The Brief
- Education Minnesota on Thursday released the 12 finalists for Minnesota’s Teacher of the Year.
- The process started with 142 candidates, and the 12 were selected from 31 semifinalists.
- A 21-person panel will conduct interviews with all 12 on May 3, and vote for this year’s winner. It will be announced at a May 4 banquet at St. Paul RiverCentre.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) – Education Minnesota on Thursday announced the 12 finalists for Minnesota’s Teacher of the Year in 2025.
The finalists were chosen by a 21-person independent selection panel who had 31 semifinalists to choose from. The panel consisted of leaders in education, business, government, and non-profits. A total of 142 educators were nominated for the Minnesota Teacher of the Year.
Who are the finalists?
What we know:
Here’s a look at all 12 educators who are up for Teacher of the Year:
- Stacy Bartlett, Stillwater Area High School, Stillwater Area Schools, biology, 10-12
- Katelyn Bruce, Lake Harriet Lower Campus, Minneapolis Public Schools, second grade
- Ben Cuevas-Rengstorf, Roosevelt High School, Minneapolis Public Schools, culinary arts, 9-12
- Christoph Dundas, Austin High School, Austin Public Schools, band, 9-12
- John Horton, J.J. Hill Montessori School, Saint Paul Public Schools, grades 1-3
- Amanda Jagdeo, Hamline Elementary School, Saint Paul Public Schools, pre-K
- Zoe Kourajian, Edgewood Middle School, Mounds View Public Schools, U.S. history and girls’ leadership, 7-8
- Soren Olesen, Roseau High School, Roseau Community School District, welding, machine shop and work-based learning, 11-12
- Sean Padden, Roseville Area Middle School, Roseville Area Schools, health, 7-8
- Araceli Pastrana, Eagle Heights Spanish Immersion, Eden Prairie Schools, third grade
- Kong Vang, Washington Technology Magnet School, Saint Paul Public Schools, ethnic studies, 9-12
- Linda Wallenberg, Eden Prairie High School, Eden Prairie Schools, English, 9 & 12
The process
What’s next:…