More than being a tremendous individual honor, being selected as a Presidential Awardee would be a tremendous collective honor for the colleagues, students, and school community that I have had the privilege to work with throughout my career. These individuals have nurtured, supported, encouraged, mentored, and uplifted me in my professional journey. It is only together that we have accomplished great things, and this award would be theirs as much as mine.

Michael Ida Honolulu, HI | 7-12, Mathematics, 2021

The official biography below was current at the time of the award.

Michael Ida has taught 9th-12th grade mathematics and computer science at Kalani High School for the past 28 years, where he has also served as Mathematics Department Chairperson, Academic Review Team member, and club advisor. Michael is a lifelong learner who strives to serve the needs and interests of students, first and foremost. He spearheaded the creation of the computer science program at Kalani High and advocated for legislation mandating access to a quality computer science education for all students across the state. Michael continually seeks to expand his teaching practice to provide students with more voice and choice, and to prepare them to be 21st century leaders and innovators. Serving on the leadership teams of the Hawaii Council of Teachers of Mathematics, the Hawaii chapter of the Computer Science Teachers Association, and the Hawaii National Board Certified Teachers Collective, Michael embraces servant leadership as a core professional and personal value. As a Hawaii State Teacher Fellows alumnus and Hawaii Teacher Leader Academy cohort member, Michael seeks to uplift all teachers in the work that they do and support them as leaders and agents of change. He also served as an Advanced Placement Calculus exam reader and Western Association of Schools and Colleges accreditation visiting team member. Michael has a B.S. in physics and applied mathematics from the California Institute of Technology, an M.S. and Ph.D. in applied mathematics from Northwestern University, and an M.Ed. in secondary education from Boston College. He is certified in secondary mathematics, computer science, and physics, and has been a National Board Certified Teacher in adolescent/young adulthood mathematics since 2004.

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