Search Results

Oral history interview with Joan M. Gray conducted by Kevin Gilmore on April 04, 2003 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Gray reflects upon her nearly 30-year career as a teacher and administrator with Nevada’s Clark County School District (CCSD). She discusses the process by which she became a teacher, and eventually an administrator. She discusses and compares the various schools where she worked, such as the Vegas Verdes Elementary School and Matt Kelly Elementary School. She describes her leadership style, regular responsibilities, and challenges as principal.

Oral history interview with Barry Gunderson conducted by Scott Fiszer on October 18, 2002 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Gunderson reflects upon his 28-year career as a teacher and administrator with Nevada’s Clark County School District (CCSD). He discusses his approach to school administration, his regular responsibilities, and some of his biggest challenges. He offers suggestions for individuals interested in pursuing school administration, and uses his own experiences to give examples of having to make difficult decisions as an administrator.

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 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 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.