Veteran Kalani High School math and computer science teacher Michael Ida was named the 2023 Hawaiʻi State Teacher of the Year.
Ida received the award from Gov. David Ige and Superintendent Keith Hayashi in a ceremony held at Washington Place. The honor is presented annually to a teacher selected from more than 12,500 educators within the Hawaiʻi State Department of Education. Ida was selected from among the 16 Teachers of the Year representing 15 complex areas and public charter schools.
In a statement Superintendent Keith Hayashi said, “Mike has been a pillar of Kalani High’s math department for nearly three decades and his passion for teaching has not only guided thousands of students toward success, but he continually strives to lift his fellow teachers in their important work and support them as future leaders. His service and his dedication to helping everyone around him achieve higher levels of excellence is truly inspiring and we salute his outstanding leadership and achievements.”
Ida is a National Board Certified Teacher and holds a master’s degree and doctorate 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. He is also an alumnus of the Hawaiʻi State Teacher Fellows program.
He is described by peers as a lifelong learner who is committed to serving the needs and interests of students. For example, after observing robotics team students struggling with writing the code to power their machines, Ida helped launch the computer science program at Kalani to provide project-based learning with real-world applications for students. The program started with two introductory sections and has since expanded to include two Advanced Placement offerings and an affiliated computer science club, and has maintained strong interest and enrollment each year.
Ida will represent Hawaiʻi in the National Teacher of the Year program. A national winner will be named in the spring.
Photo Credit: State of Hawaiʻi Department of Education