Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Albert Lea Area Schools on Wednesday announced the finalists for this year’s Teacher of the Year Award.

Finalists are the following:

• Jenni Braaten, social worker for the Area Learning Center and Albert Lea High School
• Lisa Dugger, licensed school nurse 
• Burke Enger, who works in technology at Southwest Middle School
• Kevin Gentz, math teacher at the high school
• Amber Jensen, third-grade teacher at Sibley Elementary School

The Teacher of the Year will be named in a ceremony April 7 outdoors at the Hammer Field Complex.

The event acknowledges all school district finalists and concludes with the Teacher of the Year Award from the Albert Lea Education Association and the Apple Award presented by the Albert Lea-Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce.