Shirbey Billups Johnson is the Lake View Elementary School Teacher of the Year.
Shirbey grew up in Fork, South Carolina and she attended school in Lake View, SC. She is a 1978 graduate of Lake View High School. After graduating she attended Benedict College in Columba, S.C., where she obtained a BSW Degree in Social Work. Shirbey and her family moved to Raleigh, N.C. in 1984, where she was mostly a stay at home mom until all of her children reached school age.
Her educational career began as an Instructional Assistant. She had previously spent time volunteering at her children’s school in Raleigh, N.C. She worked as an Instructional Assistant for about five years until her late father in law, who was a retired Superintendent of Schools for Marion County, challenged her to return to college for teacher certification. He said to her, “You get the grades and I’ll take care of your tuition.” So she enrolled at Shaw University and completed her certification.
In 1994, she acquired her first lead teacher position at Pleasant Union Elementary. She taught kindergarten there for several years.
Due to a change in address, she moved to Creech Road Elementary, another Wake County school. After ten years there, she retired and returned home.
She is now a second grade teacher at Lake View Elementary, where she attended school as a child. She really enjoys teaching and plans to teach for several more years before she hangs her hat up for good.
Her motto is, “When people notice you, let it be for all the right reasons. “
