26-02-2025
Semifinalists for Minnesota Teacher of the Year include 3 St. Paul teachers
The Minnesota Teacher of the Year candidates have been narrowed down to 31 semifinalists, including three St. Paul teachers.
John Horton, at J.J. Hill Montessori, Amanda Jagdeo at Hamline Elementary School, and Kong Vang at Washington Technology Magnet School, were among the semifinalists.
Other semifinalists include Stacy Bartlett at Stillwater Area Public Schools; Ryan Collins at Mahtomedi Public Schools; Ted Erickson at Anoka-Hennepin School District; Megan Frantzen at South St. Paul Public Schools; Zoe Kourajian at Mounds View Public Schools; Katherine Norrie at Northfield Public Schools and Sean Padden and Averi Turner at Roseville Area Schools.
Originally 142 candidates were nominated for the honor, a group narrowed down by an independent panel of 21 community leaders.
The panel will review semifinalist portfolios and video submissions in mid-March before selecting 10 finalists.
Current Minnesota Teacher of the Year, Tracy Byrd will announce the 2025 Teacher of the Year at the program's banquet on May 4 at the St. Paul RiverCentre at 175 W Kellogg Blvd.
Education Minnesota is a statewide educators union that organizes the Teacher of the Year program. Candidates can be pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade, early childhood family education and adult basic education teachers from public or private schools, according to the release.
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