Josh Watne has been honored as the 2025 Minnesota Rural Education Association Educator of Excellence in the North Zone. Watne, who now serves as the principal of Franklin Middle School in Thief River Falls, accepted the honor Sunday, Nov. 16 at the MREA Greater Education Summit in Brainerd.
“Mr. Watne has distinguished himself as a leader at Franklin Middle School,” said Superintendent Dr. Chris Mills. “He is an advocate for kids and staff that is driven by preparing our kids for their future. We are very fortunate to have him in our school district as an educator and leader.”
In his acceptance speech, Watne called the award a major honor made possible by those on whose shoulders he stands. He referred to Mr. Tri, Mr. Laidley, Mr. Almquist, Mrs. Brandt, Coach McLean, Mr. Zutz, Mrs. Reese, Coach Mumm, Mr. Reynolds and Coach Schuster – all of whom impacted his years as a student in the district. He also spoke of community members like Mike Barry, Jim Breiland and the Yaggie family, noting how they, too, impacted his life.
Watne noted that nearly every connection he has today was made possible through the district. He said he found a future because public education took him in.
Watne received the honor for his work as a seventh grade social studies teacher at FMS. He noted his work was noticed Lindsay Gregory, a school board member, which led to his honor.
When seventh graders walked into Watne’s classroom at FMS, they instantly felt acceptance, excitement and the kind of energy that told them something different was about to happen. Watne didn’t just teach history; he built a space where students felt seen, capable, and inspired to think deeply about the world around them.
A proud graduate of Lincoln High School, Watne’s story comes full circle in the same hallways that shaped him. As a student who grew up in poverty and didn’t have a name that “meant much” in town, he remembers the teachers who saw potential in him long before he saw it in himself. Their belief became the spark that brought him back home to give that same gift to today’s learners – especially those who need it most.
Watne quickly learned he couldn’t rely on notes and textbooks alone. Instead, he created a classroom built on experience. Students stepped into the past through immersive simulations and role-play, becoming abolitionists, freed people, political leaders, voters, and everyday citizens who shaped the course of history. They argued, debated, empathized, compromised, and thought on their feet. They discovered that history isn’t something you memorize – it’s something you do. And in the process, they developed the critical thinking skills and compassion that carried them far beyond seventh grade.
Students described his simulations as “amazing,” “fun,” and the best part of his class. Colleagues called him a teacher leader – someone whose passion elevates the entire building, from leading the house system to championing school culture and community.
For Watne, public schools are sacred places where connection and belonging thrive. “I get to work with 150 people and know them really well every year,” he said. “There aren’t many jobs like that.”
Watne is more than a social studies teacher; he is a catalyst for confidence, curiosity and community – an educator who changes lives the way his teachers once changed his.