Two Bloomington Public Schools teachers are nominated as candidates for the 2026 Minnesota Teacher of the Year program:

• Julia Moe, Language Arts (Jefferson High School)
• Ricardo Rivera, Industrial Technology (Kennedy High School)

The Minnesota Teacher of the Year program is organized by Education Minnesota. The program is the oldest and most prestigious recognition program to honor excellence in education.

There are 128 candidates this year. Over the next few weeks, an independent panel of leaders in the fields of education, business, government, nonprofit and philanthropy will narrow the list to a group of semifinalists, followed by a group of finalists in March. The 2026 Minnesota Teacher of the Year will be named in May and serve as an advocate and spokesperson for teachers statewide. 

Learn more about Teacher of the Year and see the full list of candidates.