Video

Discover The District Video Series

MISD launched a new video series in the 2021-22 school year hosted by Communications Coordinator Ian Henry called ‘Discover The District’. Henry will bring along the Mercer Island community as he discovers interesting, informative, and fun things about the District.

In the fourth episode, Henry chatted with Nova Williams, one of two Directors of Learning Services with the District, about the Seattle Times front page story in April on how the District uses LETRS (Learning Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) to train teachers and what is was like to appear on the front page of the paper. 

In episode 3, Henry talks with District Director of Transportation Patrick Rock about the two electric buses that will be arriving soon, how bus routes are determined, the typical bus driver schedule, and the awesomeness of long-serving bus driver Roy Ellingsen.

In the second episode, Henry talked with Angela Confalone, a Resource Specialist in Special Education at MIHS about therapy dogs Finley and Little G and the support they give students and staff. 

In the first episode, Henry visits with Tony Kuhn, the District’s Director of Facilities and Operations, who, as part of his responsibilities, oversees the Mary Wayte Pool. Tony is a K-12 alumnus and has worked for the District for 33 years.

PTA Q&A

MISD launched the PTA Q&A video series in May of 2022. The series features PTA members chatting with MISD staff on a wide variety of student learning topics.

In the first episode, PTA Council President-Elect Amanda Stoffer chatted with Deputy Superintendent Dr. Fred Rundle about Curriculum. Their discussion was so wide ranging that we split the episode up into four parts. Part 1 of the episode focuses on District curriculum directives and the District Instructional Materials Committee. 

In Part 2, Stoffer and Rundle discuss the rollout process and adoption of new literacy and math curriculum and what type of training and professional development teachers receive when rolling out new curriculum.

Part 3 of the first episode of our new video series “PTA Q&A” sees Mercer Island PTA Council President-elect Amanda Stoffer and Deputy Superintendent Fred Rundle talking about the notification process to families when sensitive curriculum is adopted, the family opt-out process for sensitive curriculum, and the District’s Flash Curriculum.

The fourth and final part of our first PTA Q&A episode has Mercer Island PTA Council President-elect Amanda Stoffer and Deputy Superintendent Dr. Fred Rundle talking about the feedback system for parents to talk about their child’s curriculum, how the District adjust its learning model when confronted by outlier events like the pandemic, and what Rundle’s favorite subject to teach was when he was at the front of a classroom.