Julia Miller Named NHPS Teacher Of The Year
Metropolitan Business Academy social studies teacher Julia Miller, who is going on 18 years of teaching, has been named the New Haven Public Schools (NHPS) teacher of the year.
That’s according to a Tuesday press release sent out by schools spokesperson Justin Harmon. The selection process begins with nominations by colleagues and ends with a decision from a panel of administrators and union representatives, as well as 2023 teacher of the year Marco Cenabre.
In the press release, Miller is quoted describing her motivation for teaching: “I tell my civics students at the start of the year that my main goal for them is that they are informed and active community members who feel empowered to make change. I want them to be able to make the differences they want to see in their communities, in society, and the world.”
Read Tuesday’s full press release, and more about Miller, below. Click here, here, and here to read recent Independent articles about Miller’s work in the classroom:
NEW HAVEN, CT — Julia Miller, a social studies teacher at Metropolitan Business Academy, has been named the New Haven Public Schools Teacher of the Year for 2024.
Miller is a proud New Haven Public Schools teacher, parent and alum. A graduate of the Gallatin School of Individualized Study at New York University and Teachers College at Columbia University, Miller is entering her 18th year in the classroom. She has taught at Metro since 2015.
“I teach for many reasons,” said Miller. “I tell my civics students at the start of the year that my main goal for them is that they are informed and active community members who feel empowered to make change. I want them to be able to make the differences they want to see in their communities, in society, and the world.
“I love our public schools so much. They provide incredible education, essential community resources, and opportunities and experiences that help impact our students’ lives for years to come.
“I am a huge proponent of whole child, trauma-informed, and culturally relevant education. I want our students to see themselves in the curriculum, in our classrooms,” Miller added. “I want their lives and contexts to be understood, and validated and uplifted. I want their needs to be met so they can access their education and help create the life and pathways that they want for themselves.”
Miller teaches in Metro’s Academy of Law, Leadership & Political Science. After teaching Constitutional Law for many years, she now co-teaches a course she designed with a colleague entitled Youth Justice in Practice (YJP). Grounded in the theories of restorative and transformative justice, YJP is the senior capstone class of the law pathway. As part of YJP, Miller co-facilitates the Metro Youth Justice Panel, a student-led restorative justice initiative in the school that aims to repair harm, provide accountability, and support students who make mistakes in the building.
Miller has also helped to launch another initiative– a “Grow Your Own” model to create and nurture the next generation of NHPS teachers. Partnering with district colleagues, she has supported the development of the new Education and Leadership Pathway being piloted at Wilbur Cross, Hillhouse and Metro. Last year she ran an after-school program called Educators Rising for aspiring educators. In addition to curating multiple guest speaker events, trips and experiential learning opportunities for her students, she worked as an adjunct professor at Quinnipiac University, teaching its Intro to Public Education course to 11th and 12th graders for dual credit. Miller was also part of a small group of curriculum writers who crafted an Early College Experience course entitled Seminar in Education through a collaboration with Southern Connecticut State University, a course she is currently teaching at Metro as part of its official inaugural year of the Education and Leadership pathway.
In addition to her work on these initiatives, Miller plays a variety of leadership roles, including grade level team lead, member of the Leadership and School Planning and Management Teams, Student Council advisor, and mentor teacher. Through her work as an educator, Miller has collaborated with community partners including the Yale Law and Racial Justice Center, Yale Education Studies Teacher Partner Program and the Anti-Racist Teaching and Learning Collective. She has facilitated professional learning workshops, especially around restorative justice practices in schools, at both the local and national level. Miller completed her Sixth Year Certificate in Educational Leadership (Intermediate Administrator) in spring 2023.
Miller was selected as teacher of the year from among last spring’s recipients of the district’s TAPS awards, which are based on nominations by colleagues. The selection was made by a panel that included administrators and union representatives, as well as the 2023 teacher of the year, Marco Cenabre.
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