Diane Mokuau, librarian at Molokai High and Intermediate, received the 2019 S.T.A.C.Y. Award for Teaching Excellence from the Hawaii State Teachers Association (HSTA). She is a 1998 alumna of the LIS program. The S.T.A.C.Y. Award for Teaching Excellence was established to celebrate the outstanding work of the late Stacy Nishina, a public school teacher, longtime HSTA staff member and supporter of all HSTA state candidates for the NEA Foundation Awards for Teaching Excellence. The award was announced on April 13 at the HSTA’s state convention at the Hawai‘i Convention Center. With this award, Diane becomes HSTA’s nominee for the NEA Foundation’s 2020 Horace Mann Award for Teaching Excellence and NEA Member Benefits Award.
Diane has lived on Molokai for nearly 30 years and, according to HSTA Vice President Osa Tui Jr., she has been instrumental in shaping the island’s learning environment. A national board-certified teacher as well as librarian, Diane has been at Molokai High for 15 years and has earned an impressive reputation as an unwavering advocate for her community and for educators statewide. In introducing Diane, Tui said:
With her skills honed over the years, Diane has put her organizing into action for her community. She also advocates for non-classroom teachers and rural school faculties and the challenges faced by both of those constituencies. She has worked hard to ensure that her library is well utilized, often operating at maximum capacity. Her acquisitions over the years of various technology and customized resources help to ensure that student literacy is improved and sustained and can target all levels of students throughout her school.
Among her achievements: Diane jointly wrote a five-year, $1 million grant to develop the Molokai LIVE 21st Century Community Learning Center that provides homework assistance and enrichment activities for middle and high school students. She also serves as secretary of the HSTA’s Molokai chapter. In 2016, the Hawaii Association of School Librarians recognized Diane with the Golden Key Award for her outstanding work in school libraries.