St. Francis Middle School (SFMS) teacher Ted Gehring has been named a semifinalist for 2025 Minnesota Teacher of the Year, announced by Education Minnesota.
Gehring moved on from one of 142 candidates to be named one of 31 semifinalists.
“Mr. Gehring is a committed and passionate teacher,” said SFMS Principal Heidi Critchley. “He works diligently to meet the needs of his students by building relationships, analyzing data, developing effective instructional plans, and collaborating with others. Mr. Gehring is a student-centered educator with a commitment to excellence. He is innovative, creative, and dedicated to the teaching profession.”
Gehring currently teaches sixth graders in Minnesota Studies. He has been working in the district for 18 years - 13 at the middle school and five at St. Francis High School - and is very involved in leadership positions at the building, district and state level. At SFMS Gehring serves as a peer instructional coach and site chair.
"To be named one of the 31 semifinalists by an organization that continues to give our members so much is truly an honor," Gehring said. "As a semifinalist, we were asked to shoot a 2-3 minute video to a question prompt they provided. My video submission included many of the best practices that we do here in St. Francis Area Schools and at our middle school. Win or lose, I feel great knowing I work beside amazing colleagues that push themselves daily to offer our students the best education possible."
Last month he received the 2025 Minnesota Council for the Social Studies (MCSS) Middle School Social Studies Teacher of the Year award. He was also recognized by the St. Francis Area Schools School Board as the Saints Star Award winner for February.
About the program: This year’s program will name the 61st Minnesota Teacher of the Year. The program celebrates the tradition of excellence in teaching in Minnesota. Eligible candidates include pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade, Early Childhood Family Education and Adult Basic Education teachers, from public or private schools.
"Education Minnesota is our statewide union that serves more than 84,000 teachers across our state," Gehring said. "They offer top notch professional learning and leadership opportunities. They advocate at the state level for things that place our students first. Locally, they help our bargaining teams to reach settlements that value our: teachers, educational assistants, bus drivers, and nutrition services."
Selection process: An independent selection panel of leaders in the fields of education, business, government, nonprofit and philanthropy read candidates’ portfolios to narrow the list of candidates down to a group of semifinalists. In March, the panel will convene again and review additional materials from the semifinalists to choose a group of finalists. The Minnesota Teacher of the Year banquet is set for May 4 at the Saint Paul RiverCentre.