Oral history interview with Miguel Villarba conducted by David Islas on December 6, 2021 for Reflections: The Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project.
In this interview, Miguel Villarba shares his family's history growing up in Manila, Philippines and immigrating to the United States in 2016. He talks about first living in Chattanooga, Tennessee before moving to Las Vegas, Nevada to be near family when Miguel was in high school. Miguel Villarba shares stories of his grandfather's farm in Pangasinan, Philippines, the differences in city and town life across Manila, Chattanooga, and Las Vegas, and his educational plans. He also talks about Filipino culture and traditions, and racial discrimination.
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.
Oral history interview with Susan B. Brand conducted by Judith Kelly on November 20, 2004 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Brand discusses her upbringing in South Dakota, and her attendance at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She discusses how she worked with the Clark County School District as a switchboard operator, teacher, human relations consultant, assistant principal at Rancho High School, and principal at multiple elementary schools. She discusses her personal philosophy of educational administration, her job duties as assistant principal and principal, and offers suggestions on how to be a successful principal. She also discusses her integration efforts that promoted diversity in the classroom.
Oral history interview with Dr. Patrice Johnson conducted by Kiley Veigel on November 16, 2009 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Johnson reflects upon her more than 20-year career as a teacher and school administrator in California and in the Clark County School District. She discusses her upbringing and how she always wanted to be a teacher, her training to become a teacher, and experiences in teaching. She describes her path to becoming a school principal, and eventually assistant superintendent for the Clark County School District. She also discusses how her family life has shaped her approach to teaching, in addition to regular job duties that she faced as a teacher and administrator.
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.
Oral history interview with Gretchen Braner conducted by Stacey Skidmore on November 24, 2009 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Braner reflects back on her career as a teacher and administrator with the Clark County School District from the 1980s to the early 2000s. Braner discusses the process by which she trained to become a school administrator, which portions of the training were most beneficial, and the importance of life experiences in shaping her philosophy of education. She describes her regular job responsibilities, and explains the importance of balancing work priorities to avoid burnout. She also discusses the importance of fostering relationships with students and staff to make school administration meaningful.
Oral history interview with Teddie Lynn Brewer conducted by Stanica Sretenovic on June 24, 2006 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Brewer reflects upon her 36-year career in education, with the bulk of those years being an administrator in the Clark County School District from 1985 to 2005. She discusses her teaching experience that led up to her pursuit of administration, and describes the regular duties that she faced as an elementary school principal. She also describes the importance of fostering relationships between teachers and administrators, and offers suggestions for how to foster such relationships.
Oral history interview with Bernadine Brunson conducted by Aaron Louis Koshan on March 02, 2006 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Dr. Brunson reflects upon her 33-year career within the Michigan public school system as a teacher and administrator. She describes how following retirement in Michigan, she decided to move to Las Vegas, Nevada. Upon moving to Las Vegas, she became a principal with the Clark County School District, and also taught at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). She discusses the differences between public school systems in Michigan and Nevada, and what she believes are the strengths and weaknesses of both.
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.
Oral history interview with Dr. Marshall Darnell conducted by Cynthia Johnson on November 07, 2001 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Dr. Darnell reflects upon his more than 30-year career as a teacher and administrator with the Clark County School District (CCSD) from 1960 to 1994. Darnell describes his approach to school administration, job duties as principal, and some of the biggest challenges that he faced. He discusses school integration and efforts to promote student diversity, as well as the increasing number of women administrators within CCSD.