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Honolulu Kindergarten Teacher Scores Big with National $25,000 Milken Educator Award

Kalihi Uka Elementary School's Kristy Inamasu surprised with Hawaii's sole 2024-25 Milken Educator Award

January 28, 2025

Santa Monica, Calif. — This morning, students, staff, dignitaries and media gathered at Kalihi Uka Elementary School to celebrate the school's rising test scores and academic growth with Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke and State Superintendent of Education Keith Hayashi. Then, in a surprising turn of events, Milken Educator Awards Senior Vice President Dr. Jane Foley took to the stage, offering another reason for celebration: one of the best teachers in the country is at Kalihi Uka! In a flurry of excitement and cheers, Dr. Foley announces Hawaii’s sole 2024-25 Milken Educator Award recipient: Kindergarten teacher Kristy Inamasu. 

"Kristy Inamasu is nurturing and inspiring the minds of her young students and fellow educators across the Aloha State," said Dr. Foley, who is a 1994 Indiana Milken Educator herself. "Kristy's enthusiasm to make a daily, tangible impact in her classroom and school is commendable. Thank you, Kristy, for your exemplary dedication to the profession. The Milken Educator Network will benefit from your contributions and commitment to advancing teaching and learning." 

Today, Inamasu joins a national network of over 3,000 Milken Educators spanning the Awards' nearly 40-year history as the nation’s preeminent teacher-recognition program. Hailed as the "Oscars of Teaching," the Milken Educator Awards inspire educators, students and entire communities to "Celebrate, Elevate and Activate" the K-12 teaching profession and encourage young, capable people to pursue teaching as a career. More than $75 million in individual financial prizes and more than $145 million have been invested in the Milken Educator Award national network overall. 

"Kristy is an exceptional educator who cultivates critical thinking skills, communication, self-awareness and empathy in her kindergarteners, giving them the foundational learning qualities needed for future success," Superintendent Keith Hayashi said. "Her collaborative work with her fellow teachers has also guided institutional decision-making to the benefit of the entire school, helping all of Kalihi Uka's students to rise together. Her classroom serves as a model for new teachers entering the profession and we are very lucky to have an outstanding teacher like her leading the way." 

Outstanding educators like Inamasu are not aware of their candidacy for the Award. Recipients are sought out while early- to mid-career for what they have achieved — and for the promise of what they will accomplish given the resources and opportunities afforded by the Award. Inamasu is the 83^rd recipient in the Aloha State since Hawaii joined the Milken Educator Awards in 1990. 

More About Kristy Inamasu 

Early Engagement: In her kindergarten classroom at Kalihi Uka Elementary School, Kristy Inamasu's students are rewarded for courageous learning, not just memorizing the right answers. Inamasu encourages all children to fully engage in the classroom by sharing their thoughts and ideas, participating in group work, and taking ownership of their academic responsibilities. Leading by example, she was one of the first teachers at the school to video herself teaching a lesson and share it with her colleagues as a teaching tool. Her willingness to be an example inspired other teachers and has contributed to a strong culture of learning at Kalihi Uka. 

Consistent Results: Inamasu's efforts to promote critical thinking, accountability, and respect and understanding for others have paid off for her students. They achieve significant growth in reading and math and exceed academic goals year after year. 

Established Leadership: Inamasu initially joined Kalihi Uka as a part-time teacher, and has since served as the school's primary school adjustment program coordinator, provided ESL student support, and taught kindergarten and first grade. She is a steady presence in her students' lives and mentors colleagues when they need a helping hand in their classrooms. Her leadership at the school is exemplified through her varied roles as a member of the Instructional Leadership Team and School Community Council, and a presenter to colleagues in the district on "Learning Intentions and Success Criteria" for young students. Her classroom serves as a destination for training and observation by new and veteran teachers, administrators, and student teachers throughout the school, complex and state who are eager to learn new ways of teaching that encourage a love of learning. 

Education: Inamasu is a graduate of Chaminade University, where she played collegiate volleyball. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in psychology in 2012 and a Master of Arts in teaching, with a concentration in elementary education, in 2014. 

The Milken Educator Award Reaps Lifelong Benefits 

• The $25,000 cash Award is unrestricted. Recipients have used the money in diverse ways. Some recipients have spent the funds on their children's or their own continuing education, financing dream field trips, establishing scholarships, and even adopting children.
• Honorees receive powerful mentorship opportunities for expanded leadership roles that strengthen education practice and policy. Milken Friends Forever (MFF) pairs a new recipient with a veteran Milken Educator mentor; the Expanding MFF Resource and Explorer Program fosters individual veteran Milken Educator partnerships around specific topic areas; and Activating Milken Educators promotes group collaboration in and across states to bring solutions to pressing educational needs.
• The honorees attend an all-expenses-paid Milken Educator Awards Forum in Los Angeles in April, where they will network with their new colleagues as well as veteran Milken Educators and other education leaders about how to broaden their impact on K-12 education.
• Veteran Milken Educators demonstrate a wide range of leadership roles at state, national and international levels. 

Follow the Milken Educator Awards tour and use the #MEA3K and #MilkenAward hashtags on: Facebook (MilkenEducatorAwards)| X (Milken)| YouTube (MilkenAward)| Instagram (MilkenFamilyFdn)| LinkedIn (MilkenFamilyFdn)| TikTok (MilkenAward).

Visit MilkenEducatorAwards.org or call the Milken Family Foundation at (310) 570-4772 for more information.

About the Milken Educator Awards: "The Future Belongs to the Educated"
The first Milken Educator Awards were presented by the Milken Family Foundation in 1987. Created by philanthropist and education visionary Lowell Milken, the Awards provide public recognition and individual financial rewards of $25,000 to K-12 teachers, principals, and specialists from around the country who are furthering excellence in education. Recipients are heralded in early- to mid-career for what they have achieved and for the promise of what they will accomplish. The Milken Family Foundation celebrates more than 40 years of elevating education in America and around the world. Learn more at MFF.org.

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