A Grand Rapids educator has advanced to the semifinal round for Minnesota Teacher of the Year.
Jinnea Zenzen, a social studies teacher who also mentors the student council and the Renaissance Club, is among 30 semifinalists chosen from an initial pool of 128 candidates.
According to the Grand Rapids school district site, Zenzen serves as a social studies teacher and adviser to student groups.
No other teachers from Northland appear on the semifinal list.
In March, a panel will re-evaluate the semifinalists’ portfolios and review their semifinalist video submissions. From this process, 10 finalists will be named. The current Minnesota Teacher of the Year, Linda Wallenberg, is set to announce her successor at the Minnesota Teacher of the Year banquet on May 3 in St. Paul.
Education Minnesota, the state teachers’ union, is the organization that hosts the awards program.
