Educator

As a PTA parent, Nancy Kutsup learned that the high school art teacher was retiring. She decided to leave her job as a head bookkeeper and apply for the position. In 1990, Mrs. Kutsup replaced the art teacher and remained in that role for 15 years. Initially, she made some curriculum changes. As a member of Art Educators of New Jersey (AENJ), she was trained by nationally acclaimed educators. Mrs. Kutsup then rewrote the curriculum for six courses at the high school. In the following years, the art department collaborated to ensure a proper curriculum continuum.

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The Art Club worked with her to create murals to enhance the school environment. These murals decorated the now-gone stadium walls and the halls of the school for nearly 30 years.

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In her second year as a teacher, she was asked if she would be interested in becoming a cheerleading advisor. Mrs. Kutsup agreed, provided that she could work with a co-advisor. At that time, legal issues in New Jersey surrounded this activity. She pursued state certification to coach and wrote a cheerleading program based on her training.

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Always interested in school improvement, she volunteered for committees and eventually became a Garfield Federation of Teachers (GFT) representative and school liaison.

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St. Peter's University, then college, offered remote Lee Canter courses. After earning six postgraduate credits, Mrs. Kutsup had to decide whether to continue and pursue a Master's Degree. As a mother and highly involved teacher, she knew it would be challenging to commute to a college. She reached out to a few colleges to see if they would be willing to conduct courses at Garfield High School. St. Peter's was willing and coordinated with Garfield's superintendent and BOE. Eight district teachers participated and earned Master's Degrees in Education. The program also enabled the teachers to achieve certification in Administration and Supervision. Most of the inaugural group continued, and new teachers signed up for remote St. Peter's courses. This remote program continued through 2022 and even offered a doctorate level.