Teacher says district failed to notify applicants after Cambodia educator trip was canceled; superintendent apologizes

Mary Shutler, a multilingual learner teacher at the Mory (transcript: mor) Elementary School, told the school committee she completed a lengthy application to join an educator excursion to Cambodia and had received no notice the program was canceled.

Shutler said applicants were told that participants would spend at least half the day in face‑to‑face interactions with students and families, that she had completed essays and application materials and had renewed her passport, and that she and colleagues were still awaiting any formal update. "I feel betrayed and ignored," she said.

The superintendent apologized and said he would ensure communication with applicants is corrected. Committee members acknowledged the meeting agenda placed the item under conference requests but urged administration to notify all applicants directly.

Next steps: Superintendent will confirm outreach to affected applicants and ensure communications are sent to participants and schools.