Brian Benesch named 2026 Connecticut Teacher of the Year; officials praise teachers’ role in students’ recovery and safety
Summary
Connecticut named Brian Benesch of the Danbury School District its 2026 Teacher of the Year at a statewide ceremony where Gov. Ned Lamont and Education Commissioner Charlene Russell Tucker lauded educators for helping students recover from COVID disruptions, improving assessment results, and supporting vulnerable students.
Brian Benesch, a sixth‑grade social studies teacher at Rogers Park Middle School, was named the 2026 Connecticut Teacher of the Year at a statewide awards ceremony at the Bushnell Theatre in Hartford. Danbury Superintendent Dr. Cara Casimiro introduced Benesch’s selection, citing his student‑driven programs — including Park 21, project‑based learning courses and a student‑run podcast — and the more than $500,000 he has helped secure for classroom resources.
Gov. Ned Lamont praised teachers as the people who “make history come to life,” saying educators help students recover from isolation during the COVID pandemic and “explain” complex, difficult moments so students can move forward. “It’s folks like you and folks like each and every one of you that inspire these kids every day,” Lamont said during his remarks.
Connecticut Education Commissioner Charlene Russell Tucker said statewide assessment scores improved “for the first time in about a decade,” reporting gains across grades, subjects and learning groups and noting the state’s 508,402 public school students as the context for the progress. Russell Tucker opened her remarks with the line, “Every child deserves a champion,” and honored the ceremony’s other awardees, including the 2026 Ann Marie Murphy Paraeducator of the Year and recent Milken Educator Award winners.
In his acceptance address, Benesch told the story of a student, Bella, whose partnership on school projects and later illness shaped his view of teaching. Benesch said the loss motivated an initiative in his district: distributing more than 2,000 purple paper hearts with messages for classroom displays. He challenged fellow educators to do “one small thing” this year to improve school culture — from redesigning a bulletin board to inviting a guest speaker — and said he plans to use his five months as Teacher of the Year to listen, learn and support schools across Connecticut.
The ceremony also recognized district Teachers of the Year in alphabetical order and introduced 12 semifinalists and three finalists for the statewide honor. Blaze Messenger, a past Connecticut Teacher of the Year, served as emcee for portions of the program. Sponsors acknowledged included the Mohegan Tribe, Voya Financial and the Dalio Education Foundation.
Organizers said the selection process for the state Teacher of the Year involved district nominations, applications, interviews and site visits. The event closed with an invitation for honorees to gather onstage for a group photograph and with Benesch’s request that colleagues take concrete steps in their schools to support students and each other.
The state’s formal Teacher of the Year service lasts several months; Benesch will represent Connecticut educators during that period and will pass the title to the next honoree at the end of his service.
