Steven Autieri Named Assistant Superintendent of Teaching & Learning for Milford Public Schools
MILFORD – The Milford Public School district is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Steven Autieri to the position of Assistant Superintendent of Teaching & Learning for the district. Autieri comes to the district with an impressive 13-year career as a professional educator with experience at every level of educational practice in progressively responsible roles: teacher, science curriculum leader, and district-level administrator. Mr. Autieri will begin his post in Milford on August 28, 2023.
Mr. Autieri began his personal educational trek in the area of science, earning his Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Keene State College in Keene, New Hampshire in 2003. He continued in the discipline, receiving a Master of Science degree in cell and molecular biology from the University of Rhode Island in 2008.
Autieri got his first taste of teaching when, in 2008, he served as an adjunct professor of health sciences at Goodwin University in East Hartford. He began to consider education as a future career, and looked for a way to combine the field of teaching with his love of biology. Finding a way to do both, he earned a Masters degree in education in the area of curriculum and instruction from Fairfield University in 2010. After working in the educational field for a few years, Autieri knew this combination was the perfect career path for him and decided to continue his advanced-level learning. He received his 6th year certificate (092) in educational leadership from Southern Connecticut University in 2014, followed by a CT superintendency certificate in executive leadership (093) from the University of Connecticut in 2021. Autieri anticipates the completion of his doctorate in education in 2024, also from UCONN.
Autieri’s formal entrance in the field of education began in 2010 at East Haven High School (CT), serving as a science teacher and administrative intern for the district. He immersed himself in the high school community, working to develop and revise grade 9 physical science curriculum and associated assessments. He was involved in instructional practice development, working with staff to develop schoolwide learning rubrics as a member of the district K-12 Teacher Evaluation Committee and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges Curriculum Committee. In addition, Autieri was passionate about keeping students’ interest and opportunities as his focus and was responsible for developing and implementing an Applied Science Research program with Southern Connecticut State University. The program enabled students to complete long-term authentic applied science research projects that were eventually presented at regional and state fairs and symposia. He also served as a co-chair of the Early Intervention Team, a team that developed a system for teachers to use when identifying and referring students needing additional academic support. Autieri also gained exposure to the power of positive reinforcement with students, while serving as a team member working to redesign student discipline referrals and collaborating with classroom teachers in developing positive student recognition processes.
In 2015, Autieri moved to South Carolina with his family for a short-term, one-year stay. While there, he continued to hone his craft as a teacher and administrative intern at the Academy for Technology and Academics in Conway, South Carolina. A high point of his work there involved the integration of a STEM grant that had been awarded by Coastal Carolina University to design interdisciplinary, technology-based units of instruction collaboratively with district mathematics educators.
Returning to Connecticut in 2016, Autieri joined the Suffield Public School system, serving as the district’s science curriculum leader for grades 6-12. In this role, Autieri continued to contribute to districtwide development and improvement, particularly in the areas of curriculum design and collaboration with staff, ensuring the alignment of the Next Generation Science Standards across all secondary grade levels. Mr. Autieri became a welcome addition to the school community as he worked to further develop relationships: as an instructional coach, as a facilitator in the district’s Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) and in faculty workshops, or as a liaison between the various academic departments across the district.
In 2018, the culmination of his experiences as a professional educator came when he took the role of Director of Curriculum and Instruction for the Stafford Public Schools. Beyond the realm of science instruction, Autieri was now able to apply his expertise in curriculum and staff development to the district at-large. He worked closely with district leadership in the development of the three-year Strategic Educational Framework, including a multi-year curriculum and assessment cycle for budgeting and professional development programming. As a district leader, he was also responsible for supervising and evaluating building-based administrators. He also coordinated the development and writing of federal and state grants, including Title I, Title II, Title III, Title IV, Perkins, and the After School Network grant. In 2022, he was promoted to the role of Chief Academic Officer for Stafford Public Schools.
Mr. Autieri is a highly respected and prolific author of ten scholarly works, and was most recently published in American Biology Teacher (2016), and the European Journal of Science and Mathematics Education (2016). The release of his doctoral dissertation proposal at the University of Connecticut, pertaining to the examination of critical strategies to support the retention of educators of color in Connecticut school systems, is expected this fall.
Mr. Autieri has received a long list of awards and accolades for both his work and his character. In 2017, he received the National Science Teachers Association Robert Yager Excellence in Teaching award. He also is a member of Kappa Delta Pi International Education Honor Society and the Fairfield University Alpha Sigma Nu Jesuit Honor Society. In 1999, he received his Eagle Scout Award from the Boy Scouts of America.
Mr. Autieri stated, “I am beyond excited to be joining the Milford family this fall. Milford is a premier educational organization that has articulated a clear vision and strategic actions for the growth of its students. I look forward to my first weeks in the district where I plan to get to know the members of this vibrant community.”
Dr. Anna Cutaia, Superintendent of Schools, commented, “I look forward to welcoming Mr. Autieri to the Milford Public Schools community. I am confident that he will bring leadership in the areas of curriculum, instruction, assessment and professional capacity building to ensure we are in alignment with and take huge strides toward ensuring the Board’s goals, commitments and district’s Vision of a Learner. Mr. Autieri will be an integral part of leading our exceptional staff to continue to establish exceptional learning environments for all students.”
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