Press Releases
10/16/2024
Commissioner Russell-Tucker Announces New Haven Educator Named Connecticut’s 2025 Teacher of the Year
Julia Miller Earns State’s Highest Teaching Recognition
(NEW HAVEN, CT) – Connecticut Education Commissioner Charlene M. Russell-Tucker today announced that Julia Miller, a civics teacher at Metropolitan Business Academy in New Haven, has been named Connecticut’s 2025 Teacher of the Year—the state’s highest honor recognizing exceptional educators.
Commissioner Russell-Tucker, alongside State Board of Education Vice Chairperson Erin Benham, New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker, Superintendent Dr. Madeline Negrón, and other state and local officials, surprised Miller with the announcement during a school assembly originally organized to celebrate her New Haven Teacher of the Year recognition. The event brought together students, fellow teachers, and school staff to honor Miller's remarkable contributions to education.
“Julia Miller represents the very best of what it means to be an educator in Connecticut,” said Governor Ned Lamont. “Her work at Metropolitan Business Academy and in the city of New Haven demonstrates her deep commitment to equity, community engagement, and innovative teaching. Teachers like Julia are at the heart of building a brighter future for both our state and our cities, and we are incredibly grateful for her dedication.”
“Julia Miller exemplifies the very heart of teaching—opening doors to a universe of opportunities for every student she serves,” said Commissioner Russell-Tucker. “Her dedication to fostering an engaging learning environment and empowering students to become active, informed citizens speaks volumes about her commitment to civic engagement and developing change makers. Julia is not only shaping the future for her students but also inspiring the next generation of educators. We are incredibly proud to honor her as the 2025 Connecticut Teacher of the Year—congratulations, Julia!"
A graduate of New Haven Public Schools, Miller has been a teacher at the Metropolitan Business Academy for the past 10 years and focuses on teaching students to become informed and active community members who feel empowered to make change.
In addition to teaching civics, Miller was instrumental in collaborating with colleagues on a student-led restorative and transformative justice program. As part of the Youth Justice in Practice (YJP) program, students who have made mistakes in school can voluntarily participate in a student supported initiative that provides support and accountability.
Miller also helped launch the district’s first “Grow Your Own” initiative designed to encourage students to pursue careers in education. As a Teacher Leader for Educators Rising, Miller offers her students the chance to take a Quinnipiac University Introduction to Public Education course she teaches for dual credit. Through a collaboration with Southern Connecticut State University, Miller also offers students the chance to take a Seminar in Education course. She has supported the development of the new Education and Leadership Pathway being piloted at Cross, Hillhouse, and Metro which includes organizing guest speaker events, college visits, and experiential learning opportunities.
The designation of Connecticut Teacher of the Year is decided annually by the Connecticut Teacher of the Year Council, a group composed of former recipients of the honor and representatives from educational organizations, businesses, and the community. The council reviewed nearly 100 district-level Teachers of the Year candidates through a rigorous selection process that included candidate applications, interviews, and school site visits, including focus groups with faculty, parents, administration, and students.
Julia Miller will now become Connecticut’s representative for 2025 National Teacher of the Year. She succeeds Connecticut’s 2024 Teacher of the Year, Kiana Foster-Mauro, a fourth-grade teacher at Nathan Hale Arts Magnet School in New London.
New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker: “Amazing teaching and learning is happening in our classrooms every day, and it’s educators like Julia Miller who are leading the way and making a difference in the lives of our students. Moreover, her contributions and impact are well beyond her own classroom, as she provides instruction, training and coaching to aspiring teachers and colleagues -- working to raise up the next generation of teachers to follow in her footsteps. Ms. Miller serves as model of excellence in New Haven Public Schools and as example for teachers across the entire state of Connecticut. Congratulations, Ms. Miller!”
David Bosso, president of the Connecticut Teacher of the Year Council: “It is abundantly evident that Julia Miller is an exceptional teacher and an outstanding representative of our profession. Like thousands of teachers throughout Connecticut, she makes a meaningful and enduring impact on students’ lives in the classroom and beyond. The Connecticut Teacher of the Year Council looks forward to celebrating Julia and her fellow 2025 District Teachers of the Year at our Annual Recognition Ceremony at the Bushnell in early November.”
Kate Dias, president of the Connecticut Education Association: "Julia exemplifies the passion and dedication of all the great teachers in our state. Her commitment to project-based learning, restorative justice principles, and empowering the next generation of leaders is truly inspiring. As Connecticut’s Teacher of the Year, Julia’s work will continue to uplift her students and her colleagues and drive meaningful, positive change for our schools and communities."
Superintendent New Haven Public Schools Madeline Negrón: “As a longtime civics teacher, Julia Miller’s goal for her students is for them to become informed and active community members who feel empowered to make change. At a formative moment in their lives as teen-agers, she teaches them to bring their learning and experience to bear on the challenges they see around them. She helps students to find meaningful connections to their communities and to see that they can make them better.”
Metropolitan Business Academy Principal Ann Brillante: “Julia Miller is proud to have graduated from New Haven schools and to raise her own children here. In her teaching, she helps students form effective relationships within the community, as future teachers, lawyers, and activists. She helps them engage deeply with questions of justice, in ways that are both motivating and inspiring. Her colleagues admire her, and we all learn from her work.”
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For Immediate Release: October 16, 2024
Contact: Matthew Cerrone
CONNECTICUT Education
860-424-1988
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