Community Message on Technology in MISD from Superintendent Rundle

Left to right: Superintendent Fred Rundle, Board President Stephanie Burnett, Board Director Julian Bradley, and Board Director Cristina Martinez speak at the Board Listening Session on technology in MISD and a potential bond on Thursday, September 29.

Dear Mercer Island Community,

In our personal or professional lives, the speed and influence of technology is compelling us to convene important conversations. The social, financial, ethical, political, personal, and cultural implications of technology are simultaneously bringing us together and tearing us apart. Technology’s purpose and promise is under scrutiny, but perhaps nowhere more so than in our schools.

Writers and publishers looking for our “clicks” love to call this moment, the techlash, a rising rejection to the use of edtech in classrooms. Call it what you may, but educators, scholars, and parents alike are rightfully questioning and reflecting on the value of technology as a tool for learning. Dating back to my own days at King Murphy Elementary in the early 1980’s programming a little “Turtle” on an Apple IIe to draw colored lines (the wrapping command was incredible) to Zoom teaching and student breakout rooms during COVID, districts have been united in their quest to technologically evolve and expand. Today, 50 years into this journey, it is time to recalibrate.

Mercer Island School District has been both on the front edge of innovation as well as cautious bystanders. When some districts raced to go 1-1 from kindergarten through 12th grade, we achieved this but only after years of incremental implementation. Recognizing the demand on infrastructure for faster access, MISD worked to install fiber connectivity from the north to south end of Mercer Island. Concerned about the distraction to learning and negative impact on the mental health of students, MISD was the region’s first to implement a K-12 bell to bell ban on cell phones. What consistently served us well no matter how out front or slow we have been, has been working and learning together with our community. At the heart of the work is a simple question, what is best for our students now and in preparation for their future?

Answers to what is best for students are becoming clearer and the need to rethink our approach is growing in urgency.

1. E-texts and accessing books on screens allows for students to annotate and engage content at almost any time and any day. However, particularly for students learning to read, we are learning more and more about the limitations of screens and the benefits of paper books.
2. Taking notes on devices makes storing notes and legibility better, but brain science tells us that for many students the act of writing actually leads to better retention and learning.
3. MISD was one of the early developers of AI use values in 2024, but we need to revisit this and create clearer parameters to prioritize original thinking, production, and creativity.
4. Screens and what we are asking students to do to access or engage in learning must be addressed by contemplating what guidance teachers need to set common expectations while also providing flexibility.

These examples do not exhaust the list, but my hope is our District gets a sense of where we will prioritize our approach during the 2026-2027 year. 

Fortunately, to meet this moment, teachers, staff, administrators, and the school board understand and embrace the opportunity to reimagine educational technology. Some changes are already implemented, some are in development, and some are in concept. Examples of our technology realignment at work are illustrated below.

• Changes Already Made and In Place for 2026-27
  • When iReady Classroom Mathematics was adopted we made a strong commitment to the online MyPath component for all students. This year, the expectation is no longer in place for all students but instead teachers will use the intervention for only some students.
  • The District restricted and blocked access during non-school hours to gamified apps such as Gimkit, Kahoot, and Blooket and iReady ancillary learning games have been blocked.
  • Securely Content Filtering- the District made changes and continues to adjust the content filtering system to increase engagement in school and give parents greater controls to devices at home.
  • Copiers and Paper-Based Planning- The District renegotiated its copy contracts in 2025-26 to save money and clear barriers previously deterring teachers from using printed copies in classrooms. We learned last year that even with the copy counts going up, costs were going down. We hope to see more of this trend in 2026-27.
  • K-5 iPads are no longer taken home by students.
  • 6th graders switched to paper planners\organizers.
  • YouTube access which was always blocked for K-5, is now also blocked for IMS students.
  • The expectation at IMS is for a tech free lunch environment.
  • MIHS changed to a new laptop from the previous adoption based on student and staff feedback.
• Changes in Development
  • Andreeves Ronser, Director of Instructional Technology, and Mary Jo Budzius, Director of Teaching and Learning, are leading the Technology Advisory Group (TAG). The TAG is composed of teachers, staff, parents, community members, administrators, and students. The reconstituted TAG started last year and continues this year, providing guidance, perspective, and support reshaping the technology direction for MISD.
  • Part of the TAG’s charge this year is reviewing and recommending the Islander Middle School student device for 2027-28 and beyond.
  • Running parallel to the TAG, an AI advisory group will create a framework to address student and staff use in schools, plagiarism, ethical responsibility, and overall acceptable use.
  • LA Unified School District and others made headlines with their screen time Board policies. I look forward to the work of our TAG to help us set what we think is best for our students.

The Techlash arrived but this does not mean a confrontation must follow. In reading the national narrative it is easy to conclude schools and parents are on a collision course. This might be so in some communities, but I do not believe our opinions about technology differ greatly. In conversations with parents and staff across the community last year and over the summer I found agreement: 

• Digital literacy is an important knowledge and skill to develop;
• Universally eliminating all access to screens is not the goal;
• Unfettered screentime across a student’s day (in and out of school) is not beneficial to their development socially, emotionally, or academically;
• Change will require participatory buy-in from parents, teachers, administrators, support staff, and even students;
• Not every adjustment to current practice can take place concurrently but we can take incremental steps now, this fall, and beyond; and
• Meaningful engagement and learning is a priority.

These sources of congruence were reiterated at the MISD school board listening session earlier this week. Though still reflecting and thinking about the input provided by parents, I am certain we will develop a framework this year that addresses our hopes, values, and expectations for AI, future device adoptions, curriculum selection, and screen time.   

I appreciate our community’s shared commitment to our students. Edtech may not be our only challenge right now, but it is certainly one we are attuned to in the interest of our students, staff, and community.  

Sincerely, 

Fred Rundle
Superintendent