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Agriculture
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Ten Educators are 2026 Minnesota Teacher of the Year finalists
Devon Bowker David Davis Shannon Dodson Paige Janorschke Alli Kildahl
The 2026 Minnesota Teacher of the Year • Alli Kildahl, Battle Creek Middle
will be chosen from a group of 10 teachers School, Saint Paul Public Schools, social
who have been named finalists in the program. studies, 6-8
An independent selection panel of 22 leaders • Amy Phung, Meadowbrook Elementary,
in the areas of education, business, govern- Hopkins Public Schools, kindergarten
ment and nonprofits selected the finalists from • Isaiah Pritzl, Eagan High School, Rose-
a group of 30 semifinalists. There were 128 mount-Apple Valley-Eagan District,
candidates for this program year. English language arts ELA and AVID, 9
The selection panel meets again May 2 & 12
to conduct individual interviews with each of
the 10 finalists and to cast votes for the 2026 • Ricardo Rivera, Kennedy Senior High,
Minnesota Teacher of the Year. For a look at Bloomington Public Schools, career and
how the selection process works, go to educa- technical education, engineering, manu-
tionminnesota.org/news/awards-and-honors/ facturing, and skilled trades, 6-12
teacher-of-the-year. • Sher Unruh-Friesen, Glen Lake
The 2026 Minnesota Teacher of the Year, Elementary, Hopkins Public Schools,
Linda Wallenberg of Eden Prairie High School • Devon Bowker, Apollo High School, • Shannon Dodson, Somerset Elementary special education, K-6
in Eden Prairie, will announce this year’s St. Cloud Area School District, biology, School, West St. Paul-Mendota Heights- • Maria Villavicencio, Eden Lake Ele-
honoree at a banquet at the Saint Paul River- 10-12 Eagan Area Schools, fourth grade mentary, Eden Prairie Schools, third
Centre May 3. grade
The 2026 Minnesota Teacher of the Year • David Davis, Park Spanish Immer- • Paige Janorschke, Lincoln Elementary Courtesy of a press release from Education
finalists (listed alphabetically, with school, sion Elementary, St. Louis Park Public School, St. Cloud Area School District, Minnesota
district, subject and grade[s] taught) are: School District, music, K-5 fourth grade
Amy Phung Isaiah Pritzl Ricardo Rivera Sher Unruh-Friesen Maria Villavicencio
EACHING
T TEACHING TODAY
MINNESOTA’S K–12 EDUCATION CONNECTIONTODAY Spring 2025
MN ™
MN
Did you miss an issue of Senior to Pursue Electrical Engineering ebrates the tradition of Access back-issues at
Experience as Theater’s
Lighting Director Led BHS
Teacher of the Year Candidate Field
This year’s program
Narrowed to 31 Semifinalists
will name the 61st Min-
nesota Teacher of the
T TEACHINGEACHING MN ™ bit of everything behind the scenes to make allowed in his role as lighting director. He The current Minnesota Teacher of the Year, of the Year are listed alphabetically by last teachingtodaymn.com
Year. The program cel-
excellence in teaching
in Minnesota. Eligible
candidates include pre-
kindergarten
through
12th-grade, Early
Childhood Family Edu-
cation and Adult Basic Education teachers,
from public or private schools.
TODAYODAY
• Intend to teach in Minnesota during the
T
2025-26 school year.
The field of possible candidates for this
year’s Minnesota Teacher of the Year honor
has been narrowed to 31. An independent
Semifinalists for 2025 Minnesota Teacher
selection panel of 21 community leaders
Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District 191
chose the semifinalists from an initial field
name below, including the district and school:
of 142 candidates from across the state.
• Stacy Bartlett, Stillwater Area Public
MN
Lucas Croatt prefers to stay out of the
spotlight. In fact, the senior found his niche
The panel will review the semifinal-
in acting, so he found a different way to be
involved that better suited him.
Schools, Stillwater Area High School
ists’ portfolios again, along with semifinalist
video submissions. The panel will select
• Garrett Bruce, Robbinsdale Area
at Burnsville High School by putting the spot-
light on other students - literally.
High School
“I wasn’t going to be on that stage, so I
about 10 finalists from among the group.
Public Schools, Robbinsdale Cooper
stuck with it,” he said.
went to the tech side and really enjoyed it, so I
As lighting director at the school’s Mraz
Center for Performing Arts, Lucas does a little
Lucas appreciates the freedom he’s
• Katelyn Bruce, Minneapolis Public
Tracy Byrd, will announce his successor at
the Minnesota Teacher of the Year banquet,
sure productions go off without a hitch. In
erCentre.
scheduled for May 4 at the Saint Paul Riv-
Schools, Lake Harriet Lower Campus
• Jodi Carufel, Bloomington Public
gets to be creative in how he lights each show,
addition to planning and setting up the light-
Schools, Olson Middle School
which makes it that much more satisfying for
ing, he helps run the audio systems and builds
him to see the final production come together.
Eligible nominees must meet these criteria:
• Teach in a public or nonpublic pre-
• Ryan Collins, Mahtomedi Public
sets. He’s worked on 15 plays and musical
Schools, Mahtomedi Middle School
“We do a shot and it’s kind of up to me
productions, the most recent being “Clue” in
last four years.
what I want to do for it, how I want to go about
kindergarten–12th grade school, or
February, and dozens of other events over the
in an Adult Basic Education or ECFE
• Ben Cuevas-Rengstorf, Minneapolis
doing it,” he said. “When the show comes on,
program, working at least 50 percent of
to see it.”
Lucas started in theater as a freshman
the work you put in pays off because you get
the time directly with students.
Public Schools, Roosevelt High School
because his older sister acted in plays through-
• Christoph Dundas, Austin Public
Schools, Austin High School
In the classroom, Lucas has been explor-
• Have a Minnesota teaching license.
out her time at BHS. He wasn’t interested
ing his interest in engineering by taking
• Hold a bachelor’s degree and a Minne-
• Laura Eid, Eden Prairie Schools,
sota teaching license.
Central Middle School
Continued on Page 22
• Have completed at least five full years of
• Ted Erickson, Anoka-Hennepin School
teaching by the nomination deadline.
District, Blaine High School
Continued on Page 26
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