Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont and Connecticut Education Commissioner Charlene M. Russell-Tucker recognized Eastern alum Brian Betesh ’05 as the 2026 Connecticut Teacher of the Year this fall. Betesh, a sixth-grade social studies teacher at Rogers Park Middle School in Danbury, leads efforts in interactive and project-based learning. He was selected from more than 44,000 Connecticut public school teachers, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

“Betesh is a remarkable educator whose creativity, leadership, and deep commitment to his students embody the spirit of Connecticut’s public schools,” Lamont said in a press release.

The Danbury teacher advanced through a lengthy selection process to earn the highest honor for a Connecticut educator, consisting of nominations, several essays, panels with students and Department of Education officials, and months of waiting.

After a final panel discussion with government officials, Betesh received word that he had been named the Connecticut Teacher of the Year.

His initial reaction: “Oh, okay.” Betesh said he typically doesn’t seek recognition, but was incredibly grateful to attract recognition to Roger Parks Middle School and Danbury Public Schools.

“I was more stunned than anything, but it was incredibly validating,” he said. “I’m super excited to have that recognition for our community.”

Following the announcement, the school hosted an assembly recognizing the achievement and was visited by Lamont, Russell-Tucker, and United States Congresswoman Jahana Hayes. Students and staff surprised Betesh with cardboard cutouts of his face.

“It was a memorable experience for everyone at the school,” he said.

A ‘story of people’

Betesh comes from a family of educators – both his mother and grandfather were teachers. During his sophomore year at Eastern, he decided to pursue a degree in history and social sciences. “I love the story of people; that’s what history is,” he said.

He cited history Professors Stacey Close and David Frye as influential faculty during his undergraduate journey. “For me, history is my vessel to be a teacher. I’m passionate about history, but I’m not the world’s greatest historian,” he said. “In [Frye’s] class, I thought to myself, ‘this guy knows everything.’”

As a student, Betesh worked in the Office of Admissions, leading tour groups around the campus that had become his unlikely home away from home. “I grew up in Danbury, so I could have easily gone to Western Connecticut State University,” he said. “Eastern was my ‘let’s try something else’ moment.”

After graduating, Betesh earned his master’s degree from the University of Bridgeport, completed a two-year internship at Newtown Middle School, and began teaching in 2007.

Reflecting on teacher burnout and turnover in recent years, he shared advice for future educators: “Write down why you want to be a teacher and tuck that away somewhere,” he recommended. “There are going to be days that you ask yourself, ‘why am I doing this?’”

A peek into the classroom

A graduate of Rogers Park Middle School, Betesh describes working at his alma mater as a full-circle experience: “When I look back at teachers who really inspired me, those were probably my sixth, seventh, and eighth grade history teachers.”

The 2025-26 academic year marks Betesh’s 19^th year at the school. In his classroom, he uses interactive and activity-based learning to teach sixth graders about ancient history.

“Many of our students are coming from elementary school with no background in history,” he said. He engages students through open-floor discussion and interactive activities on topics like Hammurabi's Code, Ötzi the Iceman, and the fall of the Roman Empire.

Betesh culminates each school year with a group project called “Save Rome.” “Instead of just learning about Rome, students have to figure out how to save the Roman Empire from collapse by analyzing all of the problems that Rome had,” he said.

“[The project] immerses students into history instead of simply memorizing facts.”

Betesh’s success in the classroom didn’t happen overnight. He spent years tweaking and evolving his classroom strategy. “It’s a very hard job, but I get better every year and with everything I do,” he said.

Betesh stressed the importance of making sure students have memorable experiences in the classroom and fall in love with learning, emphasizing that not all classroom experiences are equal: “You have a hundred students with a hundred personalities.”

Betesh is also leading efforts outside his social studies curriculum. He teaches a project-based learning class and coordinates the podcast “Rogers That!” The student-led program has interviewed more than 80 local leaders, community members, and Rogers Park alumni. Guests have included ESPN sports analysts, local business leaders, and United States Senator Chris Murphy, among others. The podcast offers students leadership experience and opportunities to speak with adults in the workforce.

“How do you create community in this role?” Betesh asked. “It’s harder work. It’s more time, more projects, and more effort, but it’s more valuable.”