New schools study is a tough grader

If this was a real report card, Hawaii’s array of public-education options might be looking at a D from the Center for Education Reform, with a consoling note about it being "in transition."

The center, a nonprofit policy advocacy group, just issued its second annual state-by-state report card, the Parent Power Index, gauging access parents have to educational information and quality options for schooling their kids.

Hawaii’s score — 64.2 percent, two points below the national average — gave it a rank of 32. The narrative in the report is a bit harsh: "There’s not much to say about a state that, despite its beauty and the warmth of its people, simply hasn’t given parents the power they need to better educate their children."

Although some hope of future improvement through recent reforms was noted, the state’s weak charter schools law was a major criticism.

Hmm. With the national average so low, couldn’t they grade us on a curve?

Fine on ethics fine; not fine on probe

City Councilwoman Ann Kobayashi’s tiff with the city Ethics Commission is devolving into much ado about little.

She agreed to pay a $500 fine for not verbally disclosing her credit union ties when voting on a relevant bill introduced in Council. She had, though, listed the ties in her financial disclosure form months earlier, so there doesn’t seem to be any intention to circumvent ethics law. But now, Kobayashi is annoyed at the commission for seemingly pursuing a probe even after she acknowledged her oversight.

Can’t we just say "lessons learned" all around — and move on?