Running Head: EXECUTIVE INTERVIEW ESSAY

Executive Interview Essay

Sara Hibdon
Brandman University

Running Head: INTERVIEW

Natalie Dragoo is fourth year tenured teacher for the San Joaquin Office of Education.
She currently teaches in a preschool classroom for children with moderate to severe autism. She
holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Studies from San Diego State University, her Master
of Education degree from Teachers College of San Joaquin County, as well as two credentialsEducation Specialist and Moderate to Severe Disabilities Specialist. She has worked in special
education for seven years total, working as an Instructional Assistant in a preschool autism
classroom before working as a teacher for San Joaquin County Office of Education. Natalie also
teaches intern teachers at Teachers College of San Joaquin County in various courses. She
currently serves on the Parent Advisory Committee (PAC), CAPTAINS (California Autism
Professional Training And Information Network) committee, works as a mentor teacher for the
San Joaquin Office of Education, as well as other various committees within the San Joaquin
Office of Education. Natalie is twenty-eight years old, is married to a colleague Chad Dragoo,
and currently resides in Galt, California.
The interview took place on November 12, 2016 at a Starbucks restaurant in Stockton,
California. The interview lasted approximately thirty minutes. The questions were developed
from the list provided in the course documents including questions on the interviewees careers
and life priorities, working habits and insight, professional education and competence, and
questions regarding her ethical framework. The interview went extremely well. Natalie was very
easy going, eager to answer questions, and well spoken. The interview was conducted in person
with the interviewer listening and taking running record style notes of Natalies answers. After
each question the interviewer took time to read over responses typed to make sure for clear and
concise understanding of the notes. Natalie was extremely patient during these times, casually
drinking her coffee and offering nothing but patience and time for the conduction of the

Running Head: INTERVIEW

interview. There were not many surprises during the interview besides the amazing
accomplishments Natalie has achieved in a few short years as well as her sound ethical
reasoning.
During the interview one could see the passion and dedication that Natalie has for not
only her job but also for her education, and her personal development as an ethical teacher and
person. The passion was evident in the excitement Natalie conveyed when speaking of her
classroom, staff, and most of all her students. Her passion for continuing to always learn and stay
relevant was obvious in the magnitude of outside commitments she partakes in, on her spare
time, for free. Natalie has been passionate and dedicated in her substantial and continued
education on the matter of special education.
The passion Natalie has for her education is evident in the multitude of degrees and
credentials she has earned. Natalie has always been a strong student, attending San Diego State
University right after high school. Education was always in the back of Natalies mind but not
her first choice when first picking her major. At first Natalie enrolled in a Marine Biology major,
combining her love for animals and the ocean in one. During her freshman year of college
Natalie began to work part time as an instructional assistant in a preschool serving children with
autism. It was during this time that Natalie had her aha moment. Natalie fell in love with the
students she worked with. Despite sometimes challenging days the break through moments the
students often had made the hard days worth it. Natalie decided to change her major to Liberal
Studies and she focused all of her passion and energy into learning about special education.
Although her career paths changed both were geared toward helping other beings, showing her
desire to create a greater world through her work.

Running Head: INTERVIEW

The passion Natalie had at work as an Instructional Assistant continued on to her

education. After completing her degree at San Diego State University Natalie moved back to her
hometown of Galt and began working as an Instructional Assistant in the ED (emotionally
disturbed) division of the San Joaquin County Office of Education. Here Natalies passion was
evident and she was asked to work as a teacher for her current employer. Natalie then decided to
enroll in the teacher internship program through Teachers College of San Joaquin. Natalie began
to work simultaneously as a full time teacher while earning her Education Specialist Credential.
Her passion fueled her dedication to become a highly knowledgeable and effective teacher.
Natalies dedication shined as she worked for two years as a preschool teacher for
children with autism as well as going to school two nights a week. Natalie did not find this time
to be too challenging, despite the onset of large amounts of paperwork required by special
education teachers. Her dedication to her job was evident in the many hours she would stay after
work each day, only leaving on time when she had class. Natalies dedication to not only her job
but her school was apparent when she decided to continue her formal education and training after
earning her Education Specialist credential.
Natalie obviously made a connection between the education she received and the positive
impacts it had on her career. The dedication she had to becoming the best educator she could was
seen when she decided to earn a second credential and a masters degree all while continuing to
teach full time. Natalie admitted that this time in her life tested her dedication and perseverance
as well as her ethical standards. Natalie spent many late nights taking what she was learning in
her classes to develop appropriate goals and curriculum for her students. She worked
simultaneously on IEPs (Individualized Education Programs), homework, and her master thesis.

Running Head: INTERVIEW

Yet at times she admits she felt that she wasnt doing enough in the classroom. She struggled
with the idea that she was not giving enough attention to her students and staff.
Her ethics began to make her wonder if what she was doing was for the greater good of
her students. Yet, despite the hard long days and nights Natalies passion for her work and
education spurred her dedication and drive to complete both her second credential and a masters
degree. The knowledge she learned while pursing these degrees, she realized, only aided in her
level of care for her students. While she once wrestled with the notion that she was being selfish
in her further pursuits, she realized that this was a necessary step to better enhance the life of her
current and future students. Here Natalie was demonstrating a Utilitarian Approach in her ethical
reasoning (Velasquez,1). She was looking for a way to do the most good, or the least harm. She
knew that some negative consequences might come from stretching herself thin, such as not as
well developed lessons, or a disorganized classroom. Yet, she balanced this with positive
consequences such as gaining much more knowledge on how to meet her students needs.
When asked about other moral or ethical dilemmas she has encountered in her career she
spoke of a specific student. She has struggled with the best placement option for one of her
students who has made very little progress in her class. Despite implementing many evidence
based practices (EBPs) this particular student has made very little gains. She has questioned her
ethics when the Individual Education Program (IEP) team has wanted to keep him in his current
placement despite his minimal success. According to Linda Elder, a black and white answer to
whether something is unethical is as followed, to be unethical, it must deny another person or
creature some inalienable right. Natalie referenced the Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act (IDEA) as whether this student was receiving an appropriate education in the least
restrictive environment (Dudley-Marling, 15). She struggled where these two ideas intertwined.

Running Head: INTERVIEW

Was she denying her student a basic right that is not only ethically but legally required? Here
Natalie was basing her ethical framework on the idea of Consequentialism, that right actions
must maximize overall good (Werhane, 3). This is very similar to the Utilitarian approach.
Natalie is continuing to weigh the good over the bad and make the best moral decisions each day
on the quality of education this particular student needs. Natalie summed up her reasoning well
by stating, What I still need to remind myself of, is that the "I" in Individual Educational
Program (IEP) is the most important. I remind myself that every child is different, and what I
need to be working on with each of my students is what is most important and vital for them.
Natalie still stays busy and involved in her continuing education and learning. She
currently works as a preschool teacher for children with autism as well as a professor at a local
college, and as a mentor teacher to fellow colleagues. This is in addition to the numerous
committees she serves on. Natalie has plans to keep furthering her knowledge as she says (her)
passion for (her) job and helping students and families have those a-ha moments is what keeps
(her) going. Her plans for the future include an additional credential in administration. She is
curious to learn more about that aspect of her career and hopes to one day go into administration.
Here she acknowledges her ethical framework will have to be solid to make tough decisions on a
daily basis. Her passion for helping students and families in all aspects is apparent in her
continued desire to learn not only in her continued formal education but in her personal ethical
growth.
After interviewing Natalie it was confirmed that her education, passion, and strong
morals lead to her competency and success in her career. In less than ten years Natalie has
accomplished what most will never in their life. Her passion and dedication has brought her very
far in life but ultimately it is her ethical decision making that has made her an effective educator

Running Head: INTERVIEW

and advocate for the special education community. Natalie will continue to grow and develop her
education which in turn will propel her career to new and exciting places.

Running Head: INTERVIEW

References
Dudley-Marling, C., & Bridget Burns, M. (2014). Two Perspectives on Inclusion in the
United States. Global Education Review, 1(1), 14-31.
Elder, L., & Paul, R. (n.d.). Ethical Reasoning Essential to Education. Retrieved (2011),
Retrieved from http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/ethical-reasoning-essential-toeducation/1036
Valesquez, M. (2015, August 1). A Framework for Ethical Decesion Making.
In Markkula Center for Applied Ethics. Retrieved December 4, 2016, from
https://www.scu.edu/ethics/ethics-resources/ethical-decision-making/a-framework-for-ethicaldecision-making/
Werhane, P. H., & Donaldson, T. (n.d.). Introduction to Ethical Reasoning. Retrieved
December 4, 2016, from http://tuck-fac-cen.dartmouth.edu/images/uploads/faculty/adamkleinbaum/introduction_to_ethical_reasoning.pdf