MREA

Thank you to all leaders who are advocating for rural education in Washington DC this week, especially our Minnesota crew!

What a great article on some of the incredible educators in rural Minnesota!

Land Minds: Nation's best rural teachers call MN home For an unprecedented third consecutive year, the National Rural Teacher of the Year hails from Minnesota. Jeff Granrud of Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted follows previous winners from Grand Marais and Morris as

Congratulations to you, Jeff! You’re such an incredible representation of rural Minnesota education.

CONGRATULATIONS, Jeff Granrud, our 2025 National Rural Teacher of the Year! He’s a math teacher from Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted Schools in Howard Lake, MN. Thank you for being a champion for rural students. And a special THANK YOU to Discovery Education for sponsoring!

We are so proud of you, Jeff!

Meet Jeff Granrud, our 2025 National Rural Teacher of the Year. He’s a math teacher from Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted Schools in Howard Lake, MN. Thanks for being a champion for rural students. We are honored to celebrate you at the 2025 !

Minnesota Rural Education Association (MREA), along with the National Rural Education Association, are thrilled to announce and introduce the 2025 National Rural Teacher of the Year - Minnesota's very own Jeff Granrud! Jeff, a math teacher at Howard Lake Waverly Winsted High School, was a 2024 MREA Educator of Excellence.

For the third year in a row, a Minnesota rural educator has earned this prestigious national honor—a true three-peat! In 2023, Jenny Maras of Morris Area School District was named NREA’s National Rural Teacher of the Year, followed by Melissa Oberg of Cook County Isd166 & Community Education in 2024. Now, for the third consecutive year, Minnesota educators continue to shine. MREA is proud to elevate and celebrate these outstanding leaders who inspire and impact rural education.

Meet Jeff and watch his inspiring 3-minute feature video here: https://mreavoice.org/jeff-granrud-2025-national-rural-teacher-of-the-year/

Minnesota Department of Education Rural Schools Collaborative

Congratulations to MREA member Moorhead Area Public Schools' Dr. Kristin Dehmer on earning the Richard Green Scholar Award from Minnesota Association of School Administrators - MASA.

Dr. Kristin Dehmer, Assistant Superintendent of Business and Administrative Services for Moorhead Area Public Schools, will present her research, “The Relationship Between Mentorship, Career Pathways and Success in the Superintendency: A Comparative Study of Men and Women Educational Leaders in Minnesota,” at the 2025 MASA Fall Conference, September 28–30, at the DECC in Duluth, MN.

MASA established the Richard Green Scholars Program in 2006 to honor the scholarly work and professional development of Minnesota school leaders. The program is an annual recognition of the research, writing, and presentation of a paper reflecting the practice of excellent school leadership. Scholar candidates apply for the program, and a subcommittee of the MASA Executive Development Committee selects the recipient.

MREA is now accepting applications for the Operations Director position. Join the voice of Greater MN education.

Learn more and apply at

MREA Opens Operations Director Applications MREA Opens Operations Director Applications