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                                                     MINNESOTA’S K–12 EDUCATION CONNECTIONTODAYTODAY                            Spring 2025
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                             Experience as Theater’s                            Teacher of the Year Candidate Field

                             Lighting Director Led BHS                          Narrowed to 31 Semifinalists

        Senior to Pursue Electrical Engineering                                    This year’s program
                                                                                will name the 61st Min-
                                                                                nesota  Teacher of the
                                                                                Year.  The  program  cel-
                                                                                ebrates the tradition of
                                                                                excellence in teaching
                                                                                in  Minnesota. Eligible
                                                                                candidates include pre-
                                                                                kindergarten  through
                                                                                12th-grade,   Early
                                                                                Childhood Family Edu-
                                                                                cation and Adult  Basic Education teachers,   •  Intend to teach in Minnesota during the
                                                                                from public or private schools.        2025-26 school year.
                                                                                   The field of possible candidates for this   Semifinalists for 2025 Minnesota Teacher
                                                                                year’s Minnesota Teacher of the Year honor   of the  Year are listed  alphabetically  by last
                                                                                has been narrowed to 31.  An independent   name below, including the district and school:
                                                                                selection panel of  21 community leaders
                                                                                chose the semifinalists from an initial field   •  Stacy Bartlett, Stillwater  Area Public
                                                                                of 142 candidates from across the state.  Schools, Stillwater Area High School
                                                                                   The  panel  will  review  the  semifinal-  •  Garrett  Bruce,  Robbinsdale Area
                                                                                ists’ portfolios again, along with semifinalist   Public  Schools,  Robbinsdale  Cooper
        Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District 191  in acting, so he found a different way to be   video submissions.  The panel will select   High School
            Lucas  Croatt  prefers  to  stay  out  of the   involved that better suited him.  about  10  finalists  from  among  the  group.   •  Katelyn Bruce, Minneapolis Public
                                                                                The current Minnesota Teacher of the Year,
        spotlight.  In fact, the  senior found his niche   “I wasn’t going to be on that stage, so I   Tracy Byrd, will announce his successor at   Schools, Lake Harriet Lower Campus
        at Burnsville High School by putting the spot-  went to the tech side and really enjoyed it, so I   the Minnesota Teacher of the Year banquet,   •  Jodi Carufel, Bloomington  Public
        light on other students - literally.  stuck with it,” he said.          scheduled for May 4 at the Saint Paul Riv-  Schools, Olson Middle School
            As lighting director at the school’s Mraz   Lucas  appreciates  the  freedom  he’s   erCentre.
        Center for Performing Arts, Lucas does a little   allowed in his role as lighting  director. He   Eligible nominees must meet these criteria:   •  Ryan Collins, Mahtomedi  Public
        bit of everything  behind the scenes to make   gets to be creative in how he lights each show,                 Schools, Mahtomedi Middle School
        sure productions  go off without  a hitch.  In   which makes it that much more satisfying for   •  Teach  in  a  public  or nonpublic  pre-  •  Ben Cuevas-Rengstorf, Minneapolis
        addition to planning and setting up the light-  him to see the final production come together.   kindergarten–12th  grade  school, or   Public Schools, Roosevelt High School
        ing, he helps run the audio systems and builds   “We do a shot and it’s kind of up to me   in an  Adult Basic Education  or ECFE   •  Christoph Dundas, Austin  Public
        sets. He’s worked on 15 plays and musical   what I want to do for it, how I want to go about   program, working at least 50 percent of   Schools, Austin High School
        productions, the most recent being “Clue” in   doing it,” he said. “When the show comes on,   the time directly with students.
        February, and dozens of other events over the   the work you put in pays off because you get   •  Have a Minnesota teaching license.   •  Laura Eid, Eden  Prairie  Schools,
        last four years.                    to see it.”                           •  Hold a bachelor’s degree and a Minne-  Central Middle School
            Lucas  started  in theater  as a freshman   In the classroom, Lucas has been explor-  sota teaching license.   •  Ted Erickson, Anoka-Hennepin School
        because his older sister acted in plays through-  ing  his interest  in  engineering  by taking   •  Have completed at least five full years of   District, Blaine High School
        out  her  time  at  BHS. He wasn’t  interested                              teaching by the nomination deadline.
                                                         Continued on Page 22                                                   Continued on Page 26


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