2026 Minnesota Teacher of the Year candidate field narrowed to 30 semifinalists
For more information, contact:
DOUG DOOHER
651-245-6141 (cell)
CHRIS WILLIAMS
651-247-5539 (cell)
ST. PAUL, Minnesota. Feb. 13, 2026 – The field of possible candidates for this year’s Minnesota Teacher of the Year honor has been narrowed to 30. An independent selection panel of 22 community leaders chose the semifinalists from an initial field of 128 candidates from across the state.
The panel will review the semifinalists’ portfolios again, along with semifinalist video submissions, in mid-March. The panel will select about 10 finalists from among the group. The current Minnesota Teacher of the Year, Linda Wallenberg, will announce her successor at the Minnesota Teacher of the Year banquet, scheduled for May 3 at the Saint Paul RiverCentre.
Semifinalists for 2026 Minnesota Teacher of the Year are listed alphabetically by last name below, including the district and school:
Rajaa Ali, Rochester Public Schools, Robert Gage Elementary School
Brittany Bancroft, Hopkins Public Schools, Meadowbrook Elementary
Devon Bowker, St. Cloud Area School District, Apollo High School
Jessica Brent, Eden Prairie Schools, Eden Prairie High School and Eden Prairie Online
Sophia Butler, Minneapolis Public Schools, South High School
Cruz Conejo Cervantes, Hopkins Public Schools, Hopkins North Middle School
Jennifer Danielson, Roseville Area Schools, Roseville Area High School
David Davis, St. Louis Park Public School District, Park Spanish Immersion Elementary
Shannon Dodson, West St. Paul-Mendota Heights-Eagan Area Schools, Somerset Elementary School
Eric Erickson, Saint Paul Public Schools, Como Park Senior High School
Michael Herdan, Osseo Area Schools, Maple Grove Middle School
Paige Janorschke, St. Cloud Area School District, Lincoln Elementary School
Alli Kildahl, Saint Paul Public Schools, Battle Creek Middle School
Lauren Koller, Eden Prairie Schools, Central Middle School
Jim Lane, Mahtomedi Public Schools, Mahtomedi High School
Scott Lauinger, Roseville Area Schools, Roseville Area Middle School
Hilary Moorlach, Lakeville Public School District, Cherry View Elementary
Amy Phung, Hopkins Public Schools, Meadowbrook Elementary
Isaiah Pritzl, Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan District, Eagan High School
Ricardo Rivera, Bloomington Public Schools, Kennedy Senior High School
Bryon Rogers, Chisago Lakes School District, Chisago Lakes High School
Thomas Rosengren, Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City School District, Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City 5-12 Secondary School
Autumn Schacht, Hopkins Public Schools, Glen Lake Elementary
Karl Schroeder, Hopkins Public Schools, Hopkins High School
Colleen Tentis, Kasson-Mantorville Schools, Kasson-Mantorville Elementary School
Sher Unruh-Friesen, Hopkins Public Schools, Glen Lake Elementary
Maria Villavicencio, Eden Prairie Schools, Eden Lake Elementary School
Hannah Walker, Minneapolis Public Schools, Andersen United Community School
Josh Weckman, Roseau Community School District, Roseau High School
Jinnea Zenzen, Grand Rapids Area Schools, Grand Rapids Senior High School
Education Minnesota, the statewide educators’ union, organizes and underwrites the Teacher of the Year program. Candidates include pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade, Early Childhood Family Education and Adult Basic Education teachers, from public or private schools. The Minnesota Teacher of the Year Program also receives support from the following organizations: Education Minnesota ESI, Educators Lifetime Solutions, EFS Advisors, Harvard Club of Minnesota Foundation, SMART Technologies and Expedition Credit Union.Jinnea Zenzen, Grand Rapids Area Schools, Grand Rapids Senior High School
