Cool or Not Cool: Parents Trying to Ban Standardized Exams?

This week Park Slope parents hit the street to protest a very important issue: standardized testing. Their kids don’t need the pressure from these “high stakes” test and they refuse to take the matter sitting down! So they are organizing a boycott, gosh darnit.

Nevermind the fact that studies --  like one conducted by Martin Carnoy and Susanna Loeb of Stanford -- show that standardized tests do make a difference... just not to students who typically come from the socioeconomic classes you find in Park Slope. But for sub-par teachers and low-income students, the structure imposed by standardized tests make a significant difference. Studies done by the University of Michigan found that these system closed a quarter of the gap in math achievement between black and white fourth graders.

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COOL OR NOT COOL: CHARGING FOR WATER AT SWEET MELISSA'S?

I must say, after living in Park Slope for five years, I've noticed that one of the major polarizing topics of the neighborhood is not Democrat or Replican, Gay or Straight, or Team Jacob or Team Edward related: it's whether or not you love or hate Sweet Melissa. I was sort of on the fence myself...until I rec'd the following email from FIPS reader Josh. Now I'm on Team Hate. 

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COOL OR NOT COOL: THE BARCLAYS CENTER?

OK all people who weren't lazy and/or paying attention when Jay-Z tix went on sale: HOW THE HELL WAS IT!??

We want to know everything and anything about the numero uno opening weekend of the Barclays Center:

• Were there any Blue Ivy Carter sightings? 
• Did you get a parking spot?
• Did you want a parking spot?
• Were there 17 million metal detectors?
• Did you see anyone find anything scary after getting metal detected?
• Did anyone get punched?
• How were the bathrooms?
• What were the snacks like? 
• Do you secretly love the place even though it's politically incorrect for a Park Sloper to say so?

SPILL.

IT. 

Cool or Not Cool:Tricked-Out Strollers for Your Babes?

Fresh off of last week's kiddie curfew at Greenwood Park post, I thought it would only be apropos to follow up with something as amazing as a man who will pimp out your baby's ride for $250. Let's be honest, I'm surprised it took this long for this kind of service to come along.  

According to the Brooklyn Paper, a Canarsie-based inventor by the name of Funk Master Flex Bruce Fraizer will outfit your stroller with such dire necessities as an alarm system, GPS, LED flashing head lights and an iPod docking station. If you want a baby jaccuzzi and bottle mini bar, that will cost extra as part of the premium package add-ons (I made that up... I think).

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Cool or Not Cool: Greenwood Park Kicking Babies out at 4PM?

photo by Pearl Gabel via The Daily News

South Slope beer hall Greenwood Park had barely opened its pelleted gates for the first time before bad press in the form of local complaints started rolling in. Residents of the neighborhood accused disorderly bar patrons of pissing in the streets, screwing in cars and leaving the immediate area littered with the post-coital remains. Yet no indiscretion was as heinous as the influx of chillins descending on the place (just check out these Yelp reviews!) The drama even prompted the Gray Lady herself to sound off about the kid friendliness of bars and outdoor drinking spaces. 

I have become a regular at Greenwood Park, but because I have never rolled up to the joint before 8PM, the kids-hanging-out-all-over-the-place-thing has never been a problem in my world view. That being said, when I arrived at the bar last Thursday night, I was not surprised upon seeing  a printed sign on the gate that said "NEW FALL CURFEW. NO CHILDREN ALLOWED ON PREMISES AFTER 4PM." Greenwood Park had drawn their little line in the sandbox (also, the bouncer totally snickered at me when I got my ID out at the door -- dick.)

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