Recognized for dedication to students, advocacy for the teaching profession, and resilience
during the pandemic
Stratford High School English teacher Michael Fiorello was named the Connecticut winner of the NEA Foundation’s prestigious California Casualty Award for Teaching Excellence. He is one of 45 public school educators across the country who will receive the award at the NEA Foundation’s Salute to Excellence Gala next February.
A proud public school teacher, Fiorello is passionate about his students and their learning and outspoken in his commitment to well-supported teachers and schools.
“Michael is a dedicated professional educator and union leader who has consistently advocated for good working and learning conditions and has worked hard to ensure the safety of Stratford students and educators during the COVID pandemic,” said CEA President Kate Dias. “He has earned the trust and respect of his colleagues and community members and has amplified teachers’ voices on important issues, empowering them to participate in policy discussions that impact students, public education, and the teaching profession.”
“When I learned I would receive a Teaching Excellence Award from NEA, I was thrilled but humbled,” Fiorello said. “I have the utmost respect for the educators who work with and for our union. To be honored by them moves me deeply, and I am profoundly grateful.”
The Award for Teaching Excellence recognizes educators who embody excellence in their practice, advocacy for the profession, commitment to equity, diversity, and opportunity, community engagement, leadership and encouragement for fellow educators, and support for relevant, high-quality professional development.
Describing Fiorello as a teacher who cares deeply about his students and colleagues, Dias said, “Michael goes the extra mile to advocate on their behalf, promoting well-resourced schools and a teaching and learning environment that ensures all students can achieve.”
