Staff Spotlight (PTA Volunteer), Marcus Tyler

In this edition of the Maple Hills Staff Spotlight, we are featuring our amazing PTA volunteer, Special Education Rep, Marcus Tyler.  

I was born and raised on St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. Upon graduating high school, I attended Barry University in Miami Shores, FL to pursue a career in Sports Administration. I worked for several sports franchises across the South Florida area, including the Florida Panthers, Miami Dolphins and the US Tennis Association.

My wife, Bianca, and I met in graduate school in Miami and with 3 kids later in tow, we moved to Washington State in 2015. There’s rarely a vacant stretch on our family calendar, as we enjoy traveling and activities such as swimming, mountain biking, and soccer, to name a few. 

Upon moving to Washington State it didn’t take long to find out that Issaquah was one of the top rated school districts in the region. Through research and families we met, they all shared positive sentiments about the experiences they’ve had. In retrospect, we wish it could’ve happened sooner, but in 2022 our kids enrolled in Maple Hills Elementary and it was one of best decisions we’ve made. From Day 1 there’s been a tangible feeling of pride and care within the Maple Hills Community. My favorite thing has just being able to see familiar faces and sharing pleasantries whether it’s at daily bus pickups, PTA events, or the 5th grade production of Aladdin. It truly has felt like a unified group of parents in support of all that Maple Hills has to offer.  

To see the number of parents at Maple Hills who are consistently involved was a big inspiration for me to volunteer for the PTA. Also, as a parent of a student with special needs who’s now attending Maple Hills, I felt it would be important to have some representation for parents in a similar situation. In the role of SpEd Representative, I hope to connect families and students with available resources; as well as provide information on events around the community that might be helpful to their needs. In my experience, Maple Hills Elementary continues to make a notable effort in welcoming families and students. To extend that inclusion to parents of special needs students, starts with increasing overall awareness. In acknowledging the unique challenges that a parent with a special needs student encounters, we can then create opportunities for understanding and how to provide support for those challenges.  

As a family we’ve been fortunate to witness the strides that’ve been made with our special needs child. But we certainly couldn’t have gotten to this point alone. Collaboration has been an integral part of the journey and one piece of advice I’d share with families who might feel overwhelmed or unsure of where to start, is to lean into the community and other parents that have shared similar experiences. 

In the role of Special Education Representative I hope to develop a space in which families can connect and express their concerns as parents of special needs students, while also embracing and encouraging inclusion for all other families.

Thank you to the PTA and the Maple Hills community for entrusting me in this role. I can be reached anytime at the following email address: maplehillsptaser@gmail.com

Here are some fun things about Marcus:

-Listening to music or watching a live sporting event are some of my favorite ways to unwind after a long day. That is of course, if your favorite team wins lol!

-Hmm..if I could choose one thing to eat for the rest of my life, I’d say it would be pasta. The pastabilities are endless :-)

-I’ve lived in Florida, New York, and now in Washington State. A brief to move California is all that’s left and I would’ve resided in all 4 corners of the Continental United States lol.

Thank you Marcus for taking the time to share with us!

Special Education Issaquah School District: https://www.isd411.org/programs-services/special-services