After 47 years working in education, she says ‘I will always be a teacher’
Posted: July 25, 2025
Ann Mahi, a lifelong educator who came out of retirement to serve as executive director of the Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association for the past three years, plans to retire from the union at the end of this month.
“I’ll be retired from working in a job, but I won’t be retired from working to make life better for kids in Hawaiʻi in some capacity,” said Mahi, who taught in the Hawaiʻi State Department of Education for 12 years, served as a HIDOE administrator for 30 years and spent two years working on education issues at the state Legislature before becoming HSTA’s executive director in 2022.
“I feel really good about leaving HSTA being able to say that this is a solid organization with strong relationships where we are collaborating, collegial and dedicated to our membership,” Mahi said.
“It’s a thriving organization and that’s one of the things I’m happy that I was able to be a part of,” she added.
HSTA Deputy Executive Director Andrea Eshelman will serve as the union’s interim executive director from Aug. 1 through Oct. 31.
During her time as executive director, Mahi worked hard to answer “the call for increased professional development, especially with the Class VIII secured during the last negotiations and, taking a look at what would be needed for us to bring affordable, high-quality, professional development to our members,” she said.
(Currently, more than 4,500 teachers are at Class VII and will begin moving to Class VIII this fall, which brings with it a 4% raise.)
She is proud of HSTA’s partnership with 2Revolutions and Spalding University, which are providing a cost-effective master’s degree program for HSTA members. The first cohort of 28 teachers graduated last year. A second cohort of 38 educators is enrolled in the master’s program now and will graduate in December. Plans are in place for a third cohort in 2026.
“It has been a fabulous professional development opportunity where HSTA members pay $11,500 for a master’s degree, which is unheard of in Hawaiʻi master of education programs. HSTA has been able to partner with Spalding University to provide that opportunity for our teachers. For many, securing that master’s degree is a great professional accomplishment that I think many young ones aspire to, and so many veteran teachers who couldn’t afford it, but always wanted it, can achieve,” Mahi added.
HSTA President Osa Tui, Jr. and fellow Castle High alum said of Mahi, “We were fortunate to have Ann join us. She was the right person at the right time to help clean up some of our administrative procedures and bring our members further affordable access to professional development.”
Tui added, “Mahalo for your service, Ann, and ‘Go Knights!’”
Mahi retired from the state education department in 2020 after eight years as complex area superintendent for the Nanakuli-Waianae Complex Area and 42 years in the public school system. When Mahi took over as HSTA’s executive director in 2022, she noticed a significant difference between her new job and her previous administrative positions at HIDOE.
“I was able to see the democratic process in practice, as it is much more evident at HSTA. Because you have to be cognizant of who we work for, understand how important it is know what their needs are, realize the many perspectives and connect those things to the organizational system itself that has to provide services and programs for them,” Mahi said.
She said she enjoyed “helping to support the development of the leaders in the schools. Working with staff to get better programs and training to organize, to get them to understand their responsibilities and outreach to engage all members.”
“Going to visit the SOYs (start of year conferences for teacher leaders) this year has been delightful because you can really see everybody coming together. Everyone is there for a reason and a purpose. The vision is so much clearer, the mission sets the purpose, and all are so willing to say, ‘I am a teacher leader,’” Mahi said.
While she said the three years heading HSTA’s staff and overseeing its operations have flown by, “It’s nice to be able to see the many positive changes happen. That is always something as an educator you want to see, whether it’s in your students, classroom and schools, at HSTA we are all here as an organization ‘United in the pursuit of excellence for Hawaiʻi’s public schools,’” referring to HSTA’s vision statement.
She said she will miss the daily interactions with HSTA staff and teacher leaders across Hawaiʻi.
“The people that you work with are valuable resources to you. And for me, that was really important,” she said.
“I got to see and hear so many different perspectives of what’s happening in the classroom, what’s happening in schools, how they have to work with administrators who may be new, and others who are veterans,” Mahi added.
After decades advocating for students and educators, retirement means a chance to relax a bit, she said.
“I think about how much we dedicate our lives to work and others. And then I realize at this point in my life that I’m going to need some time for myself,” Mahi said.
“It’s taking a look at doing things that I’ve always had on a ‘wish I could do’ bucket list. I’ll be doing some traveling to world destinations and favorite ones,” she said.
“Whether it’s joining my friends at yoga, tai chi, doing crafts and enjoying massages and movies. I think those are things that now open up for me,” said Mahi.
In retirement, she said she plans to continue her involvement on the boards of nonprofits that advocate for the keiki of Hawaiʻi.
Deborah Spencer-Chun, president and CEO of Adult Friends for Youth, called Mahi “a dedicated educator to the core and our dear friend who has graciously and quietly supported AFY, especially on the west side. When I think of her, I always think of the local pidgin phrase, ‘no sked ‘em, go get ‘em.’”
Among her many accomplishments, Mahi says she’s perhaps most proud that her daughter and granddaughter followed in her footsteps and both became teachers.
Her daughter, Elizabeth Shoopman, teaches 8th-grade science at Kaimuki Middle, where she has taught for 13 years. Her granddaughter Tiana Mahi will begin her second year teaching first grade at Koko Head Elementary when school resumes soon.
“No matter what, if you look at me, know that the core of who I am has always been and will always be a teacher. I think that made it easier for people to understand me as an administrator and just what my purpose is – working together to ensure that every child has a chance to succeed in life,” Mahi said.