30 semifinalists advance towards 2026 Teacher of the Year
The 2026 Teacher of the Year nomination process, which began in November, continues to move forward as the candidate field narrows to 30 candidates. Once nominations closed in the fall, nominees were invited to submit a portfolio. An independent selection panel of 22 community leaders then reviewed the portfolios and selected the semifinalists. This year, 128 candidates submitted portfolios.
This year’s semifinalists include 14 candidates from the Twin Cities Metro Area, eight candidates from suburban Minnesota and eight candidates from Greater Minnesota. Education Minnesota organizes and underwrites the Teacher of the Year program. 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
