 11 teachers from across the state have been named finalists in the 2017 Minnesota Teacher of the Year program. An independent selection panel of 23 leaders in the areas of education, business, government, and non-profits selected the finalists from a group of 37 semifinalists. None of the finalists are from the Lakeland viewing area. In all, there were 132 Teacher of the Year candidates for this program year. The winner of the 2017 Teacher of the Year award will be announced on May 7th. If you've enjoyed this segment of Lakeland News, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Lakeland Public Television.