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
Oral history interview with Carol Leavitt conducted by Nathan Miller on October 28, 2002 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Leavitt reflects upon her 35-year career as a teacher and administrator with Nevada’s Clark County School District (CCSD) from the 1960s to the 2000s. She discusses her experiences working at several middle and high schools, though she highlights her experience as dean of Valley High School in the 1970s, and as principal when she returned in the 1990s. She discusses changes that she witnessed within the school, as well as the school district in general such as student expectations, violence, and standardized testing.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with M. Joy Leavitt conducted by Matthew Jackson on March 09, 2004 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Leavitt reflects upon her 33-year career as an elementary school teacher and administrator with Nevada’s Clark County School District from the 1970s to the 2000s. She discusses her experience as a teacher and principal, her approach to school administration, and challenges that she faced such as being a principal at the time of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. She also discusses some of her best experiences while being principal and the environments of different schools.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Donald Logan conducted by Tim Kripps on April 13, 2004 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Logan reflects upon his 32-year career as a teacher and administrator with Nevada’s Nye County School District from the 1950s to the 1980s. He describes his regular responsibilities and challenges that he faced, such as violence and interactions with the superintendent. He discusses his working relationship with teachers and other administrators, and his approach to school administration. He also discusses salary, retirement benefits, and elements of the Nye County School District that he feels were most beneficial throughout his career.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Sarah McKenzie conducted by Brandy Campbell on October 22, 2002 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, McKenzie reflects upon her career as a middle school, high school, and special education administrator in Fort Worth, Texas. She describes the process by which she initially became a teacher, and later an administrator. She discusses her experiences working in special education, and describes her typical responsibilities and challenges.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Dr. Carolyn Reedom conducted by Kristina Knebl on November 22, 2006 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Dr. Reedom reflects upon her 28 years as a principal in Nevada’s Clark County School District (CCSD). She discusses the process by which she became an elementary school principal, and compares it with when she served as a high school principal. She discusses her approach to school administration, and how her experience as a 27-year old principal of Red Rock Elementary School shaped her career. She also describes her experience with school desegregation, and explains why she believes it was desegregation instead of integration.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Dr. Frank Roqueni conducted by Alia Rothstein on June 20, 2006 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Dr. Roqueni reflects upon his experience as a principal in Nevada’s Clark County School District (CCSD). He describes the process by which he became a principal, his regular responsibilities, and challenges that he faced. He discusses the high expectations that principals face, and suggests that individuals not enter the principalship because of those expectations. He also provides his opinion on issues such as standardized testing and school safety.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Arlen Simonson conducted by Marc Rogers on April 05, 2004 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Simonson reflects upon his 10 years of experience as principal at Indian Springs School in Nevada’s Clark County School District (CCSD) from the 1980s to the 1990s. He discusses his working relationship with students and teachers as the school’s only administrator. He also discusses the school’s relationship with the local United States Air Force base and the Thunderbirds.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Alice Wisdom conducted by Elizabeth Goodman on October 13, 2003 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Wisdom reflects upon her career as a teacher and administrator in Texas and Nevada. She describes the process by which she first became a teacher in Texas, and then the Bahamas in the 1970s. She then discusses how she was hired to teach in Nevada’s Clark County School District in 1979 before eventually being appointed as principal of various elementary and middle schools. She describes her approach to school administration and working relationships, and discusses colleagues who impacted her throughout her career.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with William “Mike” Edwards conducted by Lisa Campbell and Anna Marie Crosby on August 01, 2001 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Edwards reflects upon his 30-year career as a teacher and administrator with Nevada’s Clark County School District (CCSD) from the 1960s to the 1990s. He discusses training that he feels is the most important for a teaching career, and how his own training prepared him for his career in education. He describes his regular responsibilities as principal, and challenges that he faced as principal of Rancho High School during the 1960s and 1970s. He provides his perspective on contemporary educational issues such as curriculum development and student ethics, and discusses his own approach to school administration.
Archival Collection