Waiakea High School mathematics teacher Rory Inouye and Kawananakoa Middle School educator Jade Pham both received awards from the Milken Educator program, also known as the “Oscars of Teaching,” according to a news release. 

The Milken Educator Award recognizes exceptional teachers and comes with an unrestricted $25,000 cash prize. The Milken Family Foundation launched the awards program in 1987.

An alum of Waiakea High, Inouye is a math teacher who tailors problem-solving lessons to his students’ diverse backgrounds and talents to make learning engaging, according to Superintendent Keith Hayashi.

“His firm belief in student-led learning and real-world applications allows his students to see the practical relevance of mathematics in their daily lives, making abstract concepts tangible and intuitive,” Hayashi said in the news release. 

Inouye comes from a family of teachers, with his father, mother and brother all working as educators. He received his bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and a master’s degree in education from the University of Hawaii at Hilo.  

“I got into teaching not to win awards and not to be recognized, but to help the students, to give back. I remember being a student at Waiakea High School, and I wasn’t the strongest student. For me, that really inspired me to be a math teacher. We want to show students you don’t have to be afraid of math,” Inouye said after receiving his award in a surprise assembly at Waiakea High. “To be awarded this it’s just shocking, amazing, and I’m still trying to wrap my brain around it.”

Along with his work as a math teacher, Inouye manages after-school tutoring programs and advises the Homecoming Committee. He is a former Waiakea High baseball player, and he coached the team to consecutive appearances in Division I championship games in 2017 and 2018. 

Pham immigrated to Hawaii with her family as a toddler and attended public schools while growing up in public housing. She earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Oregon’s Corban University in 2017, thinking she would go into a legal field. After returning to Hawaii, she began teaching and discovered her love for teaching. In 2019, she earned a master’s degree in education from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. 

“I do believe that I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for all of my teachers that believed in me growing up,” Pham said after receiving the award at a surprise assembly at Kawananakoa Middle School. “All and all, it’s the teachers that really mentored me from when I was in preschool all the way up till today.”

In 2021, Pham started teaching at Kawananakoa Middle in Honolulu as a special education and social studies teacher before taking on her current role as student services coordinator, where she provides support to all classrooms and works closely with teachers.

“Jade is an outstanding teacher who advocates for every student and works diligently to create high-quality learning opportunities for all grade levels at Kawananakoa,” Superintendent Keith Hayashi said. “Her engagement with her fellow teachers has created processes to improve students’ academic and personal growth through data-driven problem solving and project-based learning. Her dedication to mentoring her colleagues and to improving student outcomes has elevated the entire school.”

In February, Pham received her National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification in recognition of meeting the highest standards for teaching. She was recently asked by Kawananakoa Middle Principal Ronnie Victor to serve as a temporarily assigned vice principal for the school.

Michelle Broder Van Dyke covers the Hawaiian Islands for Spectrum News Hawaii. Email her at michelle.brodervandyke@charter.com.