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.
Oral history interview with Dr. Francine Mayfield conducted by Tara Maszk-Imboden on April 14, 2003 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Dr. Mayfield reflects upon her career as a special education teacher and administrator with Nevada’s Clark County School District (CCSD). She discusses her experiences working in multi-age schools, what she believes makes effective school leadership, and her responsibilities and challenges as a school administrator.
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.
On March 8, 1981, Beatrice Gillard interviewed Rosemary Cleman (AKA, Rosemary Conner, b. 1926 in New York, New York) about her experiences living in Southern Nevada and her background as a teacher and youth parole counselor. Conner begins by talking about how she ended up in Las Vegas to become a teacher for emotionally disturbed children and how she would eventually assist with the creation of the Nevada Girls Training Center, the first parole program for female juvenile offenders in Nevada. Conner also talks about the development of Las Vegas from when she arrived in 1952, and she discusses the segregation of the African American community in the city as well as her perspectives on the attitudes of the community as they related to it. Conner also mentions her coffee business, her personal interaction with Nevada Supreme Court justices, and her involvement in starting a grant-funded drug treatment program, known as Us, for juveniles. The interview concludes with Conner’s thoughts on the reemergence of mining communities in Nevada and her close interaction with Nevada governors during her roles in social service.
Oral history interview with Florence Schroeder conducted by DeAnn E. Hunt on March 08, 1978 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Schroeder discusses her employment with the Extension Service as a home demonstration agent in Southern Nevada. She also describes her employment as a teacher in Clark County and Lincoln County, and explains her involvement with the American Association of University Women (AAUW). Later, Schroeder discusses the education system and social life in Southern Nevada.
Ruth Annette Mills was born and raised in Washington, D.C. She recalls the early years during WWII, her father's cancer and radium treatment under Blue Cross Blue Shield, his passing when she was nineteen, and her marriage that same year. Ruth and her husband and family lived in Georgia, Texas, and Maryland before coming to Las Vegas in 1968. She worked as a typist for the Office of Education at one point and did volunteer work for her church, the Cub Scouts, and the League of Women Voters. She also worked as a clerk-typist for the Clark County School District, and eventually became a teacher through the Teacher Corps program. She graduated in 1975 and was hired to teach 6th grade at CVT Gilbert. The school integration program was just beginning when Ruth was first hired as a teacher. She held the position of facilitator and recalls how angry parents were when they learned their children had to be bussed to sixth grade centers. Having been involved through her church with the Civil Rights Movement in other states, she was disappointed with the racist attitudes she encountered in Las Vegas. Ruth's involvement with health care began when her daughter-in-law developed kidney stones and was denied treatment. In 1993 she started the Nevada Health Care Reform Project through the League of Women Voters in order to support Bill Clinton's health plan. Fifteen years later, over 100 organizations had come on board to support the League's coalition in favor of Clinton's plan, and her fondest wish is that one day Universal Health Care will be available to all Americans.
Oral history interview with Ruth C. Norton conducted by Gary Melton on March 09, 1979 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Norton discusses her arrival to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1959 to teach at an elementary school in Henderson, Nevada. Norton then discusses education curriculum, school athletics, and the overall state of education at the time. Later, Norton discusses adult education and special needs education.