By Hawaii News Hoku Editorial Board

The Department of Education’s latest Ho‘oha‘aheo newsletter paints a bright picture of safety, student support, and community spirit. But read between the lines, and you start to see the same pattern that frustrates many families in Hawai‘i: more rules, more bureaucracy, and less focus on the real problems facing students.

📎 Read the full HIDOE newsletter here: Ho‘oha‘aheo Newsletter – November 5, 2025(https://content.govdelivery.com/bulletins/gd/HIDOE-3fa3c32?wgt_ref=HIDOE_WIDGET_2)

The new e-bike restrictions sound reasonable at first glance. Safety matters. No one wants middle schoolers zipping through campus at 40 miles an hour. But this policy reads like something written far from the reality of how families live. For many students, especially in rural or working-class communities, e-bikes are not toys — they are transportation. With bus routes cut or overcrowded, and parents working multiple jobs, banning e-bikes on most campuses punishes the very kids trying to show up to school on time.

It would make more sense to teach safety and accountability rather than outlaw the tool itself. A short safety course or permit system could achieve the same goal without creating another reason for suspension or confiscation. The message right now feels less about safety and more about control.

The newsletter’s section on the federal shutdown takes a similar tone. It highlights free meals and hotline numbers — both important — but once again avoids addressing the bigger question: why are families so close to the edge that a few missed paychecks threaten basic needs? Hawai‘i’s cost of living is crushing, and the Department’s response sounds more like damage control than leadership. Instead of tackling systemic waste or pushing for education budget reform, HIDOE offers a list of charities and tells families to call 2-1-1.

Then there is the Staff Spotlight — a heartfelt profile of a liaison who helps homeless students find stability. Her compassion is clear and commendable. But it also underscores a truth that state leadership rarely acknowledges: Hawai‘i has normalized student homelessness. When “awareness” months and inspirational spotlights become routine, it signals that government sees crisis management as success.

The Ho‘oha‘aheo newsletter is meant to inspire pride. Yet it often feels more like public relations than public service. Glossy photos of Halloween parades and classroom projects make for nice reading, but they don’t fix overcrowded classrooms, broken air conditioners, or teacher shortages.

Accountability starts with honesty. The Department needs to stop celebrating workarounds and start confronting why those workarounds are needed. If Hawai‘i’s public education system truly wants to live up to the meaning of ha‘aheo “to cherish with pride” it must start by respecting parents’ concerns, prioritizing student independence, and admitting when its own policies miss the mark.

Real pride in public education will not come from newsletters. It will come from courage — the kind that chooses truth over image.