Page 26 - TTMNSpring2024

Leadership
Page 26 Electronic Edition: www.teachingtodaymn.com

2024 Minnesota Teacher of the Year Field Narrowed to 27 Semifinalists

The field of possible candidates for this Cindy Roos, Long Prairie-Grey Eagle
year’s Minnesota Teacher of the Year honor Schools
has been narrowed to 27. An independent Travis Miller, Mankato Area Public Schools
selection panel of 18 community leaders chose
the semifinalists from an initial field of 159 Katherine Melgaard, Marshall County
candidates from across the state. Central School District
The panel will review the semifinalists’ Stephanie Wohlhuter, Martin County West
portfolios again and review semifinalist video School District
submissions in mid-March. The panel will
select about 10 finalists from among the group. Karen Adams, Minneapolis Public Schools
This year’s program will name the 60th *Tracy Byrd, Minneapolis Public Schools,
Minnesota Teacher of the Year. The program Washburn High School
celebrates the tradition of excellence in teach- Kenisha Diaz, Minneapolis Public Schools
ing in Minnesota. Eligible candidates include
pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, Early *Jason Jirsa, Minneapolis Public Schools,
Childhood Family Education and Adult Basic Washburn High School
Education teachers, from public or private *Rebecca Buck, Burnsville-Eagan-Savage Stacy Dahl, Greenbush-Middle River School Ryan Olson, Minneapolis Public Schools
schools. School District, Gideon Pond Elementary District Shannon Peterson, Minneapolis Public
The current Minnesota Teacher of the Schools
Year, Michael Houston, will announce his suc- *Marie Hansen, Burnsville-Eagan-Savage Rachel Bachman, Hastings Public Schools
cessor at the Minnesota Teacher of the Year School District, Burnsville High School Ben Lofgren, Hawley Public Schools Lindsey Thompson, Minneapolis Public
banquet, scheduled for May 5 at the Saint Paul Robyn Van Der Zanden, Cambridge Isanti Susan Ault, Hopkins Public Schools Schools
RiverCentre. Schools Tracy Ivy, Minnetonka Public Schools
The candidates for 2024 Minnesota Krista Saxton, Cass Lake-Bena Public *Sarah Gleason, Hopkins Public Schools, Christie Nugent, Minnetonka Public Schools
Teacher of the Year, listed by their school dis- Schools Meadowbrook Elementary School
tricts or operating entities, are (*semi-finalists Monica Grubb, Hopkins Public Schools *Angela Hase, Moorhead Area Public
are bolded): Susan Wagner, Crookston Public Schools *Laura Jensen, Hopkins Public Schools, Schools, Moorhead High School
Scott Miller, Aitkin Public School District Brenda Maulik, DaVinci Academy of Arts and Hopkins North Middle School Kelly O’Leary, Morris Area School District
Science (Charter)
Mary Bissen, Albert Lea Area Schools Megan Kline, Hopkins Public Schools *Michelle Morse-Wendt, Mounds View
*Amy Spinello, Eastern Carver County Public Schools, Turtle Lake Elementary
Starr Kloskin, Albert Lea Area Schools Edwing Llangari, Hopkins Public Schools
Schools, Integrated Arts Academy School
*Deena Bayer, Anoka-Hennepin School Maya Booker, Eden Prairie Schools Tyler Martin, Hopkins Public Schools
District, Blaine High School Shawna Poncelet, Mounds View Public
Katie Horstmann, Eden Prairie Schools Anna Muer, Hopkins Public Schools Schools
Lana Johnson, Anoka-Hennepin School
District Suzanne Nieson, Eden Prairie Schools Sara Roberts, Hopkins Public Schools Jessica Raaen-Tolzmann, Mounds View
Public Schools
Stephanie Lunseth, Anoka-Hennepin School Kathy Smith, Eden Prairie Schools Jean Severson, Hopkins Public Schools
District Rachel Spessard, Eden Prairie Schools *Donghong Wang, Hopkins Public Schools, Amy Dorey, Northfield Public Schools
Maia Miller, Anoka-Hennepin School District Kristen Strauss, Eden Prairie Schools Eisenhower Elementary/Xinxing Chinese Beth Albrecht, Osseo Area Schools
Immersion
*Tom Powers, Anoka-Hennepin School Kelly Thierfelder, Eden Prairie Schools Heather Bruun, Osseo Area Schools
District, Rum River Elementary *Ellen Wu, Hopkins Public Schools, Alice Allison Fischer, Osseo Area Schools
Sarah Fincham, Edina Public Schools Smith Elementary
Kristin Rutz, Anoka-Hennepin School District Mary Gagnon, Osseo Area Schools
Nicholas Gaudette, Edina Public Schools Jacques Youakim, Hopkins Public Schools
Jamie Weisz, Anoka-Hennepin School District Christopher Gudvangen, Osseo Area Schools
Jennifer Heyer, Edina Public Schools Kailee Byrd, Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted
Lars Johnson, Austin Public Schools Public Schools *Ryan Hennessey, Osseo Area Schools,
*Hawley Mathieson, Edina Public Schools, Maple Grove Senior High School
Erin Koshiol, Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa Highlands Elementary/Normandale Laura Heuer, Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted
Public Schools Elementary Public Schools Daniel Prody, Osseo Area Schools
*Jacqueline Stoffel, Bemidji Area Schools, Christine McCarthy, Edina Public Schools *Jon Fila, Intermediate District 287, Noel Raph, Osseo Area Schools
Bemidji High School Northern Star Online Keith Rishavy, Osseo Area Schools
*Bianca Suglia, Edina Public Schools,
Meredith Aby-Keirstead, Bloomington Public Normandale French Immersion School Tracy Zahn, Inver Grove Heights Schools Tiffany Walerius, Owatonna Public Schools
Schools
Katie Widen, Edina Public Schools Lori Wall, Isle Public Schools Mindi Brill, Pequot Lakes Public Schools
*Sarah Dallum, Bloomington Public
Schools, Valley View Elementary School Alaina Zapata-Sirek, Edina Public Schools Sara Bailey, Kasson-Mantorville Schools Isaak Anderson, Pine River-Backus Schools
Ashley Goihl, ISD 728 (Elk River-Otsego- Valerie Ashland, Kenyon-Wanamingo Schools Paul Young, Pipestone Area Schools
Jessica Hodgson, Bloomington Public Schools
Rogers-Zimmerman) Tony Donkers, Kenyon-Wanamingo Schools
Susan Maxey, Bloomington Public Schools *Heather LaRue, Prior Lake-Savage Area
Stephanie Harding, ISD 728 (Elk River- Holli Sauerer, Kimball Area Public Schools Schools, Hamilton Ridge Elementary
Valerie Petersen, Bloomington Public Schools Otsego-Rogers-Zimmerman) School
Jeremy Storelee, Bloomington Public Schools Louise Ostlie, Fairmont Area Schools Gina Meihofer, Lakeville Area Schools Sherrie Seidensticker, Prior Lake-Savage
Kelly Sully-Yackel, Bloomington Public Alysha Nelson, Farmington Area Public Matthew Wanken, Lakeville Area Schools Area Schools
Schools Schools Lyn Gwost, Little Falls Community Schools Erik Edmunds, Proctor Public Schools
Sophie Werner, Bloomington Public Schools Sarah Stout, Farmington Area Public Schools Chad Kaddatz, Little Falls Community
Jeff Anderson, Brandon-Evansville Public Victoria Techau, Farmington Area Public Schools
School District Schools Erin Sabyan, Little Falls Community Schools Continued on Page 28