St. Louis Park educator David Davis is 2026 Minnesota Teacher of the Year

David Davis, an instrumental and general music teacher at Park Spanish Immersion Elementary in St. Louis Park, has been named the 2026 Minnesota Teacher of the Year by Education Minnesota. This recognition places him among the most celebrated educators in the state.

He is the 62nd recipient of the prestigious award and the second from St. Louis Park Public Schools to be named Minnesota Teacher of the Year. At Park Spanish Immersion Elementary, Davis teaches music to students in kindergarten through fifth grade, designing a curriculum that emphasizes student voice, creativity, and cultural responsiveness.

Davis is completing a graduate certificate in Change Leadership at The College of St. Scholastica this spring. His commitment to ongoing learning reflects the College’s mission of empowering educators who lead with purpose. “A major issue in public education is that students often have too little ownership over their own learning,” Davis said of his teaching philosophy. “The future of public education can be meaningful, relevant and joyful when we trust students’ inherent brilliance, creativity and intrinsic motivation.”

The St. Scholastica connection doesn’t end with Davis. Jess Davis (no relation), the 2019 Minnesota Teacher of the Year, is currently pursuing a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership at the College and wrote in support of his nomination: “David is, quite literally, a living monument to change in both mindset and practice. He has been open about the ways his perspectives have evolved and uses that growth to build learning spaces where students see themselves as artists, thinkers and collaborators.”

You can read the full press release on Education Minnesota’s website.