The Milken Family Foundation National Educator Awards honor 100 educators each year across the country for their outstanding accomplishments, potential to contribute to the profession, and ability to inspire students, colleagues and the community. Candidates are nominated, without their knowledge, by a panel appointed by each state's education department.
2 Oahu teachers
each earn $25,000
national Milken awardPearl City High School students
appreciate the way that
Dewey Gottlieb applies math
to the real world
Dewey Gottlieb, a math teacher at Pearl City High School, cares about connecting with each of his students so much that he learned American Sign Language to reach the few who are deaf.
"Little things make a difference to kids," Gottlieb said, leis piled to his ears after winning a $25,000 Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award yesterday. "Kids want to know, does this guy really care about me?"
That devotion showed in the crush of colleagues and students throwing their arms around Gottlieb and blinking back tears with him when the award was announced at a school assembly.
"He's all heart," said student activities coordinator Margaret "Mike" Ishihara, Gottlieb's adviser when he was a student at the school. Now 34, the two-time student body president has been teaching at Pearl City High since 1994, inspired, he said, by his own teachers there.
"He shows a lot of initiative," said Principal Gerald Suyama. "He takes risks. The kids will do anything for him."
His students say Gottlieb breaks down tough concepts, from calculus to algebra, in ways they can understand, and is always ready to give extra help. His abilities helped earn him a 2002 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching and 2003 Leeward District Teacher of the Year.
"He makes you feel smart so you're not afraid to ask questions," said Grace Asperin, a senior taking trigonometry.
"Mr. G." manages to bring fun into calculus class, according to senior Tiffany Mina.
"He's really jolly," she said. "He pulls weird jokes on us."
DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Pearl City High School math teacher Dewey Gottlieb was congratulated by state school board member Shannon Ajifu yesterday after the announcement that he had won the Milken award.
Gottlieb tries to make his lessons relevant. He has students collect data and analyze it, and he brings in scientists and financial experts, for example, to show how math plays out in real life.
"You can sit here and move a decimal and punch numbers on a calculator all you want, but can you use it to make a decision in your life?" he said. "That's what I try to focus on. I'm not saying my class is a carnival every day -- it's not."
Until last summer, Gottlieb had been working weekends as a waiter to help support his family.
But when he became the state's first National Board Certified Teacher in Math, a boost in salary allowed him to drop that job. Now he has another $25,000 to make ends meet -- and maybe have some fun.
BACK TO TOP |
Described as strict, Elden Seta
gets maximum effort from
Moanalua students who
value his life lessons
At a time when electives can get short shrift as schools focus on academic basics, Elden Seta has built up Moanalua High School's music department into a magnet for students from all over the island, winning national recognition.
Yesterday, the music director got a taste of that acclaim himself when he was awarded a Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award, with a $25,000 cash prize, to the cheers of nearly 2,000 students packed into the school gym.
"Simply put, music is his life," said Sherwin Pang, student activities coordinator at Moanalua. "Elden is here every day. He's either with the kids or working on their marching formations. He stays late at night. He's here on weekends, holidays."
In Seta's 16 years at Moanalua, the number of students enrolled in the music department has grown by more than 40 percent to 765. Carnegie Hall called to invite his high school orchestra to perform in 1998. Seta has taken the marching band to one Orange Bowl and two Rose Bowl parades.
DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Moanalua High School band teacher Elden Seta told Principal Darrel Galera he was totally surprised at being the recipient of a $25,000 award from the Milken Family Foundation.
Next year, the Moanalua High Symphonic Wind Ensemble will represent the United States in the prestigious International Band Festival in Hamamatsu, Japan.
"He's really, really strict, but the reason is that he wants the best," said Asuka Spangler, a senior who plays clarinet in the ensemble. "At the time its frustrating, but it's really, really worth it."
His demanding approach hasn't lost him popularity. Three times, Moanalua students have selected Seta as Outstanding Teacher of the Year. Even after they graduate, Moanalua alumni continue in the band's booster club, and their parents keep sewing flags, delivering instruments and mending uniforms.
"When he asks for something, the students give him 110 percent, because he gives 110 percent," said Ron Spain, president of the school's Parent Teacher Student Association. "They do it because of respect for him."
A Pearl City High School and University of Hawaii graduate, Seta sets exacting standards in music, and personally shows students how to throw the flags and twirl the rifles. But just as important are the life lessons he tries to impart.
"My philosophy of teaching kids is not just the music and the subject matter," he said. "I turn to basic values: discipline, cooperation and respect. Kids need that more than ever now."
