barber have had distinguished careers in helping school districts, county offices, charter schools, as well as state and federal agencies in achieving their goals and improving outcomes for students. Both individuals started their journeys by teaching in the classroom and completing educational advanced degrees. Their paths diverged with Lou working at district, county, state, and federal levels, while Vicki served for almost 20 years as a County Superintendent of Schools. Both brought a passion to ensure that quality programs and services were available for all students, including students with disabilities. That passion continues to guide their work in assisting clients, throughout California and in other areas of the nation.
Who We Are
Dr. Vicki L. Barber
Retired El Dorado County Superintendent of Schools and a leading expert in California special education programs and finance. Dr. Barber served as the Co-Executive Director of the Statewide Special Education Task Force that produced the report, One System: Reforming Education to Serve All Students. She has testified before the California legislature on numerous occasions and testified before Congress on special education matters. She served for many years on the California Advisory Commission on Charter Schools, appointed by the California State Board of Education, as well as serving on the Public Schools Accountability Advisory Committee to the State Board. Dr. Barber was the visionary leader that served as the architect for the creation of the El Dorado County Charter Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) that serves over 350 charter schools throughout California, representing over 160,000 students..
Education
University of the Pacific, Stockton, California
Ed.D., Educational Psychology - 1982
Chapman College
M.A., Special Education - 1977
California State University, Sacramento, California
M.A., Government - 1974
B.A., Government and Journalism - 1973
Professional Experience
President, Barber & Barber, Inc.
2013 - Present
Consultant, El Dorado County Office of Education
2014 - Present
Elected El Dorado County Superintendent of Schools
1994 - 2013
Deputy Superintendent, Administrative Services
El Dorado County Superintendent of Schools Office
1990-1994
Assistant Superintendent, Business Services and Selpa
El Dorado County Superintendent of Schools Office
1984-1990
Director, Special Services
El Dorado County Superintendent of Schools Office
1983-1984
Educational and School Finance Consultant Services
Studies for Over 250 School Districts and County Offices of Education in the Field of Special Education, Psychological Services, and School Finance
1979-present
Coordinator, Educational Consultants
Learning Time and Educational Research Consultants
1975-1979
Consultant, Minority Caucus
California Assembly
974-1975
Teacher, Diagnostician and Resource Specialist
Melvin-smith School
1971-1974
Credentials Held
California Secondary Teaching Credential (Life)
Learning Handicapped Specialist Credential (Life)
General Administration Credential (Life)
Credential to Perform School Psychological Services (Life)
Credential to Supervise Pupil Personnel Service (Life)
Honors and Awards
American Leadership Forum Exemplary Leader Award - 2012
Ferd. J. Keisel Memorial Distinguished Service Award, Association of California School Administrators, March 2011
California Charter School Association Legacy Award, March 2011, March 2013
Paul Harris Rotary Award, Cameron Park Rotary Club, October 2009
Citizen of the Year, Sugarloaf Foundation, September 2006
Charlie Binderup Award, Small School Districts Association, March 2006
Superintendent of the Year, Association of California School Administrators (Region 2), 2005
Women Who Mean Business, Sacramento Business Journal, June 2004
Early Childhood Hall of Fame Award, El Dorado Association for the Education of Young Children, 2002
Woman of Distinction Award, Cameron Park Soroptimist Club, 2001
Executive Leadership Award - 1999, Perpetual Award - 2000, California County Superintendents Educational Services Association, 2000
Outstanding Community Service Award, El Dorado County Chamber of Commerce, 1999
Jean Harris Award, El Dorado Hills Rotary Club, 1999
American Leadership Forum, Mountain Valley Chapter, Class of 2001 Fellow
Testified before Congressional Education Sub-Committee, 1996
Publications
Barber, Louis S. - Ramifications of the Rafael Oberti Case,1993, Prepared for the Indiana Council Administrators for Special Education.
Barber, Louis S. - Ramifications of the Rachel Holland Case, September, 1992, Prepared for Sacramento City School District Governing Board.
Barber, Louis S.; Barber, Vicki L. - Identification of Barriers Facing the California State Department of Education in Implementing the Recommendations of the Transition from Special Education to the World of Work, May 13, 1985, Report for the Western Regional Resource Center, Eugene, Oregon.
Barber, Louis S.; Knight, Georgianne; and Barber, Vicki L. - The Transition of Special Education Students from the California Youth Authority Schools to the Community,1985, Report for the Western Resource Center, Eugene, Oregon.
Barber, Louis S., Consulting Editor, Quality in Personnel Preparation For Education of the Handicapped: The Baseline Book, Ed., Judy Smith-Davis, published by Dissemination/Action, Vienna, Virginia; April,1984.
Barber, Louis S., Experiments in Juvenile Delinquency,@ AJournal of Logotherapy, Ed.,J. Fabray, 1982.
Barber, Louis S., The National Ramifications of the Larry P. Decision, Report for the National Director of Special Education, Washington, D.C., December 1980.
Barber Louis S., Juvenile Delinquents, Logotherapy In Action, Fabray, J., Bulka, R. And Sahakin, W., Editors, New York: Jason Aronson, Inc., 1979.
Barber, Louis S.; Nelson, Calvin; Powell, Clyde; and Schmidt, Leo - Continuation School Objectives: The Student’s Viewpoint, Thrust, Association of California School Administrators, March, 1975, Volume 4, Number 4.
Dr. Louis S. Barber was the founder of Lou Barber & Associates, Inc. and the co-founder for Barber & Barber, Inc. He passed on January 16, 2020.