Oral history interview with Elsie Harris-Gibson conducted by Wanda Renfrow on March 25, 2002 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Harris-Gibson reflects upon her 32-year career as a teacher and administrator with Nevada’s Clark County School District (CCSD) from the 1970s to the 2000s. She discusses her priority in being a fair leader, and the importance of fairness in school administrators. She describes her regular responsibilities and challenges as principal, as well as her working relationships with teachers and assistant principals. She also describes her experience with classroom-size reduction, standardized testing programs, and Reading Improvement Teacher programs.
Oral history interview with Evans Rutledge conducted by Curtis Lind on November 10, 2006 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Rutledge reflects upon his 38-year career as a teacher and administrator in Alabama, Washington, D. C., and Nevada. He discusses his upbringing in Selma, Alabama and involvement in the civil rights movement, and how this involvement led him to become a teacher. He describes his experiences as a teacher and principal as an African American man, and how his life experiences shaped his approach to school administration. He also shares his opinion on contemporary issues such as immigration, school overcrowding, public funding, and programs such as No Child Left Behind.
Oral history interview with Eva G. Simmons conducted by Khary D. Black on May 04, 2004 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Simmons reflects upon her 27 years as an administrator with Nevada’s Clark County School District (CCSD). She describes the process by which she became a teacher and eventually an administrator, and discusses the significance of the Teacher Advisory Committee in the development of her philosophy of school administration. She discusses student ethics, corporal punishment, cultural diversity, and bilingual programs within the school district, in addition to challenges that she faced from public entities and parents.
Oral history interview with Horrace Smith conducted by Heather Mulgrew on April 01, 2003 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Smith reflects upon his experience as an administrator with Nevada’s Clark County School District (CCSD). He discusses his first experiences at Western High School, and how he was a teacher and coach before entering administration. He discusses his experiences with standardized testing, school integration and bilingual education, and how these experiences shaped his approach to school administration. He also discusses challenges that he faced with school overcrowding and safety, and describes his working relationship with teachers, administrators, and parents. He offers suggestions for individuals interested in pursuing school administration, and stresses the importance of the principal being present and active within the local community.
Oral history interview with Fenton Tobler conducted by Mark Oakden on April 24, 2002 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Tobler reflects upon his 31-year career as a teacher and administrator with Nevada’s Clark County School District from the 1960s to the 1990s. He discusses his development of year-round programs, as well as programs that he proposed before the Nevada State Legislature. He also discusses his working relationship with teachers, describes his approach to school administration, and offers suggestions for individuals interested in pursuing school administration.
Oral history interview with Douglas R. Gougar conducted by Ann Dahlheimer on November 3, 2003 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Gougar reflects on his upbringing in a farming family, and describes how that farming ethic influenced his work ethic as a school administrator. He then discusses how he decided to become a teacher, and eventually a middle school and junior high school administrator with the Clark County School District from the 1970s to the early 2000s. He describes his philosophy for establishing relationships with staff and students, and the importance of extracurricular activities.
Oral history interview with Beth Duncombe conducted by Jennifer Kalas on December 12, 2004 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Duncombe reflects upon her 30-year career as a teacher and administrator in Las Vegas, Nevada. She describes the process by which she became a special education teacher, and life experiences that she feels best prepared her for the principalship, such as teaching in England and working in both public and private education. She also discusses her approach to school administration, and her efforts in creating certain learning environments.
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.
Oral history interview with Dr. Steven Henick conducted by Jackie Beck on March 03, 2006 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Dr. Henick reflects upon his 25-year career as a teacher and administrator with Nevada’s Clark County School District (CCSD). He describes his approach to school administration, and the ways in which his approach shaped his interactions with teachers and experiences with testing. He also discusses his experience working as a central office administrator, and explains different pressures that the central office encounters.
Oral history interview with Vaughn M. Higbee conducted by Mark Vandamme on March 31, 2004 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Higbee reflects upon his career as a sports coach, teacher, and administrator in Idaho and in Nevada’s Lincoln County School District (LCSD). He describes the process by which he became a coach, and then explains how his coaching experience shaped his approach to school administration. He describes his regular responsibilities and challenges as principal, and discusses his working relationships with teachers, fellow administrators, and the Board of Education. He also discusses how he chose to retire after serving as LCSD’s superintendent.