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By Craig T. Kojima, Star-Bulletin
Waialua Elementary School now boasts three Milken Award winners:
Principal Sharon Nakagawa, left, won in 1992, and teachers Cynthia
Hagino, this year, and Aimee Kumura, in 1994.

Three Oahu teachers
win national award

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Star-Bulletin staff

Three Oahu elementary school teachers were honored as recipients of this year's $25,000 Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award.

Kanoelani Elementary School fourth-grade teacher Alison Tanaka and Waialua Elementary media and technology teacher Cynthia Hagino were surprised during school assemblies yesterday by state schools Superintendent Paul LeMahieu.

By Craig T. Kojima, Star-Bulletin
Hagino gets a lei from a student yesterday. The 13-year teacher is
said to be "constantly looking for ways to motivate her students."

A third teacher, Linda Morikone of Noelani Elementary School, received her award at an assembly today. Morikone is the media/technology and gifted and talented teacher at the Manoa school. She is the current Honolulu District Teacher of the Year.

Hagino, a teacher for 13 years, was the 1998 Central District Teacher of the Year.

In 1992 she accepted the computer technology teaching position at Waialua, along the way showing teachers how to use computers in their lessons and children how to use them.

Tanaka has been a teacher for 17 years and is described by a parent as a caring teacher who would find the weaknesses of each individual child and help them, taking time to do so after school.

Winning teachers can do whatever they want with the money. Hawaii's recipients will also be honored at a Nov. 18 luncheon and will attend the National Educator Awards events in Los Angeles next summer.