- The finalists are (top row, left to right), David Adler, Josette (Kaleo) Akim Hanohano, Jessica Canyon, Susan Chew. (Second row, left to right) Claire Ann (Kalaunuola) Domingo, Steve Hanks, Judith (Elise) Hannigan, Christopher Justo. (Third row, left to right) Jodi Kadoyama, Emily Mendoza, Kristel Pigao, Dawn Spurrell-Robinson. (Bottom row, left to right) Courtney Suma, Kris Tajima, Kathleen Trifonovitch, Natsumi Yamasato.
HONOLULU — The Hawaiʻi State Department of Education (HIDOE) today named 15 complex area teachers of the year and one charter school teacher of the year as part of the 2026 Hawaiʻi State Teacher of the Year recognition.
“This year’s Teachers of the Year exemplify the profound impact our dedicated educators have in preparing our students to become globally competitive and locally committed,” Superintendent Keith Hayashi said. “Their commitment to fostering not just academic excellence, but also creativity, resilience, curiosity and critical thinking, is truly inspiring. We are honored to celebrate these individuals who are actively building a foundation for success for our students, our schools, and our state.”
The teachers of the year, in alphabetical order, are:
老师 | 综合区 | 学校 | 科目或年级 |
David Adler | 纳纳库利-瓦伊阿纳 | 纳纳库利小学 | 6th grade math and science |
Josette (Kaleo) Akim Hanohano | 卡胡库城堡 | 卡胡库高中级 | Modern History of Hawaiʻi and Hawaiian Language |
Jessica Canyon | 法灵顿-凯撒-卡拉尼 | 弗恩小学 | 五年级 |
Susan Chew | Hana-Lahainaluna-Lanaʻi-Molokaʻi | Lanai High and Elementary | 幼儿园 |
Claire Ann (Kalaunuola) Domingo | 公立特许学校 | Ke Kula oʻ Samuel M. Kamakau Laboratory Public Charter School | Kindergarten (Hawaiian immersion) |
Steve Hanks | 霍诺卡-凯阿拉克赫-科哈拉-科纳瓦埃纳 | Honoka‘a High & Intermediate | 11th and 12th grade math |
Judith (Elise) Hannigan | 卡乌-基奥-帕霍亚 | 基亚乌高中 | 英语 |
Christopher Justo | 雷莱华-米利拉尼-瓦阿卢阿 | 米利拉尼中学 | Agriculture |
Jodi Kadoyama | 珍珠城-怀帕胡 | 马纳纳小学 | 课程协调员 |
Emily Mendoza | 艾亚-莫阿纳鲁亚-拉德福 | 艾亚高中 | 烹饪艺术 |
Kristel Pigao | 鲍德温-凯考利克-库拉尼哈科伊-毛伊岛 | Waihe'e 小学 | 五年级 |
Dawn Spurrell-Robinson | 希洛-怀阿凯亚 | 希洛-怀阿基亚综合区 | PreK-6 |
Courtney Suma | 坎贝尔-卡波利 | 卡波雷高中 | Career Academy Coordinator |
Kris Tajima | 凯穆基-麦金利-罗斯福 | 考鲁韦拉小学 | English Learner Coordinator |
Kathleen Trifonovitch | 凯卢阿-卡拉赫奥 | 莫纳威利小学 | 四年级 |
Natsumi Yamasato | 卡帕亚-可爱岛-威美亚 | Wilcox Elementary | 干 |
In September, one teacher will be announced as the 2026 Hawaiʻi State Teacher of the Year and will go on to represent Hawaiʻi in the 全国年度教师计划该荣誉每年颁发给从 13,000 多名 HIDOE 教育工作者中选出的一名教师。