Name: Frances Shimote
Age: 49
Position: Teacher, Iliahi Elementary
Education: University of Hawaii-Manoa
Pastimes: Playing ukulele, singing, swimming

"The kids that I work with are very artistic and musically inclined," Shimote said. "I've got to build on their strengths. Otherwise, it's boring."

She often will have children make puppets for chapters in textbooks they read. "I make the learning meaningful for them," she said.

As a Title 1 lead teacher, Shimote assists teachers in helping students through the fourth grade who have low scores on the Stanford Achievement Test.

"She ... is a very caring and supportive instructional teacher," said Jane Serikaku, Iliahi principal.

Title 1 provides federal funds to schools in poor areas to improve teaching and learning.

Next year, because of Shimote, the Title 1 program will be expanding schoolwide. All teachers will learn to tutor the low-scoring students.

Shimote said there have been positive results from her team's efforts.

"In kindergarten and first grade, there is tremendous growth," she said. "We have kids that could barely read alphabets and now read words."

Shimote's work earned her recognition from the Hawaii State Teachers Association in April.

"The teachers really believe she is an outstanding representative of our outstanding teachers at the school," Serikaku said.