Superintendent Rundle Message on Learning/Unlearning and April Recognitions

Dear Mercer Island Community, 

Learning is hard. Unlearning is harder. 

I remember a professor I had at the University of Redlands while working on my teaching license. She impressed upon me that preparing and planning for lessons should account for 60%-70% of our time and the remaining 40% to 30% is the actual time with students and assessing/grading. Her point was, we better make sure that what we are teaching is accurate the first time because teaching students complex concepts is challenging but not nearly as daunting as reteaching them because you taught something incorrectly the first time.

We can probably all relate as adults. Maybe it is that one word we always seem to misspell and just cannot quite correct. Maybe it is a phone number, the name of a street, or the correct use of lay, lie, lied, or lain. We may also recall lessons from our own schooling, I certainly do, about the discovery of America, the invention of the light bulb, or that the Boston Tea Party was merely a response to a tax increase. To those of us who went through our education programs, many of us were taught that students have preferred learning styles that teachers should account for when designing lessons. Empirical evidence has never been found to prove individuals have a learning style, but rather we all benefit from learning things in different ways. No matter how trivial or consequential it is, learning something either incorrect or later disproved makes unlearning and relearning extremely hard. 

To unlearn something requires us to forget how we currently do things or admit the way we have been doing things may not be the best way any longer. It is much easier to just assert that “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks” than to do the difficult work of unlearning and learning something new. And yet, unlearning is critical to improvement, growth and change. Albert Einstein is credited with the quote, “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” Still, it is my contention that we devalue unlearning, often negatively labeling it as flip flopping, changing our minds, not taking a stand, or giving in. When did engaging in conversation, reflecting, learning at a deeper level, and admitting we may have been wrong become such a bad thing?

In a world rich with information and content creation often unchecked or uninhibited, learning or being exposed to incorrect information is impossible to avoid. This makes two skills incredibly important. First, we need to teach our students how to be critical consumers of information and at the same time improve this skill ourselves as adults. Second, it is incumbent upon all of us to promote unlearning as an asset rather than a deficit.

Let me illustrate this with three examples.

Autistic
April is Autism Awareness Month, an opportunity to lift our gaze and see the many abilities and incredible contributions students and people with autism share with the world. It was not that long ago when a person with autism was called the “R” word, something I don't even feel comfortable writing. For many of us, we had to unlearn that using the “R” word to refer to someone with a disability, including autism, is unacceptable. Where it might have been part of our typical vocabulary we needed to unlearn using this word.

Today, I want to raise our awareness of an emerging use of the word “autistic” to demean someone who may be acting differently. Within this context one might hear someone say, “Don’t act like an autistic,” or “stop acting so autistic.” Before our students learn something incorrectly, I ask we all intervene when we hear this from someone else and let them know this is offensive. 

Math
Only certain people are “good” at math, right? We have several generations of students who were told they were either wired for math or they were not, and this started at a young age. Unfortunately, we need to keep fighting against this today. Far too many students learn (are taught) at a young age math is not their subject. The teacher of this terrible lesson comes from adults, peers, and even negative self-talk. Again, I ask we all do our part to make sure each one of our learners in MISD sees themselves as capable mathematicians. Belief, the best thing we can do is instill a belief in our students at a young age and feed that all the way through their learning journey. The best anecdote to unlearning that only some people are good at math is to keep from learning this in the first place.

Politics
In today’s polarized political landscape, one of the greatest challenges to community cohesion is the saturation of partisan identity. Political affiliation has become a lens through which people interpret information, prioritize values, and even define truth. This dynamic creates echo chambers that reinforce existing beliefs and discourage critical reflection. The more tightly we identify with a political group, the harder it becomes to acknowledge information that contradicts the political party’s narrative—even when that information is grounded in evidence. In this environment, dialogue often becomes debate, and disagreement becomes a threat rather than an opportunity to grow. All too often, especially with the prevalence of social media and online community platforms, we witness discourse we certainly would not allow in our classrooms. 

Partisan politics rewards certainty and loyalty over curiosity and reflection. It discourages the vulnerability required to admit we were wrong, or to update our thinking in light of new understanding. In this way, the rigidity of partisan identity can act as a barrier to personal and societal learning. Overcoming this challenge requires not just structural reforms, but a cultural shift—one that embraces complexity, fosters empathy, and values truth over tribe. I would argue it will require unlearning.

I will leave you with a reminder from psychologist Herner Gerjuoy, "The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.” 

Reasons to Celebrate in April

MISF Breakfast of Champions
I am looking forward to Mercer Island Schools Foundation’s annual Breakfast of Champions on Tuesday, April 29 in the MIHS gym. The Foundation’s largest fundraiser of the year will focus on Impact in Action, highlighting the incredible ways our community’s generosity transforms our schools and shapes the future of our students. The Breakfast is a great opportunity to support our schools while meeting community members and local leaders. I hear this year for the first time we will have student hosts. You can register to attend here.

This afternoon we published a story on the Foundation’s support for the adoption of new elementary math and ELA curricula. The adoption of the new curricula has led to rising Smarter Balance test scores of elementary students in math and ELA after the adoption. The Foundation’s support was essential for the new curricula. This story shows why your support of the Foundation is also so essential. 

National Arab American Heritage Month
April is National Arab American Heritage Month (NAAHM) and is a time to recognize the achievements of Arab Americans and to engage in celebrations of the community's rich heritage and numerous contributions to society. NAAHM was first recognized in 2017 as a joint initiative of Arab America and the Arab America Foundation. Each year, more states are issuing proclamations, and five states, Illinois, Oregon, Virginia, Indiana (Senate) and California, have passed permanent legislation designation the month of April as NAAHM. In 2023, President Joe Biden first proclaimed April to be NAAHM. I was pleased to see former Island Park alumnus and MIHS Class of 2018 graduate Arwa Mokdad was at Island Park this week to give a Middle East Culture Lesson Presentation to third, fourth, and fifth grade students.   

National Autism Acceptance Month & World Autism Month
April is National Autism Acceptance Month and World Autism Month, representing an opportunity to celebrate the many contributions of autistic Americans and those around the world as well as to increase understanding, acceptance and inclusion of people with autism. The District is committed to removing barriers to learning, which includes ensuring access to intervention and services designed to aid Americans living with autism by capitalizing on their unique talents and helping them participate fully in our society.

Passover
Passover will be recognized from April 12 to 20. This holiday, recognized by those of the Jewish faith, celebrates the Exodus, the liberation of Israelites from slavery in Egypt. Celebrations include Seders, ceremonial dinners with symbolic foods, guidelines and traditions, as well as other meals following chametz guidelines, forbidding foods with leavening agents to remind followers of the haste in which the Jewish people fled Egypt. Conversation centers around liberation and the end of enslavement and recognition of those still fighting for freedom. The intent is to make people appreciate freedom and push for social justice.

Good Friday and Easter
Good Friday and Easter are Christian holidays and will be celebrated on Friday, April 18 and Sunday, April 20, respectively. Good Friday commemorates Jesus' crucifixion and death, while Easter is celebrated to remember the resurrection of Jesus. To honor the sacrifices of Jesus Christ, many Christians will attend Church services on Easter Sunday and pray in observance. Many families will also acknowledge the Easter holiday by decorating eggs and participating in Easter egg hunts. Colorful Easter eggs are symbols of new life and rebirth. Ancient Christians stained eggs red by using onion skins to represent the blood of Christ, which was shed at the crucifixion, and the eggs are said to represent Jesus' emergence from the tomb and resurrection. The Easter bunny likely originated from the "Easter Hare," recognized by German Lutherans during the Easter season. This rabbit would gift baskets of toys and candy to good children the night before Easter.

Public School Volunteer Week
The 29th annual Public School Volunteer Week will be recognized from April 21 to 25. This week-long celebration honors the contributions of volunteers in public schools and was founded in 1997 by Project Appleseed as a way to recognize and celebrate the hard work and dedication of individuals who give their time and resources to support public education. Mercer Island School District would like to acknowledge the contributions of our many volunteers and encourage those not yet involved to consider volunteering. MISD recognizes the positive impact volunteers have on student learning and success and appreciates this partnership with community members. To school staff and administration, please take a minute during this week to thank volunteers helping out in your buildings.

School Bus Driver Appreciation Day
April 22 is School Bus Driver Appreciation Day and a time to offer thanks for all that our drivers do to support our students. Their efforts are greatly appreciated.

National Administrative Professionals Day
National Administrative Professionals Day will be celebrated on April 23 and allows our schools and community a chance to celebrate and acknowledge the many contributions of our devoted and valued administrative professionals. Please take a moment on this day to share your appreciation with District support staff by offering a kind word or thank you.

I hope everyone has a wonderful spring break. When we return later in April we have just two months until the end of another school year. Let’s get rested up, rejuvenated, and ready to finish the year strong.

Sincerely, 

Fred Rundle