Near-Record 168 Teachers Are Candidates For Minnesota Teacher Of The Year

ST. PAUL, Minn., Jan. 18, 2019 – The 2019 Minnesota Teacher of the Year will be chosen from a field of 168 candidates. These candidates have accepted their nominations and completed the required materials to become eligible for the honor. The number of candidates this year is the third-most in the 55-year history of the award.

Candidates in the Lakeland News viewing that are up for the honor include:

June Dahlgren, Brainerd Public Schools

Betsy Saurdiff, Goodridge School District

Stephen Booth, Laporte Public School District

Julie Urness, Roseau School District

Mandy Gallant, Wadena-Deer Creek Public Schools

This year’s program will name the 55th Minnesota Teacher of the Year, celebrating the tradition of excellence in teaching in Minnesota. Candidates include pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade and Adult Basic Education teachers, from public or private schools.

The 2019 Minnesota Teacher of the Year will be announced Sunday, May 5, at the Saint Paul RiverCentre. Over the coming weeks, a 25-member panel of community leaders will name a group of semifinalists and finalists.

Organized and underwritten by Education Minnesota, the Minnesota Teacher of the Year program receives support from Education Minnesota ESI, Educators Lifetime Solutions, EFS Advisors, Harvard Club of Minnesota Foundation, McDonald’s Restaurants of Minnesota, SMART Technologies and United Educators Credit Union.

The complete list of candidates for 2019 Minnesota Teacher of the Year, listed by their school districts, are:

Kristen Seeger, Albert Lea Area Schools

Ericka Ableiter, Anoka-Hennepin Schools

Jessica Bomstad Young, Anoka-Hennepin Schools

David Christensen, Anoka-Hennepin Schools

Lynn Florman, Anoka-Hennepin Schools

Cindy Houle, Anoka-Hennepin Schools

Stacy Johnson, Anoka-Hennepin Schools

Adriann Kell, Anoka-Hennepin Schools

Amy Kinney, Anoka-Hennepin Schools

Taylor Melius-Polzin, Anoka-Hennepin Schools

Jaclyn Mingo, Anoka-Hennepin Schools

Chelsea Regan, Anoka-Hennepin Schools

Timothy Riordan, Anoka-Hennepin Schools

Kari Slindee, Anoka-Hennepin Schools

Brett Theisen, Anoka-Hennepin Schools

Justine Wewers, Anoka-Hennepin Schools

Alisha Galle, Austin Public Schools

Karen Solum, Barnesville Public Schools

Carin Hagemeyer, Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa Public Schools

Joshua Coval, Bloomington Public Schools

Kris Goodwin, Bloomington Public Schools

Katie Juul, Bloomington Public Schools

Lisa Leary, Bloomington Public Schools

Cory Wade, Bloomington Public Schools

June Dahlgren, Brainerd Public Schools

Nicole Meints, Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools

Elizabeth Davidson, Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District

Erin Huber, Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District

Amy Smalley, Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District

Tina Fruechte, Caledonia Area Public Schools

Megan Fritz, Centennial Schools

Rachel Sandquist, Central Public Schools

Jennifer Schneider, Central Public Schools

Julie Frawley, Chisago Lakes Schools

Pam Myers, Columbia Heights Public Schools

Kim Davidson, Crookston Public Schools

Marita Kendig, Crookston Public Schools

Erica Uttermark, Crookston Public Schools

John Fitzer, Delano Public Schools District

Kristin Bergerson, Duluth Public Schools

Jane Juten, Duluth Public Schools

Diane Mozol, Duluth Public Schools

Anna Edlund, Eastern Carver County Schools

Pat Benincasa, Performing Institute of MN Arts High School, Eden Prairie

Deanne Herz, Eden Prairie Schools

Penny Jeurissen, Eden Prairie Schools

Lindsay Klaverkamp, Eden Prairie Schools

Debra Larsson, Eden Prairie Schools

Stacy Marek, Eden Prairie Schools

Marcela Roos, Eden Prairie Schools

Kathy Vehmeier, Eden Prairie Schools

Geneva Fitzsimonds, Edina Public Schools

Jill Uecker, Edina Public Schools

Janel Weiland, Edina Public Schools

Chelsie Cabak, Elk River Schools ISD 728

Lauren Generous, Elk River Schools ISD 728

Katie Johnson, Elk River Schools ISD 728

Sara Klingelhofer, Elk River Schools ISD 728

Heather Mortinson, Elk River Schools ISD 728

Tony Wolverton, Elk River Schools ISD 728

Missy Aukes, Fairmont Area Schools

Jennifer Bartsch, Floodwood School District

Betsy Saurdiff, Goodridge School District

Stacy Dahl, Greenbush-Middle River School District

Robyn Creary,  DaVinci Academy of Arts and Science, Ham Lake

Joe Beattie, Hastings Public Schools

Jessica Hiedeman, Herman Norcross School District

Kathryn Enselein, Intermediate District 287

Kelly Darrow, Inver Grove Heights Schools

Deana Walsh, Inver Grove Heights Schools

Briana Novak, Isle Public Schools

Stephanie Olstad, Jordan Public Schools

Brent Stinson, Kingsland Public Schools

Tammy Teach, Lake Park-Audubon Schools

Phillip Lalim, Lakeview Public Schools

Chad Bieniek, Lakeville Area Schools

Ryan Rapacz, Lakeville Area Schools

Jodie Sheets, Lakeville Area Schools

Stephen Booth, Laporte Public School District

Katie Lieser, Long Prairie-Grey Eagle Public Schools

Michlyn Newman, Mahtomedi Public Schools

Emily Seppmann, Mankato Area Public Schools

Laurie Jensen, Martin County West Schools

Michelle Breuer Vitt, Minnehaha Academy, Minneapolis

Emily Firkus, Minnehaha Academy, Minneapolis

Jessie Damsgard, Hiawatha Leadership Academy – Northrop, Minneapolis

Jenifer Bates, Minneapolis Public Schools

Donna Biggar, Minneapolis Public Schools

Michelle Cauley, Minneapolis Public Schools

Sharon DeLisle, Minneapolis Public Schools

Vicki Lambert, Minnesota Correctional Facility – Stillwater

Kelly Fisher, Minnetonka Public Schools

Brian Meyer, Moorhead Area Public Schools

Jacob Hairrell, Mounds View Public Schools

Bill Sucha, Mounds View Public Schools

Kirstin Perales, North Branch Area Public Schools

Peter Burnham, North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale School District

Christa Edlund, North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale School District

Jana Hedlund, North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale School District

Dana Pederson, North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale School District

Renee Holt, Northeast Metro 916 Intermediate School District

Betsy Eernisse, Osseo Area Schools

Lucas Staker, Osseo Area Schools

Noël Nivala, Kaleidoscope Charter School, Otsego

Lori Peglow, Owatonna Public Schools

Mary Schroepfer, Owatonna Public Schools

Jory Magel, Pine City Public Schools

Jaime Danks, Pipestone Area Schools

Jamie Fenicle, Pipestone Area Schools

Nancy Siebenahler, Pipestone Area Schools

Susan Meyer, Plainview-Elgin-Millville Community Schools

Molly Kalina, Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools

Jesse Smith, Proctor Public Schools

Jordan Snesrud, Randolph Public Schools

Colleen Crossley, Robbinsdale Area Schools

Wilbur Winkelman, Robbinsdale Area Schools

Deborah Roberge, Rochester Public Schools

Lynette Faber, ROCORI Area Schools

Julie Urness, Roseau School District

Laurie Herman, Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Schools

Tamara Morett, Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Schools

Myriam Castro-Franco, Roseville Area Schools

Jeffrey Davies, Roseville Area Schools

Markie Crosby, Saint Paul Public Schools

Eric Erickson, Saint Paul Public Schools

Bernetta Green, Saint Paul Public Schools

Sara Johnson, Saint Paul Public Schools

Molly Keenan, Saint Paul Public Schools

Benjamin Lathrop, Saint Paul Public Schools

Janet Manor, Saint Paul Public Schools

Paul Nelson, Saint Paul Public Schools

Shannon Pettipiece, Saint Paul Public Schools

Eugenia Popa, Saint Paul Public Schools

Shari Roach, Saint Paul Public Schools

Mark Westpfahl, Saint Paul Public Schools

Lori Uphoff, Sauk Centre Public Schools

Shelby Chollett, Sauk Rapids-Rice Public Schools

Nancy Davis, Sauk Rapids-Rice Public Schools

Tania Drexler-Gutierrez, Shakopee Public Schools

Jessica Davis, South St. Paul Public Schools

Luke Olson, South St. Paul Public Schools

Kristen Spanjers, South St. Paul Public Schools

Jessica Splittstoesser, South St. Paul Public Schools

Scott Alton, South Washington County Schools

Linnea Balderrama, South Washington County Schools

Karen Buckeye, South Washington County Schools

Linnea Gamache, South Washington County Schools

Tark Katzenmeyer, South Washington County Schools

Andrea Kleoppel, South Washington County Schools

Anna Ohlsen, South Washington County Schools

Kaarin Schumacher, South Washington County Schools

Nora Nutt, SouthWest Metro Intermediate District 288

Chris Ann Johnson, St. Cloud Area School District

Steve Schmitz, St. Louis Park Public Schools

Katie Macrafic, Triton Public Schools

Laura Nelson, AFSA High School, Vadnais Heights

Mandy Gallant, Wadena-Deer Creek Public Schools

Julie Kirchner, Wayzata Public Schools

Pat Merrick, Westbrook Walnut Grove Schools

Annemarie Brockopp, Westonka Public Schools

Deb Castner, Westonka Public Schools

Laura Hensley, Westonka Public Schools

Scott Lhotka, Westonka Public Schools

Theresa Schmidt, Westonka Public Schools

Maggie Clark, White Bear Lake Area Schools

Mary Maloy, White Bear Lake Area Schools

Dawn Maple, White Bear Lake Area Schools

Theresa Pearson, Winona Area Public Schools