Oral history interview with June Gunderson conducted by Stephanie Hirsch on February 26, 2003 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Gunderson reflects upon her career as a teacher and administrator with Nevada’s Clark County School District (CCSD). She discusses the process by which she became a physical education teacher, and describes how she became a dean and eventually principal. She describes her approach to school administration, her interactions with special education and bilingual education programs, and her regular responsibilities and challenges as principal. She also discusses her experience as an administrator at school during the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, and the importance of working relationships with teachers and fellow administrators.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Joan M. Gray conducted by Kevin Gilmore on April 04, 2003 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Gray reflects upon her nearly 30-year career as a teacher and administrator with Nevada’s Clark County School District (CCSD). She discusses the process by which she became a teacher, and eventually an administrator. She discusses and compares the various schools where she worked, such as the Vegas Verdes Elementary School and Matt Kelly Elementary School. She describes her leadership style, regular responsibilities, and challenges as principal.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with JoAnne K. Schlekewy conducted by Wanda Renfrow on November 26, 2002 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Schlekewy reflects upon her nearly 30-year career as an administrator with Nevada’s Clark County School District from the 1970s to the 2000s. She describes the process by which she became a counselor and eventually principal, describes her regular responsibilities, and discusses the importance of establishing working relationships with teachers.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Dennis W. James conducted by Wayne Bennett on April 05, 2006 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, James reflects upon his 30-year career as a teacher and administrator in New York’s Sachem Central School District. He discusses the process by which he became a teacher and eventually an administrator, his regular responsibilities and challenges as principal, and his approach to school administration. He also discusses his experience being at school the day of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Archival Collection
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Oral history interview with Norma Norman conducted by Dorthy Richardson-Martin on November 30, 2004 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Norman reflects upon her experience as an elementary school administrator in California’s Hayward Unified School District. She discusses her experience as a female African American teacher in the 1960s and 1970s, and how those experiences shaped her approach to school administration. She also discusses school district programs and policies, and how such programs impact different populations of students.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Mario C. Monaco conducted by Carrie Regula on April 26, 2002 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Monaco reflects upon his career as a teacher and administrator with Nevada’s Clark County School District. He discusses his approach to school administration, and describes experiences that shaped that approach. He describes his regular responsibilities and challenges, programs that he implemented throughout his career, and his priority in establishing working relationships with students, staff, and parents.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Dr. Jean Serum conducted by Barry Bosacker on June 16, 2006 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Dr. Serum reflects upon her career as a teacher and administrator with Nevada’s Clark County School District. She discusses the process by which she became a teacher at J. D. Smith Middle School, an administrative assistant, and then a principal. She discusses her approach to education, and provides her opinion on standardized testing practices and charter schools. She also offers advice for individuals pursuing school administration, and describes what she believes makes an effective school administrator.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Mark Coleman conducted by Margaret Grosbeck on April 24, 2007 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Coleman reflects on his career as a teacher and administrator with the Clark County School District from the 1980s to the early 2000s. He discusses his upbringing and entry into education, and his motivations to move from being a teacher to becoming an administrator. He then describes challenges that he faced as a dean, assistant principal, and principal at various high schools. He emphasizes his concerns for school safety and his responsibility as an administrator to keep students safe, in addition to pressures that he faced to foster meaningful relationships with staff, students, and their families.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Susan Tsukamoto conducted by Claudine Robinson on October 18, 2007 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Tsukamoto reflects upon her 33-year career as a teacher and administrator with Nevada’s Clark County School District (CCSD). Having returned to work after retiring, she notes trends and changes that she has witnessed with standardized testing, curriculum development, and programs such as No Child Left Behind. She also reflects upon her experience as a principal, her biggest accomplishments and challenges, and her working relationships with parents, teachers, and students.
Archival Collection