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.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Carmen Benedict conducted by Tammy M. Wallace on April 20, 2006 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Benedict discusses her upbringing and inspiration to be a teacher in California in the 1990s and 2000s. She reflects upon the process by which she went from being a student instructor to a teacher, and from a teacher to a principal. She discusses the philosophy that guided her throughout her career and influenced her interactions with students and educators, and challenges that she faced as an administrator. She also discusses her regular duties as principal, expectations that principals face, and her suggestions on how to be a successful principal.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Carole Sorenson conducted by Andre Yates on November 11, 2002 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Sorenson reflects upon her career as a teacher in Burley, Idaho and eventually as a teacher and administrator with the Clark County School District (CCSD) from the 1950s to the 1980s. She describes her experience as an elementary school teacher, and then her subsequent positions as dean, assistant principal, and principal of junior high and high schools throughout CCSD. She discusses trends and changes that have taken place during her career, and comments on contemporary issues such as standardized testing.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Paul Garbiso conducted by Tammy Wallace on February 15, 2005 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Garbiso reflects upon his career with the Pueblo School District in Colorado from 1978 to 1998, and his role as an administrator with the Clark County School District from 1998 into the 2000s. He discusses his principalship at Rancho High School, and describes how his life experiences influenced his approach to school administration. He reflects upon the more successful parts of his educational training, and offers suggestions for individuals interested in school administration.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Francis Cortney conducted by Derek Bellow on February 16, 2001 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Cortney reflects upon his roughly 20-year career as a junior high school administrator with the Clark County School District (CCSD) from the 1960s to the 1980s. He discusses his upbringing and decision to become a teacher, describes the process by which he became a principal, and discusses challenges that he faced as principal. He expresses his opinion of standardized testing, and reflects upon having the Francis H. Cortney Junior High School named in his honor.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Tom Hutton conducted by Beatriz Romero on November 25, 2002 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Hutton reflects upon his career in education in both Iowa and Nevada. He describes his upbringing, colleges that he attended for teaching programs, and how he first started teaching. He then discusses the process by which he became a school administrator with Nevada’s Clark County School District (CCSD) in the late 1980s, his approach to leadership, and his regular duties and responsibilities as principal. He also discusses retirement, and the factors that led to his decision to retire in the 2000s.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Brian O. Fox conducted by Cheryl S. Herr on June 16, 2006 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Fox reflects upon his 30-year career as a teacher and administrator with the Clark County School District (CCSD) from the 1960s to the 1990s. He discusses his upbringing in Boulder City, Nevada, and the process by which he became principal of Boulder City High School in 1980. He describes his daily responsibilities as principal, as well as challenges and stressors that he faced. He also discusses his working relationship with assistant principals, and expectations that each position faced.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Mike A. Foster conducted by Heather Christopherson on March 20, 2002 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Foster reflects upon his 25-year career as a teacher and administrator with Arizona’s Douglas Unified School District. He discusses the process by which he became an administrator, and describes training and experiences that he feels were most useful for his career. He describes his approach to education, his regular responsibilities, and challenges that he faced as a principal. He also provides his opinion on student ethics and discipline, school overcrowding, teacher evaluations, and dismissals.
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 Tom Warden conducted by Claytee D. White on September 29, 2015 for the Building Las Vegas Oral History Project.. In this interview, Warden discusses his early life in Allen Park, Michigan. He talks about the history of the Summerlin residential community in Clark County, Nevada, the construction of Summerlin Parkway, and the development of infrastructure in that area. Warden describes the planning that goes into creating communities, and describes what the “Summerlin lifestyle” means. Later, Warden talks about the development of Downtown Summerlin, the schools in Summerlin, and serving on the School Community Partnership Council. Lastly, Warden discusses future goals of the Howard Hughes Corporation.
Archival Collection