Every community has a heartbeat, and in Moorhead, you can find it within the halls of our schools. On April 24, nominees for Teacher of the Year from each building were celebrated and the overall Teacher of the Year for the 2025-26 school year was announced.
For 62 years, Education Moorhead’s Teacher of the Year program has put a spotlight on those who do the heavy lifting in our classrooms. This year’s nominees all share a "relationships-first" philosophy:
Allie Bondy (MHS): A Moorhead native who prioritizes student trust and creating positive relationships as the foundation for learning.
Codi Fortin (Dorothy Dodds): A kindergarten expert dedicated to making a child’s very first school experience a joyful one.
Alicia Gulbranson (ALC): A 22-year veteran who has evolved from a math teacher into a mentor for the next generation of educators.
Ali Kirsch (Robert Asp): A music teacher who uses melody to teach kids that they belong to something bigger than themselves.
Kendra Routh (Probstfield): A speech-language pathologist who describes her approach as "social-emotional first."
Lindsey Schultz (S.G. Reinertsen): A 3rd-grade teacher and coach who believes a safe, loved student will always learn at a higher level.
Rachel Sternson (Horizon East): An EL specialist who finds the "sweet spot" where students are both challenged and successful.
Gayelynn Tunheim (Ellen Hopkins): A Special Education teacher who sees the daily perseverance of her students as the greatest reward of the job.
Our Teacher of the Year: Dan Dooher
The district’s highest honor was presented to Mr. Daniel Dooher, the Learning Resource Strategist at Horizon West.
Dan’s story is one of constant evolution. He is a 16-year veteran of the district, currently serving as the Learning Resource Strategist at Horizon West. After a decade of teaching 8th-grade English, he moved to the media center during the height of the pandemic, a challenge he met with a goal to get the entire school excited about reading.
It’s not just about the books, it’s about the environment Dan creates. Colleagues praise his extraordinary ability to inspire a love of reading, noting that his calm demeanor helps students feel they truly belong. Beyond the library shelves, he continues this mission of engagement as the co-host of the Road to Newbery podcast.
But Dan’s influence doesn’t stop at the library door. As a Cross Country and Nordic Ski coach, he teaches students that life, much like endurance sports, gives back exactly what you put into it. Whether he’s collaborating with local businesses for book fairs or supporting his colleagues through a tough week, Dan represents the very best of Moorhead.
The Spud spirit is alive and well, thanks to people like Dan and the incredible team surrounding him. Congratulations to all of the outstanding educators who were nominated this year!