Riehl Rants

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Do Tests Kill the Love of Learning?

October 3, 2013 · rjriehl

One of my all-time favorite films is Dead Poets Society, the story of an English teacher in an elite college prep school for boys, whose unconventional teaching style gets him fired in his first year. The Welton Academy's school slogan …

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Riehl Rants

School Board Appointment A Teachable Moment

September 19, 2013 · rjriehl

A chorus of congratulations poured forth from supporters of Claudine Jones on the Carlsbad Unified Parents Facebook website following her provisional appointment to the school board on September 16. But within days many group members received an anonymous email message, …

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Riehl Rants

My Take On School Board Candidates

September 14, 2013 · rjriehl

At a special meeting this Monday night, September 16, the Carlsbad Unified School Board will choose one of eleven candidates for a provisional appointment, to serve until the November 2014 general election. The position became open following the recent resignation …

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Riehl Rants

Charter School Finds Key to North County in Desert

September 6, 2013 · rjriehl

After being turned away by Carlsbad and Oceanside, the Oxford Preparatory Academy found a road to San Marcos through Borrego Springs. On May 29 the desert community's tiny school district of about 300 students approved the school's charter petition. This …

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Riehl Rants

Politics Enters Carlsbad School Board Race

August 10, 2013 · rjriehl

In the 2008 election I voted for 19-year-old Evan Delaney Rodgers for the Carlsbad City Council. I was sad to see her lose because of the youthful energy and positive attitude she would have brought to that gang of mostly …

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Riehl Rants

Confessions of an Academic Snob

July 27, 2013 · rjriehl

My name is Richard and I'm a recovering academic snob. My addiction began at an early age. I became hooked on books when my father took me and my brothers to the public library every Saturday morning. Heading straight to …

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Author's Hidden Life With the Man Who Played Patton

July 12, 2013 · rjriehl

Carlsbad resident Karen Truesdell Riehl has published an eBook version of her memoir, Love and Madness: My Private Years with George C. Scott. Film and theater audiences were attracted to Scott's powerful stage presence and charisma, as was Karen Truesdell, …

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The Only Way to Fix Failing Schools

July 11, 2013 · rjriehl

Unlike stocking caps, one size doesn't fit all when it comes to school reform. Some say more money's the answer, pointing to an October 2011 report by the California Budget Project. A Decade of Disinvestment: California Education Spending Nears the …

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The Future of School Reform

June 20, 2013 · rjriehl

No Child Left Behind is dead. There's bipartisan agreement on that. But there's wide disagreement on how to keep school reform alive. Democrats see a stronger role for the federal government. Republicans favor a free market with more local control. …

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Riehl Rants

Obamacare and My Left Hip

June 10, 2013 · rjriehl

My left hip announced its early retirement last month. I'd been favoring it for months to prolong its years of service. But transplanting a hydrangea and foolishly obeying the words of the hokey pokey at the Yuma Norwegian Fest sealed …

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The Incredible Shrinking Newspaper

May 29, 2013 · rjriehl

It appears the San Diego U-T's $12 million purchase of the North County Times six months ago is turning out to be a financial disaster for the guy who calls himself "Papa Doug." According to this year's semi-annual report of …

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A Park By Any Other Name

May 25, 2013 · rjriehl

City Councilman Mark Packard wants to rename Alga Norte Community Park. He claims a "small group" of his constituents told him the Spanish word for "alga" is "algae," a scummy name for a family facility in this Village by the …

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Gifts and Guns: One Stop Shopping Comes to Carlsbad

May 8, 2013 · rjriehl

A week ago the owner of an online gift shop located in Carlsbad's Planned Industrial Zone told Carlsbad's city council that her 2nd Amendment rights would be threatened if her struggling business is not allowed to sell guns online and …

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Riehl Rants

Charter School's Uncharted Course

April 6, 2013 · rjriehl

Since opening its first charter school in Chino four years ago and another in Mission Viejo two years later, the good ship Oxford Prep Academy has sailed into troubled waters, foundering in its attempts to establish ports in Oceanside, Carlsbad …

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Riehl Rants

Smart vs. Dumb Growth

March 25, 2013 · rjriehl

The Carlsbad City Council faces a classic dilemma Tuesday night. Will they approve a plan to build 656 housing units in the most pristine natural landscape in the city? SANDAG calls it smart growth and will provide substantial financial rewards …

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Why Carlsbad Doesn't Need a Charter School

March 8, 2013 · rjriehl

After Carlsbad's Board of Education rejected its plan to open a charter school campus in the city, the Oxford Preparatory Academy signaled it would appeal to the San Diego County Board of Education. But the board canceled the agenda item …

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A Fairy Tale for the Fortunate

February 4, 2013 · rjriehl

Once upon a time in The Land of Pink-tiled Roofs, the landed gentry of the Village- by-the-Seawall were unhappy. The carriage lanes running through their village had become cluttered with oversized Leisure Wagons. They were often left standing overnight, taking …

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City Leaders Envision Carlsbad in 2025

January 25, 2013 · rjriehl

At its annual retreat last Tuesday Carlsbad's City Council decided to forego listening to the usual parade of reports from department heads. They engaged, instead, in a creative visioning exercise, imagining the year was 2025 and Time magazine planned to …

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Carlsbad to Remain RV-friendly

January 9, 2013 · rjriehl

At its January 29 meeting, the city council will vote on a new ordinance that would offer free parking permits for recreational vehicles for up to 144 days a year for a resident, 18 days for an out of town …

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Better Than Red-Light Cameras?

January 4, 2013 · rjriehl

I'm a fan of red-light cameras, despite cursing them for the $600 they cost me for a San Diego intersection photo op and online traffic school instruction. My wife and I were on our way back from the airport when …

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Entries

Do Tests Kill the Love of Learning?

School Board Appointment A Teachable Moment

My Take On School Board Candidates

Charter School Finds Key to North County in Desert

Politics Enters Carlsbad School Board Race

Confessions of an Academic Snob

Author's Hidden Life With the Man Who Played Patton

The Only Way to Fix Failing Schools

The Future of School Reform

Obamacare and My Left Hip

The Incredible Shrinking Newspaper

A Park By Any Other Name

Gifts and Guns: One Stop Shopping Comes to Carlsbad

Charter School's Uncharted Course

Smart vs. Dumb Growth

Why Carlsbad Doesn't Need a Charter School

A Fairy Tale for the Fortunate

City Leaders Envision Carlsbad in 2025

Carlsbad to Remain RV-friendly

Better Than Red-Light Cameras?

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