Hartford Public Schools is pleased to announce that our 2026 Teacher of the Year is Adam Lynch, a mathematics teacher from Bulkeley High School. The announcement was made at the Teacher of the Year ceremony tonight at the Hartford Marriott Downtown.
Mr. Lynch is celebrated by his Bulkeley Bulldog colleagues, Principal Matt Espinosa at right
Adam Lynch is an Algebra 1, Algebra 2, and Geometry teacher at Bulkeley High School. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics Education from the University of Connecticut in 2020, where he discovered his passion for teaching during his student teaching placements at Bulkeley High School and Hartford Public High School. He went on to receive his Masters in Curriculum and Instruction from UConn in 2021. While at UConn, he was an active member and the 2019-2020 President of UConn Future Educators. He encourages students to seek out and take ownership of their own learning through student-centered lesson plans and encourages students to challenge themselves with increasingly complex problems.
Mr. Lynch surpised, (r.) with his wife, Molly (center) and his mom (left)
Adam is committed to fostering a school environment that students and staff want to be part of. He has served as the head coach of the Bulkeley softball team for the past three years. In addition, he created and leads Bulkeley’s student club program where students join and participate in clubs on Friday mornings. This has led to an increase in school attendance on Fridays and helped students become more engaged, and to becoming proud members of their community. As a proud resident of Hartford, Adam strives to contribute to the close-knit community he values within Hartford Public Schools (HPS).
“Mr. Lynch truly exemplifies what it means to be an outstanding teacher at Hartford Public Schools,” said Hartford Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Andraé Townsel. “His positive approach to education, passion for providing empowering opportunities for students, his kindness, humor, and belief in every student’s potential for success, and his commitment to strengthening his school community is why he was chosen as HPS’ Teacher of the Year. I am deeply grateful for his exceptional teaching and its positive impact on our students. Congratulations to Mr. Lynch on this well-deserved honor, and to all of our dedicated Teacher of the Year nominees!”
Mr. Lynch with Dr. Andraé Townsel, Superintendent and CEO of Hartford Public Schools
Earlier this year, HPS’ schools were asked to nominate one teacher who exhibits exemplary teaching skills and a commitment to the belief that all children can learn and succeed. A district-wide committee made up of HPS’ directors, officials from the Hartford Federation of Teachers, and previous Teacher of the Year winners narrowed the group to three finalists after an intensive screening and interview process. Those finalists were Lindsay Hansen, a Dance Teacher at Kinsella Magnet School of Performing Arts - Upper School; Taylor Miller, a Special Education Teacher at Milner Middle School; and Adam Lynch, a Mathematics Teacher at Bulkeley High School. After reviewing each finalist’s written essays and the recorded classroom lessons, the committee chose Mr. Lynch as the 2026 Teacher of the Year.
Our HPS 2026 Teacher of the Year finalists (l to r) Taylor Miller, a Special Education Teacher at Milner Middle School, Adam Lynch, a Mathematics Teacher at Bulkeley High School, and Lindsay Hansen, a Dance Teacher at Kinsella Magnet School of Performing Arts - Upper School
Learn more about our finalists! Watch the short videos below.
Adam Lynch from Bulkeley High School
Taylor Miller from Milner Middle School
Lindsay Hansen from Kinsella Magnet School of Performing Arts - Upper School
Two sisters were both nominated as 2026 Teachers of the Year at their HPS schools, Primativa Gradante from Hartford Pre-K Magnet School and Isabella Gradante from Kennelly School. They are part of a family with a long history at Hartford Public Schools. Their mother, Lenore Lebatique,worked at Central Office for 2 years, then at MD Fox School for 32 years as an Executive Assistant. And their father, Daniel Gradante, was at Bulkeley High School as a social studies teacher for 32 years. Also, their grandmother, Dolores “Dory” Gradante, was a paraprofessional at Batchelder for over 20 years. Their dad and uncles graduated from Bulkeley High School, and their grandmother and grandfather graduated from Hartford Public High School in the 1940s!
Hartford Public Schools would like to thank the people and organizations who made our 2026 Teacher of the Year Ceremony possible. Hartford Public Schools is grateful to its invaluable event sponsors: Voya Financial Advisors, the Hartford Federation of Teachers, Autumn Transportation, Shipman & Goodwin, LLC, Pullman & Comley, GCU, the Robert Patricelli Family Foundation, Downes Construction Group, Professional Promotions, BRAVE Consulting Solutions, LLC, Educators for Excellence, Ricoh, and Parkville Market. The annual HPS’ Teacher of the Year is fully funded through our sponsors.
¡El Maestro del Año 2026 de las Escuelas Públicas de Hartford es Adam Lynch de Bulkeley High School!
Las Escuelas Públicas de Hartford se complacen en anunciar que nuestro Maestro del Año 2026 es Adam Lynch, ¡un maestro de matemáticas de Bulkeley High School! El anuncio se hizo en una ceremonia esta noche en el Hartford Marriott Downtown.
Adam Lynch es maestro de Álgebra 1, Álgebra 2 y Geometría en la Escuela Secundaria Bulkeley. Obtuvo su licenciatura en Educación Matemática de la Universidad de Connecticut en 2020, donde descubrió su pasión por la enseñanza durante sus prácticas docentes en la Escuela Secundaria Bulkeley y la Escuela Secundaria Pública de Hartford. Luego obtuvo su maestría en Currículo e Instrucción en UConn en 2021. Durante su tiempo en UConn, fue miembro activo y presidente de UConn Future Educators durante el período 2019-2020. Él motiva a los estudiantes a buscar y asumir la responsabilidad de su propio aprendizaje mediante planes de lecciones centrados en el estudiante y los anima a buscar retos para sí mismos con problemas cada vez más complejos.
Adam está comprometido con fomentar un ambiente escolar del que estudiantes y personal quieran formar parte. Ha sido entrenador principal del equipo de sóftbol de Bulkeley durante los últimos tres años. Además, creó y dirige el programa de clubes estudiantiles de Bulkeley, donde los estudiantes se unen y participan en clubes los viernes por la mañana. Esto ha llevado a un aumento en la asistencia escolar los viernes y ha ayudado a los estudiantes a involucrarse más y a convertirse en miembros orgullosos de su comunidad. Como orgulloso residente de Hartford, Adam se esfuerza por contribuir a la comunidad unida que valora dentro de las Escuelas Públicas de Hartford (HPS).
“El Sr. Lynch realmente ejemplifica lo que significa ser un maestro excepcional en las Escuelas Públicas de Hartford”, dijo el Superintendente de las Escuelas Públicas de Hartford, el Dr. Andraé Townsel. “Su enfoque positivo hacia la educación, su pasión por brindar oportunidades que empoderan a los estudiantes, su amabilidad, sentido del humor y su fe en el potencial de éxito de cada estudiante, así como su compromiso de fortalecer su comunidad escolar, son las razones por las que fue elegido como el Maestro del Año de HPS. Estoy profundamente agradecido por su enseñanza excepcional y su impacto positivo en nuestros estudiantes. Felicitaciones al Sr. Lynch por este merecido honor y a todos nuestros docentes que fueron nominados a Maestro del Año”.
A principios de este año, las escuelas de HPS nominaron a un maestro que demostrara habilidades ejemplares de enseñanza y un compromiso con la visión de que todos los niños pueden aprender y tener éxito. Un comité del distrito compuesto por directores de HPS, funcionarios de la Federación de Maestros de Hartford y ganadores anteriores del premio Maestro del Año redujo el grupo a tres finalistas después de un riguroso proceso de evaluación y entrevistas. Los finalistas fueron Lindsay Hansen, maestra de Danza en la Escuela Magnet de Artes Escénicas Kinsella – Escuela Superior; Taylor Miller, maestra de Educación Especial en la Escuela Intermedia Milner; y el Sr. Lynch, maestro de Matemáticas en la Escuela Secundaria Bulkeley. Después de revisar los ensayos escritos de cada finalista y las grabaciones de sus clases, el comité eligió al Sr. Lynch como el Maestro del Año 2026.
Las Escuelas Públicas de Hartford desean agradecer a las personas y organizaciones que hicieron posible nuestra Ceremonia de Maestro del Año 2026. Las Escuelas Públicas de Hartford están agradecidas con sus valiosos patrocinadores del evento: Voya Financial Advisors, Hartford Federation of Teachers, Autumn Transportation, Shipman & Goodwin, LLC, Pullman & Comley, GCU, Robert Patricelli Family Foundation, Downes Construction Group, Professional Promotions, BRAVE Consulting Solutions, LLC, Educators for Excellence, Ricoh, y Parkville Market.