Anna Cutaia. File photo.
Milford Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Anna Cutaia, has been named the Outstanding Superintendent of 2021 by the Connecticut Parent Teacher Association, according to an announcement today from the Milford PTA Council and Milford Public Schools.
Cutaia will be honored at a celebration in May, hosted by the Connecticut PTA.
Each year the state association asks member chapters for nominations of individuals exemplifying excellence in school district leadership. Eligible recipients include administrators, teachers and other school system staff members. Each candidate is judged on the following criteria: leadership for learning, communication, community involvement and professionalism.
“When our state shut down just one year ago, Dr. Cutaia set a very clear tone: relationships first,” said Jessica De Young, president of the Milford PTA Council. “It has been at the core of all decisions made.”
De Young pointed to Cutaia’s unwavering support for the Milford PTA Council’s pursuit and subsequent awarding of a $15,000 national PTA grant, enabling the group to provide several programs for the community centered on supporting youth mental health. Together in partnership, the Milford PTA Council and MPS executed three programs: the training of over 150 individuals in youth mental health first aid, a distance learning playbook for parents webinar and the development of mental health libraries in the schools.
Letters of recommendation accompanying the nomination also identified the superintendent’s focus on clear and frequent communication as a welcome strategy.
Bridget Krauss, president of the Meadowside Elementary PTA said, “Dr. Cutaia’s communications home have been consistent and honest. She has shared where the district is in their planning, communicated protocols that would be in place, and has shared the reality that guidance has continued to change.”
“Dr. Cutaia’s inherent strength lies in her tremendous ability to build relationships with others,” said Amy Rizzo, the district’s teacher-leader for instructional technology who is also a parent of two children in the district. “She demonstrates these skills by inviting and really listening to the voices of many, she reflectively thinks about how to best meet the needs of our community, and she allows room for shared collaboration within our flourishing school system. Dr. Cutaia regularly seeks out the voices of parents, teachers, and administrators and she then leads our school community forward through a collected vision focused on equitably serving the needs of all MPS learners.”
Cutaia said she is grateful for the honor and recognizes the strength of the Milford community.
“As a team, students, staff, parents, community members and our Board of Education, we have come together to ensure that our dreams for students were not interrupted but rather only grew bigger with an unwavering commitment to all learners in Milford Public Schools,” she said.