The rule seems to be exceptions

The public protest over proposals for a second tower at the Ritz-Carlton Waikiki Beach is just the latest illustration of how a failure to commit to design principles could produce a concrete jungle Honolulu residents don’t want.

Like the first tower, the second would be oriented with its broad side facing the street. The guideline urges mauka-makai alignments instead, to preserve views and avoid creating a canyon of buildings arrayed like tombstones.

The 2139 Kuhio project would definitely violate that.

What’s the good of design parameters if exceptions to the rule are likely to dominate?

Teachers taking it to the next level

Kudos to the 59 public schoolteachers here who recently earned National Board certification, bringing to 469 the number of Department of Education teachers who have achieved the prestigious credential.

Only 4 percent of classroom teachers in Hawaii’s public schools hold this distinction, but we’re leading the U.S. in the growth of the cohort and beating the national average of 3 percent.

Those are great trends to encourage, given that students taught by National Board-certified teachers outperform those who aren’t.

The rigorous, performance-based peer review process it takes to achieve certification obviously helps bring teachers to the next level.