Crookston elementary teacher Kim Davidson is one of the 134 candidates for the 2020 Minnesota Teacher of the Year award. The candidates have accepted their nominations and completed the 
required materials to become eligible for the honor. This year’s program will name the 56th Minnesota Teacher of the Year, celebrating the tradition of excellence in teaching in Minnesota. Eligible candidates include pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade, Early Childhood Family Education and Adult Basic Education teachers, from public or private schools.
The 2020 Minnesota Teacher of the Year will be announced Sunday, May 3, at the Saint Paul RiverCentre. Over the coming weeks, a 25-member panel of community leaders will name a group of semifinalists and finalists.
Organized and underwritten by Education Minnesota, the Minnesota Teacher of the Year program receives support from Education Minnesota ESI, Educators Lifetime Solutions, EFS Advisors, Harvard Club of Minnesota Foundation, SMART Technologies and United Educators Credit Union.
The candidates from northwest Minnesota for 2020 Minnesota Teacher of the Year are listed below –
Kim Davidson, Crookston Public Schools
Zach McDermott, Bemidji Area Schools
Amy Beske, Fergus Falls Public Schools
Ann Zitzow, Frazee-Vergas Public School
Jon Larson, Moorhead Area Public Schools
Leif Eidsmoe, Roseau Community Schools
Lisa A. Weniger, Wadena-Deer Creek Public Schools
Melanie Vickmark, Waubun-Ogema-White Earth Schools
The rest of the candidates for 2020 Minnesota Teacher of the Year, listed by their school districts, are:
Carol Thompson, Alden-Conger Public School District
Karinda Duffy, Annandale Public Schools
Heather Birklid, Anoka-Hennepin School District
Amber Delliger, Anoka-Hennepin School District
Teresa Dwyer, Anoka-Hennepin School District
Stephanie Gwin, Anoka-Hennepin School District
Patricia Halsey, Anoka-Hennepin School District
Amy Quinn, Anoka-Hennepin School District
Andrea Whitcomb, Anoka-Hennepin School District
Maria Mickelson, Austin Public Schools
Erin Koshiol, Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa Schools
Jeffrey Levine, Bloomington Public Schools
Katrina Van Ruyven, Bloomington Public Schools
Sarah Weber, Bloomington Public Schools
Qorsho Hassan, Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District
Roberta (Bobbie) Kunkel, Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District
Julie Jacobsma, Cambridge Isanti Schools
Michael Gunderson, Cannon Falls Area Schools
Neil Smith, Cannon Valley Special Education Cooperative
Daniel DeRuyck, Centennial Schools
Nora Gathje, Chatfield Public Schools
Peg Nelson, Columbia Heights Public Schools
Jason Koets, Delano Public Schools District
Nicole Jensen, Duluth Public Schools
Brian Jungman, Duluth Public Schools
Linda Puglisi, Duluth Public Schools
Pam Brownell, Eden Prairie Schools
Corey Christopherson, Eden Prairie Schools
Cindy Dooley, Eden Prairie Schools
Kari Moore, Eden Prairie Schools
Maria Villavicencio, Eden Prairie Schools
Stephen Sanger, Edina Public Schools
Lisa Becker, Elk River Public Schools
Scott Lillestrand, Elk River Public Schools
Deb Colborn, Elk River Public Schools
Natasha Goudy, Elk River Public Schools
Jerry Brooks, Fairmont Area Schools
Anna Bakker-Anderson, Farmington Area Public Schools
Josh Hall, Farmington Area Public Schools
Scott Robinson, Gibbon Fairfax Winthrop Schools
Doyle Zellar, Heron Lake-Okabena Schools
Lara McDowell, Hibbing Public Schools
Chris Adams, Hopkins Public Schools
Shannon Finnegan, Hopkins Public Schools
Cassandra Haga, Intermediate District 287
Matthew Corey, Inver Grove Heights Schools
Amy Evans, Isle Public Schools
Erica Colby, Jackson County Central School District
Alex Keilen, Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial District
Kathrina O’Connell, Lake Park Audubon School District
Jamye Casperson, Lakeville Area Schools
Jonathan Gilmer, Lakeville Area Schools
Nicole Hewitt, Lakeville Area Schools
Jennifer Noreault, Lakeville Area Schools
Anna Duffy, Mahtomedi Public Schools
Ann Garry, Mahtomedi Public Schools
Angie Davis, Mankato Area Public Schools
Marty Brandl, Marshall Public Schools
Jennifer Pilon, Minneapolis Public Schools
Leanne Smith, Minnetonka Public Schools
Todd Rietveld, Montevideo Public Schools
Amy Mumm, Morris Area Schools
Lisa Eldred, Mounds View Public Schools
Abby Scott, Mounds View Public Schools
Tim Bobeldyk, Murray County Central Schools
Regina Calvert, Nicollet Public School
Marybeth Youngblut, Northfield Public Schools
Lisa Imsdahl, North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale School District
John Olson, Ortonville Public Schools
Kori Brown, Osseo Area Schools
Jan Radder, Osseo Area Schools
Jessica Spurrell, Osseo Area Schools
Dustin Thorson, Owatonna Public Schools
Lynn Jerman, Parnassus Preparatory School
Faye Sandy, Pierz Public Schools
Ryan (Caleb) Larson, Pine City Public Schools
Anthony McGee, Plainview-Elgin-Millville Community Schools
Heather Pelican, Proctor Public Schools
Steve Ballard, Red Lake School District
Jennifer Hinckley, Red Lake School District
Omar Mcmillan, Richfield Public Schools
Janet Rein, Robbinsdale Area Schools
Billie Pace-Gaczyk, Robbinsdale Area Schools
Katie Coulson, Rosemount- Apple Valley- Eagan District
Allyson Jelinski, Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan District
Sara Laine, Roseville Area Schools
Melissa Hammer, Royalton Public Schools
Andrew Brigger, Saint Paul Public Schools
Jennifer Funkhouser, Saint Paul Public Schools
Courtney Gbolo, Saint Paul Public Schools
Anna Parvi, Saint Paul Public Schools
Sherri Quinn, Saint Paul Public Schools
Patricia Boyt, Saint Paul Public Schools
DeWayne Combs, Saint Paul Public Schools
Donna Ryder, Saint Paul Public Schools
Kyle Warner, Saint Paul Public Schools
Mark Westpfahl, Saint Paul Public Schools
Lisa Schramel, Sauk Centre Public Schools
Ashlee Johnson, Sauk Rapids-Rice Public Schools
Sheila Matzke, Shakopee Public Schools
Rachael Schweigert, Shakopee Public Schools
Jane Cornell, South St. Paul Public Schools
Tania Lauby, South St. Paul Public Schools
Jaimie Forkrud, South Washington County Schools
Jason Jankowski, South Washington County Schools
Lisa Peterson, South Washington County Schools
Mary Mohr-Scinocca, Spring Lake Park Schools
Nora Tycast, Spring Lake Park Schools
Maya Kruger, St. Anthony – New Brighton School District
John Myszkowski, St. Louis Park Public Schools
Jody Kelly, St. Michael-Albertville Schools
Stephanie Affeldt, Stewartville Public Schools
Jim Parry, Stewartville Public Schools
Rachel Steil, Stillwater Area Public Schools
Catie Jacobs, Twin Cities German Immersion School
T.J. Pelanek, Underwood School District
Emily Haugh, Wayzata Public Schools
Dawn Johnson, Wayzata Public Schools
Amanda Laden, Wayzata Public Schools
Steve Newman, Wayzata Public Schools
Klair Hans, Westonka Public Schools
Jessica Lunski, Westonka Public Schools
Sara Schwartz, Westonka Public Schools
Bobbie Jo Tronsgard, Westonka Public Schools
Tressa Lanter, Wheaton Area Schools
Darin Raasch, Zumbrota-Mazeppa Schools
