Eleven teachers have been named finalists for the Minnesota Teacher of the Year award, which is presented annually by Education Minnesota, the 70,000-member statewide teachers' union.

There were 101 Teacher of the Year candidates this year.

The finalists are:

• Cynthia Oppold, a math teacher at Hastings High School

• Amber Damm, an English/language arts teacher at Clara Barton Open School in Minneapolis

• Marcia Anderson, a math teacher at Owatonna High School

• Mary Ellen Wade, a special education teacher at A.I. Jedlicka Middle School in Proctor

• Catarina Alme, an English teacher at Century High School in Rochester

• Michael Olson, a third-grade teacher at Folwell Elementary School in Rochester

• Aaron Nelson, an 11th- and 12th-grade social studies teacher at Roseau Public School

• Tien Le, a kindergarten teacher at Adams Spanish Immersion School in St. Paul

• Thomas Bedard, an early childhood education teacher at Highland Early Childhood Family Education in St. Paul

• Jennifer Parker, a third- and fourth-grade teacher at Pilot Knob Elementary School in Eagan

• Luke Merchlewitz, a second-grade teacher at Washington-Kosciusko Elementary School in Winona

The Teacher of the Year will be announced at a banquet on May 3. The 2008 Minnesota Teacher of the Year was Derek Olson of the Stillwater School District.

EMILY JOHNS