The Frisco ISD Podcast

With over 66,000 students in Frisco ISD, there are hundreds of ways our community members can make a difference with our students. In this episode, we're joined by Randall Ford, Kelly Hemenway and Allison Miller as we highlight the various ways the greater community can get involved at our campuses by signing up volunteer opportunities.

We’re kicking off a new installment of episodes within our usual podcast episode rotation where we introduce you to some of the people who make our District unique….students and staff who are “Flourishing in Frisco.” In this episode, we sit down with Angel Trevino, the cafe supervisor at Minett Elementary, who found the perfect fit with a job serving healthy breakfast and lunch to our students.

As we look forward to opening two new schools this month, our first episode of the school year provides a glimpse into our campus opening process, including the value of student input, how a name is selected and the excitement behind building traditions.

In our 14th episode, we’re joined once again by Kimberly Smith to dive into the compensation and retention plans included in the proposed budget for the 2022-23 school year.

In our 13th episode, we’re joined by KeVonna Scott, Frisco ISD’s alumni specialist, and Zakiyah Johnson, a 2009 graduate of Frisco High School, to discuss the purpose and benefits of the District’s Alumni Network.

In this episode, we’re joined by Frisco ISD’s Chief Financial Officer Kimberly Smith to discuss the District’s annual budgeting process, its evolving nature and the prioritization of needs across FISD.

In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Wes Cunningham, Donnie Wiseman and Lauren Haddox to discuss what HB 4545 requires of districts statewide, the implications of missing STAAR tests this year and the vast teacher burnout contributed by the new law.

In our tenth episode, we sit down with Bethany Birdwell, principal of the Early Childhood School (ECS), and Melissa Ellis, assistant director of early childhood instruction, to discuss the programs and resources available at ECS as well as the District’s full-day prekindergarten programming. The pair also provide details on how our community can identify a need for instructional support and services through Child Find.

In this episode, we’re joined by Pete Hazzard, managing director of fine arts, and Chris Cansler, assistant director of fine arts, to discuss the collaborative nature of our fine arts programs and the impact the arts can have on the educational experience of students.

In this episode, we’re joined by Frisco ISD’s Athletic Director Grace McDowell to chat about the recent UIL realignment, the District’s new swim facility and the impact athletic participation can have on the educational experience of students.