Nancy Sarra, superintendent in New Britain, Conn., was awarded VH1 Save The Music Foundation’s 13th annual Administrator Award for Distinguished Support of Music Education at the 3rd General Session of the AASA national conference on Saturday in Nashville.
The award recognizes one superintendent or school CEO who has exhibited outstanding commitment to restoring music education in his or her school district.
Sarra was chosen for her commitment to providing all students in New Britain with access to a well-rounded education that includes music. All elementary schools in her system now have thriving band programs.
Since 2015, VH1 Save The Music Foundation has donated $325,000 worth of new musical instruments to the Consolidated School District of New Britain.
Past recipients of this award include: Kevin George, superintendent of St. John the Baptist Parish Public Schools (La.); Russell Freitas, superintendent of the Firebaugh-Las Deltas Unified (Ca.) School District, Kristi Sandvik, superintendent of Buckeye (Ariz.) Elementary School District, Reginald Mayo, retired superintendent of New Haven (Ct.) Public Schools; Rita Bishop, superintendent of Roanoke City (Va.) Public Schools; Kathy L. Kelly, superintendent of the Columbia Heights (Minn.) Public Schools; Duncan N. P. “Pat” Pritchett Jr., past superintendent of the Indianapolis (Ind.) Public Schools; John Lange, past superintendent of Adams County (Colo.) School District 14; Carol Johnson, past superintendent of the Memphis City (Tenn.) Schools and current superintendent of the Boston (Mass.) Public Schools; Richard Kaplan, superintendent of New Brunswick (N.J.) Public Schools; Eugene White, superintendent of the Indianapolis (Ind.) Public Schools and James A. Williams, past superintendent of the Buffalo (N.Y.) Public Schools.