District 833 educators Matt Karasek and Jennifer Thorne are among the candidates for Education Minnesota’s 2013 Teacher of the Year award.

Karasek, a teacher at East Ridge High School, and Thorne, a teacher at Middleton Elementary, are among 135 up for the honor. It’s the largest field of candidates since 2005, according to a release from Education Minnesota.

A 25-member panel will name a group of semifinalists and finalists before the winner is announced May 5 at a ceremony at the Marriott Minneapolis Northwest in Brooklyn Park.

The program, in its 49th year, receives support from Education Minnesota ESI, The Harvard Club of Minnesota Foundation, McDonald’s Restaurants of Minnesota, Marriott Minneapolis Northwest, Pearson Education, The SMARTer Kids Foundation, TruStone Financial and United Educators Credit Union.

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