Jack Perna Oral History

Name/Title

Jack Perna Oral History

Entry/Object ID

OH.ML.2024.JP

Scope and Content

Jack Perna (born in the Bronx in 1950) retired from the Montauk School after a career there that spanned more than 50 years. Starting as a teacher in February of 1973, he went on to become superintendent and principal in 1995, holding both those positions until his retirement in 2023. During that time Mr. Perna oversaw the addition of a school wing as well as preschool and elementary science programs, remote instruction during Covid, and armed security in response to mass shootings at other schools. Despite changes in Montauk’s property values, and to an extent its population, Mr. Perna said he has seen consistency in the very essence of children, parents, and teachers – this after dealing with two or three generations of some of the same families at the Montauk School, which has roughly 300 students from Pre-K through eighth grade. “Kids are kids,” he explained.

Oral History Details

Interviewee

Jack Perna

Interviewer

Virginia Garrison

Interview Date

Jul 26, 2024

Interview Place

* Untyped Interview Place

Montauk, New York

Length of Interview

1 hour, 23 minutes.

Primary Language

English

Recording Media

Digital Recording

Transcriber

Virginia Garrison

Acquisition

Acquisition Method

Gift

Acquired From

Jack Perna

Copyright

Type of License

In copyright: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Copyright Holder

Montauk Library

Copyright Details

Researchers assume all responsibility for copyright questions. Fair use is permitted. For all other uses please contact archives@montauklibrary.org.