HR213

WHEREAS, MICHAEL IDA was recently named the 2023 Hawai‘i State Teacher of the Year; and

WHEREAS, a National Board-Certified Teacher, MICHAEL IDA holds a master's and doctorate degree in applied mathematics from Northwestern University, a master's degree in secondary education from Boston College, and an undergraduate degree in applied mathematics from the California Institute of Technology; and

WHEREAS, MICHAEL IDA has been a teacher at Kalani High School for nearly three decades; he is committed to serving the needs and interests of the school community by assisting in the launch of the computer science program and providing innovative technology-related professional development sessions to faculty; and

WHEREAS, an alumnus of the Hawai‘i State Teacher Fellows program, MICHAEL IDA is committed to uplifting the teaching profession by supporting fellow teachers to be leaders and agents of change; he is a member of the Hawai‘i Department of Education's Hawai‘i Teacher Leader Academy and serves on the leadership teams of the Hawai‘i Council of Teachers of Mathematics and Hawai‘i Chapter of the Computer Science Teachers Association; and

WHEREAS, distinguished by his extraordinary teaching career and well-deserved merits, MICHAEL IDA is held in high regard by his school community as the epitome of a selfless servant leader; and

WHEREAS, NUIKALĀ KOERTE was recently named the 2023 Teacher of the Year for the Leeward District Nānākuli-Wai‘anae Complex; and

WHEREAS, NUIKALĀ KOERTE has been a dedicated early educator for over two decades, eight of which she has served as a kindergarten and first grade teacher at Wai‘anae Elementary School; she began her educational journey by earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa and Masters of Education degree with an emphasis in Child Development from Chaminade University of Honolulu; and

WHEREAS, a proud Native Hawaiian educator, NUIKALĀ KOERTE looks to indigenous knowledge to guide her teaching and educates with a child-first focus; she cites the ‘ōlelo no‘eau, ‘A‘ohe pau ka ‘ike i ka hālau ho‘okahi, as an invaluable cultural principle that acknowledges that one can learn from many sources and believes cultural traditions and methods that turn to nature and community as resources can yield valuable lessons; and

WHEREAS, constantly caring for the social and emotional needs of her students, NUIKALĀ KOERTE created a student-friendly website to help those feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or in need of a brain break to nurture their personal development and is most proud of the hands-on learning experiences that she has established with community partners Papahana Kuaola and Mālama Loko Ea, whose support provides her students with experiences in ‘āina-based learning and working firsthand in lo‘i kalo and loko i‘a; and

WHEREAS, LEEANN MANUEL was recently named the 2023 Teacher of the Year for the Leeward District Campbell-Kapolei Complex; and

WHEREAS, licensed as a math and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages instructor, LEEANN MANUEL began her teaching career as a math teacher, curriculum coach, and OC16 teacher at Wai‘anae High School and transitioned to ‘Ewa Makai Middle School in 2016; and

WHEREAS, LEEANN MANUEL has been the induction and mentoring lead at ‘Ewa Makai Middle School for the past six years and currently serves as the curriculum coach for math, English language arts, and social studies; and

WHEREAS, an exceptional educator, LEEANN MANUEL is committed to furthering educational resources within ‘Ewa Makai Middle School and has been an AVID program staff developer for the past nine years, aiming to close the achievement gap and increase the college-going rate for students from low-income and minority families; she also utilizes Smarter Balanced Assessments math and creates lessons and activities for Tools for Teachers as a State Network of Educators Smarter Balance teacher; and

WHEREAS, KEEVAN MATSUMOTO was recently named the 2023 Teacher of the Year for the Honolulu District Kaimukī-McKinley-Roosevelt Complex; and

WHEREAS, as a Konawaena graduate and second-generation special education teacher, KEEVAN MATSUMOTO understands the value of a quality public school education and followed in the footsteps of his mother, a Konawaena High School teacher for 34 years, specializing in students with moderate to profound disabilities, who inspired him to pursue a career in education; and

WHEREAS, KEEVAN MATSUMOTO received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Finance and Human Resources Management from the University of Hawai‘i College of Business Administration, Masters of Human Resources Management degree from the University of Hawai‘i College of Business Administration, Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Special Education from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa College of Education, and Master's degree from the University of Hawai‘i Shidler College of Business; he is also a National Board Certified Teacher and the Founder and President of the non-profit Kaimukī Youth Development Organization that provides vocational and community engagement opportunities for children with disabilities; and

WHEREAS, currently the Special Education Student Services Coordinator at Kaimukī High School, KEEVAN MATSUMOTO is committed to the success and personal growth of his students, with a focus on supporting students beyond the classroom; he is also the school's head of delegation and the head coach for the Special Olympics team, for which he was awarded the Outstanding School Delegation award by Special Olympics Hawai‘i; and

WHEREAS, DAPHNE OKUNAGA was recently named the 2023 Teacher of the Year for the Leeward District Pearl City-Waipahu Complex; and

WHEREAS, DAPHNE OKUNAGA began her remarkable educational journey by earning a Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, in Business Administration from Oregon State University, Master of Business Administration degree, summa cum laude, from Hawai‘i Pacific University, and Master of Education degree, summa cum laude, from the University of Phoenix and is certified in secondary mathematics; and

WHEREAS, DAPHNE OKUNAGA strives for excellence in all that she pursues and has been a dedicated educator at her alma mater, Pearl City High School, for the past 18 years, serving in numerous positions, such as a math and business teacher, mathematics department chairperson, school community council chairperson, International Business and Design Academy lead teacher, Introduction to College Mathematics state trainer, graduation coordinator, class advisor, and assistant football and soccer coach; and

WHEREAS, DAPHNE OKUNAGA has also served in numerous leadership positions, including as a former Hawai‘i State Teacher Fellow, Hawai‘i representative for the Smarter Balanced Performance and Practice Committee, and member of the Patsy T. Mink Leadership Alliance; and

WHEREAS, in recognition of her outstanding accomplishments, DAPHNE OKUNAGA received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching in 2017, Hawaii Education Association's Centennial Award in 2022, and National Career Academy Coalition's Career Academy Teacher of the Year award in 2022; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-second Legislature of the State of Hawai‘i, Regular Session of 2023, that this body hereby congratulates MICHAEL IDA, NUIKALĀ KOERTE, LEEANN MANUEL, KEEVAN MATSUMOTO, and DAPHNE OKUNAGA for their outstanding accomplishments and much-deserved recognition as 2023 Teachers of the Year, and extends to them its warmest aloha and best wishes for continued success in all their future endeavors.

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:

2023 Hawaii State Teacher of the Year; 2023 Teachers of the Year for the Leeward and Honolulu District School Complexes

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	213
THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2023
STATE OF HAWAII