The 2020 Minnesota Teacher of the Year will be chosen from a field of 134 candidates. These candidates have accepted their nominations and completed the required materials to become eligible for the honor.

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.

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.

In November last year, Austin Public Schools named Neveln Elementary second grade teacher Maria Mickelson as its Teacher of the Year. She will represent APS in the process.

“Right away, I felt humbled,” Mickelson said when she was surprised with the honor. “There are so many amazing teachers in the school district and in this building. There was such a worthy pool of candidates, and I’m very surprised to have been chosen.”

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.