Today, Education Minnesota released the top-9 finalists for the Minnesota Teacher of the Year award for 2021, and while all teachers should really be recognized after another wild year in and out of the classrooms due to COVID, the top-9 was chosen, and two of the top-9 are from right here in Southern Minnesota. One teacher teaches high school students in Medford, the other teaches high school students in Rochester at Century.

Medford's Top Teacher

Medford's Kim Marty–Goblirsch teaches language arts at Medford.

Med-City's Top Teacher

Natalia Benjamin teaches at Century High School, EL and ethnic studies.

According to the press release from Education Minnesota;

"An independent selection panel of 24 leaders in the areas of education, business, government and nonprofits selected the finalists from a group of 25 semifinalists. There were 75 Teacher of the Year candidates for this program year.

The selection panel is tentatively scheduled to meet in June to conduct individual interviews with each of the nine finalists and to cast votes for the 2021 Minnesota Teacher of the Year."

The remaining 7 other teachers up for the top teaching award in Minnesota are:

Layne Bell - Hopkins High School
Todd Hunter - Anoka High School
Eugenia Popa - Harding Senior High School
France Roberts - Meadow Ridge Elementary School
Sandra Stephens - Nuevas Fronteras Spanish Immersion
Jessica Stewart - Osseo Senior High School
Lauren Wheeler - Thomas Edison High School

The winner will be announced at a banquet that has been rescheduled to a date TBD due to the ongoing pandemic.

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