news-record.com

GREENSBORO – The UNCG community is mourning the death of alumnus Brian Betts, who was found dead in his Silver Spring, Md. home Thursday.

The 1989 graduate was a former UNCG cheerleader and was working as a principal in Washington, D.C., according to a UNCG news relase.

Betts, 42, was the principal at Shaw Middle School at Garnet-Patterson in Washington. Betts had been hired as a principal to revamp a school that had been through great difficulties – including a reorganization required by the No Child Left Behind law – and was in the process of turning the school around, the release stated.

Enrollment was up and kids were taking to his teaching methods so much that a ninth grade had been added and, recently, the potential for a 10th grade at the school had been discussed with the district’s chancellor. For that, he had become the most celebrated educator in the district and had been the subject of several stories in The Washington Post and had also been interviewed by 60 Minutes and PBS.

For several years, Betts had brought a group of his students to UNCG for a “College Connection Weekend.”

“Brian was Blue and Gold through and through,” said UNCG women’s basketball coach Lynne Agee, who knew Betts back in his undergraduate days. “He obviously was a tremendous educator, which is evident in all the things he’s done as a principal. It’s a great loss obviously in that area.

“As a Spartan, he followed his teams everywhere. He’d show up in the middle of a snow storm when women’s basketball was playing. He supported every event as a cheerleader. He was very active. He was one of the most dedicated and fun-loving Spartans that we’ve had involved in our program. The women’s basketball program - and all of the athletic department - will surely miss Brian with all the memories we have of him – his energy, enthusiasm and love for UNCG.”

Funeral services are pending and the death is being investigated as homicide.