HSTA’s teaching excellence award seeks nominations by Jan. 15, 2024
Updated: December 7, 2023
About Stacy Nishina and the S.T.A.C.Y. Award
The late Stacy Nishina was a public school teacher, longtime HSTA staff member, and tireless advocate for improving the professional lives of teachers. She was a leader in supporting the growth and development of HSTA members as professionals. She created a network of support for Hawaiʻi teachers wanting to earn their National Board Certification and worked tirelessly to provide professional development opportunities to help teachers earn reclassification credits, become leaders among their peers as instructors, and raise the level of excellence in their classrooms. She was also a key supporter of HSTA state candidates for the NEA Foundation Awards for Teaching Excellence.
The HSTA established the S.T.A.C.Y. award in honor of Stacy Nishina, and it remains the union’s top honor bestowed upon educators.
Each year, a winner is chosen based on his or her ability to demonstrate leadership, dedication, and passion in five categories that also celebrate Stacy’s life and legacy: Scholarship, Teaching, Advocacy, Community, and Youth.
The HSTA provides up to $1,000 to the honoree to purchase classroom tools, furniture, and equipment. The winner then represents HSTA as a nominee for the NEA Foundation’s Horace Mann Award for Teaching Excellence and NEA Member Benefits Award. These prestigious national awards recognize, reward, and promote excellence among members in teaching and advocacy for the profession and public education.
In this video, former Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association state vice president Joan Lewis reflects on the origin of the S.T.A.C.Y. Award and the legacy of beloved educator and union advocate Stacy Nishina.
The nomination process
Peer nominations are due Jan. 15, 2024. Nominators are encouraged to notify the nominee ahead of time so that nominees can prepare responses and gather all materials for submission (refer to Nominee follow-up below).
Nominees will be judged on the following criteria:
- Scholarship: Engagement in experiences to improve their own practice and commitment to use one’s own professional development to positively impact the profession as a teacher, as a member of the school community, and as a member of the larger community.
- Teaching: Demonstration of instructional expertise, leadership, creativity, and innovation that effectively addresses students’ different learning styles and needs.
- Advocacy: Advancement of the teaching profession, public education and public school students as an active and vocal union member and union leader.
- Community: Interaction with parents and other community members regarding substantive education issues and the opportunities to connect the community to the classroom.
- Youth: Development of a learning environment that appropriately supports the diversity of strengths and needs of all students through curriculum, instruction, climate setting and interaction.
Nominee follow-up
After the nomination window closes, nominees will be contacted by email to provide supporting materials and answer the following questions:
- How have you demonstrated improvement of your own practice and commitment to use your own professional development to positively impact the profession as a teacher, as a member of the school community and as a member of the larger community?
- How have you demonstrated instructional expertise, leadership, creativity and innovation that effectively addresses students’ different learning styles and needs?
- How have you contributed to the advancement of the teaching profession, public education and public school students as an active and vocal union member and union leader? [Please be specific as to how you have used union experiences to advance the teaching profession]
- How have you interacted with parents and other community members regarding substantive education issues and the opportunities to connect the community to the classroom?
- How have you developed a learning environment that appropriately supports the diversity of strengths and needs of all students through curriculum, instruction, climate setting and interaction?
Past S.T.A.C.Y. Award winners
2024: Hope McKeen, Keonepoko Elementary Hawaiian studies teacher
Hope embodies the STACY Award’s key values in her work with over 600 students, her HSTA colleagues, and in her community. Hope is an 18 year veteran and as a Hawaiian studies teacher, believes it’s everyone’s kuleana to know about and take care of Hawaiʻi. Hope is meticulous in instilling in her students a deep and abiding appreciation for the unique paradise they call home. She endeavors to help her students see that they learn not only from textbooks but from one another, weaving together the rich tapestry of our shared humanity. Hope said, “It just makes me happy to see them (her students) be successful. And really, when they say thank you for giving them that sense of kuleana is really important…Even the ones that do come back and say mahalo for that, really, really does make the difference.”
2023: Daphna Ehrenhalt, Keaʻau Elementary School fifth-grade inclusion teacher
Daphna exemplifies the S.T.A.C.Y. award both in the classroom, teaching fifth grade inclusion by differentiating instruction based on students’ needs, and outside the classroom by advocating for their colleagues and community. Daphna is a fierce advocate of the LGBTQ+ community and constantly works to ensure youth are seen, heard, and understood. Daphna also fosters positive relationships throughout her school and community, bridging together like minds so they can connect and grow together. At Daphna’s request, the HSTA gave her school her award money to buy a professional shave ice machine for student fun days and fundraisers.
2022: Zachary Morita, Niu Valley Middle School music teacher
A passionate music educator, Zachary embodies the S.T.A.C.Y. award by innovating his instruction with his students, particularly by finding opportunities for them to perform locally and abroad. He is the founder of the Hawaiʻi Youth Percussion Ensemble, a nonprofit through which he’s been able to provide opportunities for students to travel, perform, and work with well-known musicians and conductors. He’s also a staunch supporter of his union and his fellow teacher colleagues. The HSTA purchased music equipment for his classroom.
2021: Sarah “Mili” Milianta-Laffin, ʻIlima Intermediate School STEM teacher
Mili lives the values of the S.T.A.C.Y. award every day as a STEM educator, always looking for fresh ways to keep her students engaged with real-life lessons. She’s an active union member who champions legislative changes that promote improved working conditions for teachers and learning conditions for students. Mili serves as her school’s gender-sexuality alliance adviser, as well as policy director for GLSEN Hawaiʻi, remaining a strong ally and supporter of the LGBTQ+ community. The HSTA purchased Mili large and small rolling whiteboards, chart tablets and markers for her classroom.
Additional winners: Raechelle Villanueva (2020), Diane Mokuau (2019), Cynthia Tong (2018), Michael Kline (2017), Logan Okita (2016)