“Anyone who knows me knows how much I love our public schools,” New Haven social studies and civics teacher Julia Miller told a packed auditorium last week at The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts. “Beyond the incredible education they provide, they are the place where young people can access essential community resources, where they learn to live and work alongside one another in a diverse world, where they find their voices and passions, and where they are provided the opportunities that impact their lives for years to come. Public schools are the backbone of our society and our democracy, and educators on the ground are at the heart of them.”
Miller (pictured in the front row, second from left) is the 2025 Connecticut Teacher of the Year, and the value of public schools and educators was a core theme of her message at a November 6 awards ceremony honoring more than 100 district-level teachers of the year.
“I would like to recognize my colleagues across the state doing the important, hands-on work of teaching every day and say thank you for all you do for our communities and kids,” she said, adding, “We need to fully and fairly fund our public schools so that every student has what they need. This includes access to enough teachers for multilingual learners, school social workers and mental health professionals, arts teachers, and school counselors with manageable caseloads. We need a librarian in every school. We need teacher-led professional development and communities of practice. We need all of this so that students receive the services and resources they so deeply deserve, no matter their ZIP code. Students also deserve representation and to have lived experiences reflected and uplifted in the classroom.”
Miller—herself a New Haven Public Schools graduate and parent—has collaborated with Yale Law and Racial Justice Center, Yale Education Studies Teacher Partner Program, and the Anti-Racist Teaching and Learning Collective and has helped establish career pathways for aspiring educators within the Metropolitan Business Academy, the high school where she teaches.
“We are so proud to celebrate Julia and all our amazing educators throughout the state,” said CEA President Kate Dias. “By supporting and empowering students, nurturing their curiosity and talents, and investing in their success, she and all our dedicated teachers reflect the ideals our public education system is built on.”
Learn more about this year’s winner, finalists, scholarship awardees, and more in the next CEA Advisor, due in homes mid-December.
Pictured with 2025 Connecticut Teacher of the Year Julia Miller (front row) are finalists Jeff Helming (Newington), Yasmin Ithier-Vicenty (Hartford), and Damayanti Rane-Castrodad (New London); second row: semifinalists Gretchen Hess (Putnam), Sean Serafino (Monroe), Eric Litvinoff (LEARN), Quentin McDougald (New Britain), Carol Lemieux (Glastonbury), Lauren Masterson (East Haddam); and third row: Sara Leisten (Norwich Free Academy), Rachel Reindeau (Connecticut Technical Education and Career System), Theodore Jones III (Berlin), Kelly Theriault (Canton), and Joseph Goldman (Region 19).
