HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.R. NO.

60

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2004

  

STATE OF HAWAII

  
   

HOUSE RESOLUTION

 

CONGRATULATING rOBERT HU AS THE 2004 HAWAII STATE TEACHER OF THE YEAR, AND BETTY BRASK, DEWEY GOTTLIEB ii, SHARI KANESHIRO, PAMELA McMILLAN, MERLE OKABE, AND DONNA THERRIEN AS THE 2004 HAWAII STATE DISTRICT TEACHERS of the year.

 

WHEREAS, in light of the attention given to our public education system, it is always a pleasure and privilege of the House of Representatives to recognize those exceptional people who have taken on the great responsibility of educating our youth, and have achieved great success in doing so; and

WHEREAS, the son of a Chinese immigrant, ROBERT HU was inspired by his own public school teachers, and with the goal of challenging his students to take a positive approach to learning and problem solving, began teaching in 1965 at Pearl City Highlands Elementary and went on to teach at Mililani High School in 1988, and has been named the 2004 Hawaii Teacher of the Year; and

WHEREAS, BETTY BRASK has been teaching since 1978 with the philosophy of teaching to the level of the highest achieving students because every child will reach and stretch to a teacher's expectations, has taught on Maui since 1989, most recently at Kihei Elementary School, and has been named the 2004 Maui District Teacher of the Year; and

WHEREAS, DEWEY GOTTLIEB II has taught mathematics at Pearl City High School since 1994, is a 2003 Milken Family Foundation National Educator and the state's first National Board Certified teacher in math, works to develop the whole child instead of just the mathematician, and has been named the 2004 Leeward District Teacher of the Year; and

WHEREAS, Hokulani Elementary School's SHARI KANESHIRO has taught for over 10 years with the belief that an effective teacher is a lifelong learner, and has been named the 2004 Honolulu District Teacher of the Year; and

WHEREAS, PAMELA McMILLAN has taught language arts at Kauai High School since 1989 with the belief that teaching is a calling rather than just a profession, and has been named the 2004 Kauai District Teacher of the Year; and

WHEREAS, MERLE OKABE has taught on the Big Island since 1981 according to the philosophy that teachers can change the world, has taught at Keaau High School since 1999, and has been named the 2004 Hawaii District Teacher of the Year; and

WHEREAS, DONNA THERRIEN has taught in Hawaii since 1986 according to her principle that by building relationships with students, they are willing to go into unknown spaces of discovery and live up to the belief that they are the best, and has been named the 2004 Windward District Teacher of the Year for her recent work at Lanikai Elementary Public Charter School; and

WHEREAS, through their dedication and commitment to serve Hawaii's children, ROBERT HU, BETTY BRASK, DEWEY GOTTLIEB II, SHARI KANESHIRO, PAMELA McMILLAN, MERLE OKABE, and DONNA THERRIEN have proven themselves worthy of being honored as teachers and role models for our public school community; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2004, that this body hereby honors and commends ROBERT HU, BETTY BRASK, DEWEY GOTTLIEB II, SHARI KANESHIRO, PAMELA McMILLAN, MERLE OKABE, and DONNA THERRIEN for their outstanding accomplishments and contributions to public education in Hawaii, and extends them its sincere mahalo for a job well-done.

 

 
 

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title:

2004 Hawaii State Teacher of the Year and District Teachers of the Year