Three Big Island educators named finalists for Hawai‘i State Teacher of the Year award

Three of the 15 finalists for Hawaiʻi State Teacher of the Year are from the Big Island.

The annual honor is presented to a teacher selected from more than 13,000 state educators.

“These outstanding educators have an unwavering dedication and passion for high-quality teaching and learning,” said Keith Hayashi, Hawai‘i Department of Education superintendent. “We are proud to recognize them as true embodiments of what it means to be an exceptional educator, and are grateful for the creative and innovative ways in which they engage their students, colleagues and communities on a daily basis.”

Hawai‘i Island teachers in the running for this year’s award are:

• Pinky Grace Francisco, an English Language Arts teacher from Ka‘ū High & Pahala Elementary.
• Jennifer Ilaban, English Language Arts from Kahakai Elementary
• Christopher Pike, fifth-grade teacher from Kapiolani Elementary

In October, one teacher will be announced as the 2024 Hawaiʻi State Teacher of the Year and will go on to represent Hawaiʻi in the National Teacher of the Year program. Click here for the full list of finalists.