Educator Amy Perruso runs for a seat in the Hawaii State House of Representatives.

Because of today’s highly-charged political climate, educators are becoming more and more interested in serving their communities in public office. One such educator is Amy Perruso, a high school social studies teacher running for a seat in the Hawaii State House of Representatives.

Amy’s drive to serve her students and her community is palpable. “I ran for office because the children in our public schools need strong advocates,” declares Amy. “Teachers have always stepped up to do this work, and entering the political arena in this way, as teachers who are union leaders, is a natural reflection of how teachers lead in our community and the ways in which our union advocates for the common good,” she continues.

Amy advanced to the November elections when she won the Democratic primary last summer, beating Lei Learmont. In the general election she will face off against Republican John Miller.

In a career that has spanned 18 years total, Amy has spent the last 14 of them as a teacher at Mililani High School in Mililani, Hawaii. Among the several courses she teaches is Advanced Placement Government and APUSH. Amy has also served as a reader for the College Board on the APGOV exam, and she has been as a member of the Hawaii State Social Studies Work Group. She is also a member of the Every Student Succeeds Act Team, which is responsible for creating a blueprint for the future of Hawaii’s public schools. In addition to all this, Amy has served three terms as the Secretary-Treasurer of the Hawaii State Teachers Association.

Amy’s talent and dedication as an educator has not gone unnoticed. She was a Fulbright Scholar and a finalist for the Gilder-Lehrman National History Teacher of the Year Award.

To learn more about this candidate, visit her website at www.amyperruso.com.