Mililani High School language arts teacher Lisa-Anne Tsuruda was presented with a $25,000 check this morning at the school’s football stadium as Hawaii’s 2009 Milken Educator award.

The 2,500 Mililani High students who were herded into the stadium on the pretext of a bomb evacuation drill, erupted into spontaneous cheers and prolonged applause when Gov. Linda Lingle announced Tsuruda had won the national award.
She has taught for 18 years within the state’s public education system, 13 years at Waianae High School and the past five years at Mililani.
“I love you — I love my students,” Tsuruda said as she stood in front of the student body, wiping tears from her eyes.
“Anyone who hasn’t had me yet, please come and be my student,” she told the students in the stands.
Tsuruda is believed to be the first Milken awardee at Mililani High.
The Milken Educator Awards were established in 1987 by Milken Family Foundation Chairman Lowell Milken to provide public recognition and individual financial rewards to elementary and secondary teachers, principals and specialists who are furthering excellence in education.
Since then, the foundation has honored more than 2,400 educators across the nation and awarded more than $60 million in unrestricted cash.

The Milken Family Foundation's Web site is:
http://www.mff.org/