Newsletters 24-25 Focus [3] Summer | Page 4

LEADERSHIP IN PUBLIC EDUCATION PAGE 4

District educators nominated for Minnesota Teacher of the Year, Blaine High School’ s Ted Erickson named semifinalist

Candidates for the 2025 Minnesota Teacher of the Year Award were announced in February, and five Anoka-Hennepin School District educators were nominated for the award.
Blaine High School Special Education teacher Ted Erickson advanced from the initial candidate list of Ted Erickson 142 educators and was one of 31 statewide considered to move on as a finalist after being selected as a semifinalist.
This year’ s program, named the 61st Minnesota Teacher of the Year, celebrates the tradition of excellence in teaching throughout the state. Eligible candidates include pre-kindergarten through grade 12, Early Childhood Family Education, and Adult Basic Education teachers from public or private schools.
The teachers:
• Andrea Puder, Kindergarten, Sunrise Elementary School.
• Katie Hauser, Music, Roosevelt Middle School.
• Kate Tverberg, Math, Andover High School.
• Rebecca Thomas, World Language, Blaine High School.
• Ted Erickson, Special Education, Blaine High School. n

Five district teachers earn BestPrep Educator of Excellence award

BestPrep is a Minnesota-based nonprofit organization that provides educational programs to students in grades 4-12 to ensure that students are college-prepared, work-ready, and career-bound. Jill Appel, Holly Boisjolie, Jim Ruid, Blake Bodenburg and Doug Orr received awards May 12.
This year, a handful of Anoka- Hennepin Schools’ teachers were selected as five of 15 total educators in the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota schools honored with a BestPrep Educator of Excellence award May 12:
• Doug Orr, Anoka High School- Has focused on eMentors and recruiting students for Minnesota Business Venture( MBV) since 2011.
• Holly Boisjolie, Blaine High School- Since 2015, Boisjolie has connected her students with eMentors and encouraged them to join MBV.
• Jill Appel, Coon Rapids High School- Active with BestPrep since 2011, engaging in eMentors, Classroom Plus, and Financial Matters.
• Blake Bodenburg, Coon Rapids High School- Has been using eMentors to help his students connect classroom learning with real-world business trends since 2013.
• Jim Ruid, Secondary Technical Education Program( STEP)- Joined BestPrep in 2022 and made a strong impact on students through Classroom Plus, eMentors, and The Stock Market Game™.
With more than 500 educators participating annually in BestPrep programs, the Educator of Excellence Award serves to recognize the top 2 % of those who go above and beyond in their commitment to educating Minnesota youth through participation and commitment to providing excellence through career and technical education programming. n

Anoka-Hennepin’ s excellence in music education recognized

Katie Hauser
Rebecca Thomas
Kate Tverberg
Andrea Puder
The Anoka-Hennepin School District has been recognized with the Best Communities for Music Education designation from the National Association of Music Merchants( NAMM) for the 11th time. The honor recognizes a district’ s outstanding commitment to music education.
Anoka-Hennepin was one of nine school districts in Minnesota and 935 nationally to earn the award in 2025.
NAMM is a non-profit organization that aims to advance participation in music-making for all ages by supporting scientific research, philanthropic giving and public service programs.
Anoka-Hennepin ' s music program includes instruction in band, choir and orchestra at the middle school and high school level.
The Best Communities for Music Education award recognizes outstanding efforts by teachers, administrators, parents, students, and community leaders who have made music education part of a well-rounded education. Designations are made to districts demonstrating an exceptionally high commitment and access to music education.
To be considered for the award, NAMM conducts an extensive review process to evaluate districts on a variety of factors— both in and outside the schools— from funding levels, participation, access to instruction, and minutes of instruction per grade level, to musical activities in and around the community. n