Our Distinguished Educator Program provides outstanding veteran teachers an opportunity to develop innovative projects and enhance their instructional practices in alignment with the high expectations for the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards.

Minnetonka teachers interested in being candidates for the Distinguished Educator Program must be licensed teachers who have achieved tenure in the Minnetonka Public Schools, and have a minimum of five years of teaching experience, at least three of these years with Minnetonka.

This program is open to all members of the Minnetonka teacher unit, from early childhood through high school, and includes both classroom teachers and other specialists who work with children.

Candidates should be educators who have an exceptional performance record, and are viewed as strong educators by colleagues, students, parents, and administration. Candidates will participate in a rigorous three-year program that will give them opportunities to:

• Help already strong educators to conform to best practices and standards from the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards
• Participate in the national certification process or develop innovative projects that are aligned with the district’s strategic plan if an area of certification is not available for your area of expertise
• Complete a portfolio and/or components that provide educators the opportunity to self-study their teaching practices.
• Engage in meaningful cohort conversations about their craft

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The National Board Certified Teacher program is a rigorous professional growth and evaluation program dedicated to identifying and recognizing highly accomplished teachers in America.

While state licensure sets minimum standards for novice teachers, the National Board Certification program sets high standards for excellence among experienced teachers. The extensive evaluation process requires a teacher to pass written exams, submit video examples of their class and their teaching, and present a portfolio of their work. The process often takes more than a year to complete.

Our district encourages experienced and highly qualified teachers to pursue this outstanding professional growth opportunity. We are proud to have 37 National Board Certified Teachers on staff.

National Board Certified Teachers

Amanda Aiken, Minnetonka High School

Colleen Batz, Groveland Elementary

Jeffrey Beckstrom, Minnewashta Elementary

Nicole Berwanger, Minnetonka Middle School East

Tarah Cummings, District Service Center

Joy Curran, Minnewashta Elementary

Mike Cutshall, Minnetonka High School

Suzanne Cutshall, Groveland Elementary

Diane Daniels, Scenic Heights Elementary

Niki Danou, Groveland Elementary

Cheryl Duncan, Minnetonka High School

Clinton Fenner, Minnetonka High School

Kim Folkers, Minnetonka Middle School East

Brent Frank, Groveland Elementary

Monica Hahn, Groveland Elementary

Kim Hoehne, Minnetonka High School

Sean Holmes, Minnetonka High School

Dawn Johnson, Clear Springs Elementary

Sonia Labs, Minnetonka High School

Kathryn Larson, Minnewashta Elementary

Andy Lundheim, Clear Springs Elementary

Melanie Mozingo, Minnetonka High School

Julie Jo Nawrocki, Scenic Heights Elementary

Kelly Pederson, Excelsior Elementary School

Anelise Peterson, Deephaven Elementary School

Jessica Ronk, Minnetonka High School

Margaret Ruffino, Minnetonka Middle School West

Dr. Tim Sauer, Minnetonka High School

Anna Schoeneberger, Minnetonka Middle School East

Kimberly Smith, Minnetonka Middle School East

Nicole Snedden, District Service Center

Ursula Speedling, Groveland Elementary

David Surver, Minnetonka High School

Jenny VanAalsburg, Minnewashta Elementary

Gwynneth Wacker, Minnetonka High School

Kelli Whiteside, Deephaven Elementary

Amanda Zamilpa, Minnewashta Elementary

Merlin Zimmerman, Minnetonka High School