BHS teacher among state Teacher of the Year candidates

Burnsville High School teacher Maggie Mayernik is among the 142 teachers nominated for the 2025 Minnesota Teacher of the Year award.

Mayernik teaches Marketing 1 and 2, Business and Marketing, Sports and Entertainment Marketing, and Entrepreneurship. She’s also an advisor for Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) at BHS. Mayernik was nominated for Teacher of the Year by her students.

“I, along with every one of my colleagues, became a teacher to make an impact. When a student acknowledges or takes the time to let me know that I am in fact making a difference in their lives, it means the world,” Mayernik said. “It is someone telling me I am fulfilling my purpose and I am not sure it gets much better than that.”

Presented by Education Minnesota, this year’s program will name the 61st Minnesota Teacher of the Year, celebrating 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.

Candidates were announced on Feb. 3. Semifinalists will be named in March and finalists will be selected in April by a panel of community leaders. The Minnesota Teacher of the Year banquet is set for May 4 at the Saint Paul RiverCentre.