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., March 30, 2015 – Ten teachers from across the state have been named finalists in the 2015 Minnesota Teacher of the Year program. A selection panel of 23 leaders in the areas of education, business, government and non-profits selected the finalists from a group of 30 semifinalists. There were 123 Teacher of the Year candidates for this program year.
The selection panel meets again May 2 to conduct individual interviews with the 10 finalists and to cast votes for the 2015 Minnesota Teacher of the Year.
The 2014 Minnesota Teacher of the Year, Tom Rademacher of the West Metro Education Program, will announce this year’s honoree at a banquet at the Radisson Blu Mall of America May 3.
Education Minnesota, the 70,000-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, TruStone Financial and Education Minnesota ESI.
The 2015 Minnesota Teacher of the Year finalists are:
Erik Brandt, Harding Senior High School, St. Paul, English and IB program coordinator, grades 9-12
Melinda Christianson, Underwood School, Underwood, English, grades 10-12
Stephen Dombrosk, North High School, North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale, world history, grade 10
Amy Hewett-Olatunde, LEAP High School, St. Paul, ESL, grades 9-12
Lanka Liyanapathiranage, Woodbury Middle School, South Washington County, language arts, grade 7
Kathryn Oberg, Otsego Elementary School, Elk River, Elementary, grade 1
Terrence Price, The Mastery Charter School, Minneapolis, Elementary, grade 3
Ann St. Clair, Sonnesyn Elementary School, Robbinsdale, ELL, grades Kindergarten-2
Rachel Steil, Stillwater Area High School, Stillwater, English, grades 10-12
Meggie Trenda, Edina High School, Edina, Spanish, grades 10-12