Mercer Island schools adopt pair of textbooks

Published 9:35 am Monday, March 30, 2026

Among topics at the Mercer Island School District’s board meeting March 26 were the adoption of two core curriculum textbooks for the next school year: “Homegoing” by Yaa Gyasi and “Computer Security: Principles and Practice” by William Stallings and Lawrie Brown.

For both books, the board voted 4-0 and the student representatives voted 2-0 for adoption. “Homegoing” will be used in English 12, and “Computer Security: Principles and Practice” will debut in AP Cybersecurity.

The school district notes that “Homegoing” will complement the historical narratives read in both versions of English 12: Critical Composition and Race in Literature.

According to the National Endowment for the Arts site, Gyasi’s 2016 award-winning piece of historical fiction “begins with two Ghanaian sisters in the 18th century who lead parallel, yet divergent lives: one stays in Ghana and becomes a wealthy slave trader’s wife; one is sold into slavery and sent to America.”

Mercer Island High School (MIHS) English teacher Anne Fillmore spoke at the meeting, relaying her thoughts about “Homegoing” and students’ reaction to the book.

“I think it’s a more holistic and multi-perspective understanding of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. For the first time, seniors are like, ‘We had no idea that African nations were involved in slave trading amongst themselves,’” said Fillmore, adding that it’s an engaging book, but is not easy to finish.

Fellow MIHS English instructor Carrie Thompson said she’s had good conversations with students about the book and that some of her seniors noted that “Homegoing” is the first book they’ve ever finished.

Board Vice President Jody Lee approved of the English department’s book choice and said “Homegoing” will make a profound impact on students.

On the cybersecurity front, MIHS and Islander Middle School Career and Technical Education teacher Michael Hughes said the best thing about Stallings and Brown’s textbook is that it’s made for an educational setting. It’s teacher- and classroom-ready, he said, and comes with projects, assignments, case studies, review questions and assessments.

Hughes added that many universities have already adopted “Computer Security: Principles and Practice” as their core textbook.

A district document reads: “MIHS plans to offer the text as a digital resource that students can use without a physical copy to avoid limiting ever-changing content and the skills required in the world of technology and AI advancements.”