11 selected as Teacher of the Year finalists
For more information, contact:
Doug Dooher
651-292-4820 (work)
651-245-6141 (cell)
Chris Williams
651-292-4816 (work)
651-247-5539 (cell)
ST. PAUL, Minn., April 5, 2016 – Eleven teachers from across the state have been named finalists in the 2016 Minnesota Teacher of the Year program. An independent selection panel of 23 leaders in the areas of education, business, government and non-profits selected the finalists from a group of 34 semifinalists. There were 115 Teacher of the Year candidates for this program year.
The selection panel meets again May 14 to conduct individual interviews with each of the 11 finalists and to cast votes for the 2016 Minnesota Teacher of the Year. For a full list of selection panel members, go to www.educationminnesota.org/news/awards/teacher-of-the-year.
The 2015 Minnesota Teacher of the Year, Amy Hewett-Olatunde of the St. Paul school district, will announce this year’s honoree at a banquet at the Radisson Blu Mall of America May 15. Banquet tickets can be purchased at http://www.educationminnesota.org/news/awards/teacher-of-the-year.
Education Minnesota, the 86,000-member statewide educators union, organizes and underwrites the Teacher of the Year program. Candidates include pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade teachers from public or private schools. The Minnesota Teacher of the Year Program also receives support from the following organizations: The SMARTer Kids Foundation, the Radisson Blu Mall of America, the Harvard Club of Minnesota Foundation, United Educators Credit Union, McDonald’s Restaurants of Minnesota, Educators Lifetime Solutions, EFS Advisors and Education Minnesota ESI.
The 2016 Minnesota Teacher of the Year finalists are:
Julie Beaver, Zimmerman Middle/High School, Elk River, math, grade 8
Melanie DeWitt, Clear Springs Elementary School, Minnetonka, elementary, kindergarten
Jill Hansen, Hermantown Middle School, Hermantown, science, grades 6-7
Joe Lawrence, Delano High School, Delano, language arts, grades 9-10
Maria Le, Central Park Elementary School, Roseville, elementary, grade 1
Jennifer Lompart, Northfield High School, Northfield, performing arts/ESL, grades 9-12
Whitney McKinley, Hiawatha College Prep, Minneapolis, visual art, grades 5-8
Juanita Ortiz, Phalen Lake Hmong Studies Magnet School, St. Paul, ELL/Latino Culture, grades kindergarten-5
Erin Rehnblom, Otsego Elementary School, Elk River, elementary, grade 1
Abdul Wright, Best Academy, Minneapolis, language arts, grade 8
Koua Yang, Harding High School, St. Paul, social studies, grades 9-12