Hartford Teacher Wins 2026 National Honor

Antonela Qyra, a high school special education teacher at High Road School of Hartford, was named Specialized Education Services Inc.’s 2026 Teacher of the Year this month. The award came from SESI, a division of education provider FullBloom, which announced the honor on May 6 and highlighted Qyra’s work with students who need additional academic and behavioral support. SESI later published a school-level profile on May 21 describing the recognition as a reflection of her work on student growth, individualized support and inclusive instruction. The honor is separate from Hartford Public Schools’ district Teacher of the Year award, which went to Bulkeley High School math teacher Adam Lynch on May 21. Qyra teaches at High Road School of Hartford, a specialized program operated through the SESI network, not the city school district. That distinction matters because the original headlines around “Hartford teacher” and “2026 Teacher of the Year” could refer to different awards announced in the same month. (sesischools.com) ### Which award did Antonela Qyra actually win? SESI said Qyra was its overall 2026 Teacher of the Year, an organization-wide honor awarded through the company’s annual teacher and staff recognition program. The company said the program is now in its fifth year and covers full-time team members including teachers, social workers, behavior specialists, clinical staff and paraprofessionals across its schools. (sesischools.com) May 6 was the date of the live announcement, which SESI said was made by FullBloom Chief Executive Jeffrey Cohen and SESI President Dawn Thomas. The company named Raynard Gillispie, a behavior support specialist at Excel Academy of Roseland in Chicago, as its 2026 Staff of the Year at the same time. ### What does Qyra do at High Road School of Hartford? (compuserve.com) SESI said Qyra is a high school special education teacher at High Road School of Hartford in Connecticut. The company said she helps design and implement a campus-wide literacy intervention initiative aimed at students with Individualized Education Programs. The Hartford school profile published on May 21 said her work has centered on student growth, individualized support and inclusive instruction. (compuserve.com) SESI also said she uses culturally responsive materials and multimodal, project-based learning to increase student engagement. ### What evidence did SESI cite for the award? (compuserve.com) SESI said pre- and post-assessments showed that 80% of Qyra’s students improved reading fluency by at least one grade level. The company also said English language learners in her classes showed a 30% increase in vocabulary acquisition. “I believe that all students possess the potential to succeed when teaching is truly student-centered, rooted in high expectations and guided by culturally responsive, evidence-based practices,” Qyra said in SESI’s award materials. (sesischools.com) SESI presented that statement alongside her divisional and overall recognition in the 2026 honorees listing. (compuserve.com) ### Why was there confusion around “Hartford Teacher of the Year”? Hartford saw at least two separate “Teacher of the Year” announcements in May 2026. Hartford Public Schools announced Adam Lynch as its districtwide 2026 Teacher of the Year on May 21, while SESI named Qyra its 2026 Teacher of the Year on May 6. WTNH reported Qyra’s award as a Hartford education story, and SESI’s own Hartford school page later linked to that local coverage. (compuserve.com) That overlap in geography and timing appears to be why short summaries of the story can sound broader than the underlying award actually was. (hartfordschools.org) May 21 is the latest dated milestone in the public record located for Qyra’s recognition, when High Road School of Hartford posted its local write-up and linked readers to the WTNH report. Hartford Public Schools, meanwhile, has separate upcoming district events on its calendar later in May, including a Teaching and Learning Committee meeting on May 27. (sesischools.com) (wtnh.com)