Milford Election: Holly E. Mulrenan For Board Of Education

MILFORD, CT — Democrat Holly E. Mulrenan is running for Milford Board of Education, District 3 in Milford.

Occupation: Educator And Tutor

Family:
Husband: Frank Giustino
Adult Sons: Rocco, Thomas, and Cheech Giustino

Experience: Board of Health

Family in government: NA

The single biggest issue in town is ______, and I plan to do this about it:

An ongoing challenge facing our community is the pandemic-related stress, particularly, the disruption in the social and emotional stability of our children. Research shows that students perform better when they interact and are emotionally healthy. To that end, Milford is fortunate that Dr. Anna Cutaia, the Superintendent of Milford Schools, has made it a priority to support the social and emotional well-being of students and staff.

Under her leadership and in partnership with the Milford Parent Teacher Association Council, three key programs were developed and implemented at the start of COVID-19. Additionally, the Milford School District recently hired eight elementary school counselors, assigning one counselor to each elementary school, to work toward developing strong relationships with students, family, and staff. The work to support the social and emotion health of our youth needs to remain a focused area of attention.

Critical differences between me and my opponents:

What I want citizens to know about me is that my diverse background as a nurse, an educator, a tutor, a parent, a Board of Health member, and a lifelong Milford resident affords me to bring a unique perspective regarding our children’s educational needs. I am genuinely grateful to the Milford School system for serving me and my three adult sons well in developing our knowledge base and in building our character. Our foundation began with the Milford School District; it taught us to be curious, how to ask questions, to seek information and apply what we learn to understanding topics. A position on the Board of Education is an opportunity to pay it forward. It is my goal to ensure the system remains strong, realizes each student’s potential, and continues to prepare students to think critically and to become successful contributing members of society.

Accomplishments:

My background in education and health is a distinctive and valuable blend of abilities that I would bring to the Board of Education. My educational experiences are vast, ranging from:

• understanding the classroom, learner, educator, and the need to meet standards;

• being part of curriculum design and change, and the accreditation process; and

• serving on advisory boards and committees, including chairing committees such as Curriculum Chair.

Lastly, my years working as a registered nurse in inpatient, outpatient, home care, and long-term care settings along with serving on Milford’s Board of Health complements the additional skills that I would bring to the position.

What else would you like voters to know about you?

Within me lies a genuine passion for education, along with a deep respect and sense of pride for the Milford School system. The district’s accomplishments are many; here are a few to highlight:

• Dr. Cutaia was named Outstanding Superintendent of 2021 by the Connecticut Parent Teacher Association.

• World Language is being offered to our younger students; it began in kindergarten and first grade during the pandemic, then second grade last year, and third grade this year.

• Creation of Elementary Science/STEM Labs and STEM specialists.

It would be an honor to serve the residents of Milford and to be part of the Board of Education. As a member of the Board of Education, it is my plan to support the district’s achievements and assure that board members, administrators, faculty, staff, and families continue to work in partnership in delivering a quality education to the children of Milford.