Nagamine to Receive Distinguished Service Award for Middle Level Education

Throughout her career, and even in returning from retirement, Nagamine has spent nearly thirty years passionately advocating for middle level education in the state of Hawaiʻi. As principal of Moanalua Middle School for thirteen years, she positively impacted thousands of students and families and served as a mentor for other middle grades leaders across the district. She subsequently took on leadership roles within the Hawaiʻi Department of Education, including as Principal in Residence, where she continued to drive the implementation of the middle school model throughout Hawaiʻi. Her impact was so significant that the State Superintendent asked her to return from retirement to support making middle level education a priority post the COVID-19 pandemic. In this role, she helped reignite the passion and joy needed to fuel middle level education, building momentum through shared buy-in and accountability among middle grades leaders across the state. Her work has been critical in promoting the state’s goal to incorporate middle school concepts in the middle-level grades to support students’ academic growth and social-emotional learning, ensuring they transition successfully through adolescence and into high school.

Lisa has been instrumental in providing critical professional development and shared-learning opportunities to all public school educators in Hawaiʻi, including by establishing regular statewide meetings for middle school leaders and by organizing summits across the state’s islands that have impacted more than 3,000 educators. She’s also been an active leader in the Hawaiʻi Association for Middle Level Education state affiliate since 1998. Always a champion for students, she helped to organize the first middle level student leadership conference in March 2024.

“AMLE is overjoyed to recognize Lisa Nagamine as an AMLE Distinguished Award recipient. She is so deserving of this honor,” said Stephanie Simpson, CEO of AMLE, “She has the heart of a servant, an immense passion for middle level education, and unparalleled work ethic and project management skills, a combination that has benefited all of the students and educators she’s interacted with over the years.”

Lisa expressed her gratitude upon receiving the award, saying, “I would like to accept the award on behalf of the department and on behalf of all middle level education. All of the things that are happening in Hawaiʻi are not just because of me but because we have amazing middle level educators whom I love. They are why I came back.”

“I have known Lisa for more than 25 years, and she has shown outstanding commitment to middle level education,” added Keith Hayashi, Hawaiʻi State Superintendent, “In fact, Lisa’s dedication as principal at Moanalua Middle School led me to enroll my own daughter there where she could benefit from Lisa’s leadership and guidance. After her retirement, I asked her to return to the department to help revitalize middle level education, and she has worked tirelessly to improve academic growth and social-emotional learning, helping our students transition smoothly from elementary to high school.”

Nagamine will be honored in November, 2024 at the 51st Annual Conference for Middle Level Education in Nashville, TN.

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About the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE)

The Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE) helps middle grades educators reach every student, grow professionally, and create great schools. A membership association of more than 35,000 members, AMLE provides professional learning and networking opportunities to those who work with students ages 10-15. www.amle.org & www.amle.org/annual

Media Contact

Stephanie Simpson | AMLE | 800-528-6672 | ssimpson@amle.org