The Mohawk Trail Regional School District is filled with smart, hardworking, caring and innovative teachers. I was happy to see one of those teachers recognized in your June 9 article titled, “Mohawk teacher wins fellowship.” The article discussed the fellowship awarded to Nina Kunimoto, Mohawk Trail Regional High School history teacher.
I thought your readers might be interested in knowing there’s an update to the story. Ms. Kunimoto has not been rehired by the Mohawk District for next year. Administrators recently informed her that she, along with four other teachers at the middle/high school, would not be rehired for the coming school year. It is unclear why an unprecedented number of teachers have not been “renewed” this spring. It is not due to budget cuts.
Ms. Kunimoto, along with other teachers in the “non-renewed group,” is admired by the faculty of the high school and has the support of students and parents. In fact, she clearly had the support of administrators too since one of the two co-principals nominated her for the fellowship! It’s hard to understand how a teacher could go from doing such an impressive job that she is nominated for a fellowship to not even being rehired at the end of the year. The situation would be laughable if it were not so disheartening.
Jacqui Goodman
Shelburne