Cloquet teacher up for Teacher of the Year

Dave Perry, a teacher at the Cloquet Area Alternative Education program, is one of 131 nominees statewide for the 2023 Minnesota Teacher of the Year, Education Minnesota announced in January. Perry is the only Carlton County teacher to be nominated.

Perry, who teaches social studies and special education and helps coordinate the restorative practices program at the school, said helping students find their paths is a quality he has aspired to as an educator.

Perry was one of four teachers statewide to receive the Educator of Excellence Award last year from the Minnesota Rural Education Association and was featured in the Pine Knot News in December.

“Most of these kids who come here, they’re lost in some way,” the teacher said in that story. “I like to get to know a kid on their level. I treat every student as if (they) were my favorite.”

The Minnesota Teacher of the Year program recognizes public- and private school teachers from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, as well as early childhood family education and adult basic education.

A panel of leaders from fields including education, business, government and philanthropy will review the nominations over the next few weeks and select semifinalists, then meet again in March to narrow the group down to finalists. A winner will be announced on May 7 at the Minnesota Teacher of the Year banquet at the St. Paul RiverCentre.