Perhaps local resident Dave Myerson sensed he could do more than work with the Mercer Island School Board by advising them on changes to the math curriculum. So last week he registered as a candidate for Position Two, joining the race with former Mercer Island High School PTA President Terri Caditz for the position currently held by incumbent John DeVleming.
A pathologist at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Cancer Care Alliance, Myerson says he’s a proud parent in a top-rated school district and generally approves of the way things are run. His son graduated from Mercer Island High School last year and his family is currently hosting the son of family friends (now living in Canada) who is determined to graduate here. He said he was glad to help his friends by supporting an institution he believes in.
“He decided he wasn’t getting the education he needed,” Myerson said. “The Mercer Island School District is an excellent school system.”
Yet, he feels the School Board’s aims need refocusing on producing a well-rounded student and an education that responsive to the challenges the student body faces. Myerson says he wants to give voters the option of choosing someone who seeks a stronger coordination between courses offered, the students and curriculum they’re expected to complete.
“I don’t think John is doing a bad job, I just think we could use a more academic focus,” Myerson said. “Are they getting all they need, or are they getting more than they can handle?”
According to his campaign Web site, www.dave4mi.com, he wants to achieve excellence throughout the educational program and curriculum. Serving all students – not just the ones who are going to college – is a need he said is going un-met and prompted him to run for the School Board seat.
While he insists he’s not running against DeVleming, Myerson said he decided to target Position Two because Board Vice President Adair Dingle was also focused on curriculum, rather than structural and organizational issues.
“Her interests are more consistent with my interests, at least as far as I perceive,” he said.
Earning the unofficial title “Math Guy” for his work with the MISD Math Review Committee, Myerson gives the present School Board a lot of credit for keeping the district top-rated with a focus on community involvement – such as his work to reform the math curriculum.
But he feels his volunteer efforts haven’t gone far enough. As Board member he would also push to get effective results data from student outcomes, performance and student-life.
“I will wind the clock, but I want to make sure those hands keep going at the right rate,” Myerson said. “Whether there’s bullying issues or other social problems, we need to evaluate that and make the correction. Some feel this is micromanaging. I feel as though that is where I’m going to focus on. There’s a difference in focus and perspective.”
Teaching is a focus that he occasionally enjoys, guest lecturing at Kim Schjelderup’s AP Calculus class at the end of the year. He’s also no stranger to research, publishing his work more than 100 times.
Myerson, a New York City native, was educated at Brown University and Albert Einstein College of Medicine. After completing his residency at Columbia Presbyterian, he was hired by Fred Hutchinson and moved to Mercer Island in 1982. He says he’s carefully followed the school district for nine years, getting involved shortly before a majority of the School Board was replaced in 2001.
All three candidates will appear on the August 18 Primary Election ballot and the top-two candidates will continue on to the General Election on Nov. 3.
