New Minnesota Teacher of the Year to be announced this Sunday, May 15

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., May 11, 2016 – The new Minnesota Teacher of the Year will be named Sunday, May 15. The Radisson Blu Mall of America hosts this year’s Teacher of the Year banquet. Amy Hewett-Olatunde from St. Paul, the current Minnesota Teacher of the Year, will announce her successor at the banquet. This is the 52nd year for the program. Minnesota has produced four National Teachers of the Year, more than any state except California.

The banquet takes place from 1 to 3 p.m. in the Radisson Blu’s Lakes ballrooms. The surprise announcement of the new Teacher of the Year should take place between 2:30 and 3 p.m. Reporters are advised to arrive before 2:30 p.m. The new Teacher of the Year will be available for interviews on-site immediately following the banquet May 15 and during the day May 16. The Radisson Blu Mall of America is located at 2100 Killebrew Dr., Bloomington, Minnesota 55425. Media is required to enter through the hotel security loading dock and check in with the security office. Parking spots will be blocked off. See attached directions.

Banquet tickets may still be available by contacting Kieren Steinhoff at 651-292-4865.

The 2016 Minnesota Teacher of the Year will come from a field of 11 finalists. There were 115 candidates in this year’s original field. This year’s 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

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 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.