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 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 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.
Archival Collection
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.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with L. J. Bowman conducted by Lidia Sedano on October 11, 2004 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Bowman discusses his upbringing and path to becoming a teacher during the 1970s. He discusses his experience as a teacher in Wisconsin and in Montana, but highlights his 17 years as principal in various Montana school districts prior to becoming a teacher in the Clark County School District in the 1990s. He discusses his personal philosophy of education, and how it influenced his career as an administrator. He also discusses highlights and challenges of his career, and provides suggestions on what makes a successful principal.
Archival Collection
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.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with June Eshelman conducted by Elizabeth Goodman on March 14, 2003 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Eshelman reflects upon her nearly 30-year career as a junior high school music teacher and administrator with the Clark County School District (CCSD) from the 1970s to the early 2000s. She discusses her early experiences as a music teacher and band director, and describes the challenges of transitioning from a teacher to a dean, and eventually principal. She also discusses her experience as a principal working at Gilbert Magnet School, and the different expectations that principals face when working with magnet programs.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Joe Ariki conducted by Tony Gebbia on March 23, 2001 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Ariki reflects upon his 30-year career as an elementary school teacher and administrator in Denver, Colorado from the 1950s to the 1980s. He describes the process by which he became a teacher and eventually an administrator, and describes his regular job duties and challenges that he faced. He also discusses the introduction of computers into the classroom, and technology’s impact on education. He also offers suggestions for individuals interested in pursuing school administration, and describes what he believes are the qualities of a successful school leader.
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