Stolen Car with Torah Scroll Worth $30K Found

A scribe who had recently repaired a valuable torah scroll had left the scroll in his rented car over the weekend, and when he returned to get his car, it was gone, along with the scroll inside.

Rabbi Benyamin Tamaiev was quite upset about the missing torah:

“I feel very bad. I can’t eat. I can’t sleep,” Tamaiev said.

Tamaiev leads a congregation which rents space in a synagogue on the 3700 block of 18^th Avenue, right where Kensington and Flatbush meet. On Friday afternoon he arrived in the neighborhood in his rented 2007 Toyota Corolla, parked it on the dead-end side of Avenue I, and went to his congregation to celebrate the Sabbath. Tamaiev was careful to hide the key near the vault where the main ark is. Tamaiev was particularly careful because the valuable torah scroll was locked inside the car.

According to Tamaiev’s daughter Judy the scribe was planning on returning the scroll to its owners in Queens on Sunday.

“It was already fixed. He was going to deliver it on Sunday,” Judy Tamaiev said.

Unfortunately the car disappeared sometime on Saturday, and was reported stolen on Saturday night at around 6pm.

Apparently the thief also took money from the synagogue’s charity boxes. It is likely that the thief was not aware that there was a $30,000 torah scroll in the trunk of the car, in addition to five sets of tefillin, also worth hundreds of dollars.

“He feels like somebody died; like he wants to die,” Judy Tamaiev said. “Terrible.”

A $3,000 reward was offered for the safe return of the torah scroll, and on Monday the police received a tip that led them to the location of the stolen car, which was less than one mile from the car’s original location. The car, scroll and tefillin were all recovered undamaged by 3pm on Monday.

New York State Assemblyman Dov Hilkind, who had pleaded for the safe return of the scroll expressed relief that the torah was recovered unharmed.

“The safety and sanctity of a Torah scroll means a great deal to our community,” Hikind said in a news release. “The speedy recovery of this sacred scroll is a testimony to our ability to work together and the dedication of our extraordinary Police Commander Mike Dedo. Every last one of us will sleep easier tonight.”

Daniel Straus NYU Supporter

Straus Institute for the Advanced Study of Law and Justice

Institutes of advanced studies are found at some of the world’s most renowned universities. In the United States those at Stanford and Princeton come to mind, but in New York it is the Straus Institute for the Advanced Study of Law & Justice, established with the help of 1981 NYU alumnus Daniel Straus and his wife Joyce G. Straus, which sets the standard for high level research and scholarship.

The Institute for Law and Justice sees its mission as two-fold:

• Although the academic focus is directed at issues touching on law and justice the institute seeks to draw academics, scholars and thinkers from a wide array of backgrounds, including the social sciences and the humanities, and from all over the world.

• Research and delving deep into issues is not looked at as the pristine purview of  academics cloistered in their ivory towers. On the contrary, the Straus Institute is determined to integrate top quality academics and intellect with community service and dedication to the public good. This mission fits perfectly with the general mission of NYU: that is to be “a Private University in the Public Service.”

Each year the Straus Institute identifies an issue or issues which are of vital concern to society and uses that issue as its annual theme. When the theme is defined then a large portion of the Fellows in the Institute are directed to work in these areas. This is done with the goal of having the Fellows make an important contribution from the University to the general society, thus fulfilling its mission.

Busses Back to Bringing Babes in Brooklyn

Brooklyn Bus Routes Making a Comeback!

Not just ‘babes’ but anyone else who has been missing several key bus routes which were cut during the  lean years beginning in 2010, can now rejoice in their imminent return and restoration.

Seven bus lines in the borough are slated for resurrection, announced the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and some new routes are going to be created in Northern Brooklyn and Downtown, in addition.

Beginning as of January 6 commuters were able to partake in “one-seat service” from the IKEA in Bushwick on the B57; more convenient rides between Bay Ridge and the “People’s Playground” on the B64; and a re-established connection between Prospect Park and Downtown on the B48.

The following routes will experience an improved service:

•    B4- Full-time service is coming back; for those interested in traveling between Bay Ridge and Sheepshead Bay, this is great news.
•    B39- Coming back is the daytime route of the run between Williamsburg and Manhattan.
•    B24- On the weekend this line will take you from Williamsburg to Queens and back.
•    B69- Have something to do in Kensington over the weekend? This route between Downtown and the hottest neighborhood in Brooklyn is coming back!

So what happened? Did the MTA get some moolah from a long lost cousin? Nah. MTA officials say that they have been saving money through cost-cutting and passenger fares.

“[The service increases] are paid for with increased revenue generated by additional ridership on the MTA system, as well as savings from the MTA’s continued rigorous efforts to contain costs,” a press release issued last summer said.

Music Collective Releases Benefit Album to Help Occupy Sandy

All Funds Raised by "The Storm is Passing Over" will go to help Hurricane Sandy Victims

Produced in only two weeks, Kensington’s Mason Jar Music released “The Storm is Passing Over” to help raise funds to benefit the work Occupy Sandy is doing to help people harmed by October’s ravaging storm, Hurricane Sandy.

The goal of MJM is to “Preserve Analog Principles in a Digital Age,” and works hard to retain the techniques and other special qualities of the not-so-long-ago past. In the case of “The Storm is Passing Over” MJM gathered together some of today’s best independent folk singers to record fifteen classic American folk songs dealing with ‘storms.’

Money raised from the sales of the album will go directly to Occupy Sandy, which is a leading organization doing relief work for many of Sandy’s victims in and around New York City and the tri-state area.

Included among the folk artists participating on the album are Roseanne Cash, Abigail Washburn and Bela Fleck, Town Hall, Tift Merritt, and more.

Recorded in just 14 days during December, some of the artists performed from the comfort of their own homes which were in locations around the world, including Nashville, Portland and Paris. Most of the artists however came to the Kensington recording studio of MJM, collaborating with  co-founders Dan Knobler and Jon Seale.


For a donation of only $5 visitors to http://thestormispassingover.com/ can receive a digital download of this heartfelt album knowing that all of their money will be used to help victims of Hurricane Sandy.

Councilman Levin Seeks Slowdown in Neighborhood Film Shoots

October and November this year saw a relentless stream of film crews descending on the otherwise quiet streets of Brooklyn Heights. In the past two months alone 14 different productions have brought chaos to the historic, tree-lined streets as filmmakers use this brownstone-filled area as the backdrop for TV shows and motion pictures.

“I understand and respect the fact that the movie and television industry provides revenue for the city and employs a number of New Yorkers, but residents of a single neighborhood, especially one that is primarily residential, like Brooklyn Heights, should not have to bear the burden of on-street filming on an almost daily basis,” said Councilman Stephen Levin.

“The people who live in this community should be able to freely walk down the sidewalk, park on the street, and bring their children to the local playground without constantly dodging film crews,” Levin added.

Councilman Stephen Levin

Filming requires streets to be closed, parking spaces to be absconded and other inconveniences imposed on residents, and now those residents are standing up to the onslaught with the help of Levin. The councilman, who represents Brooklyn’s District 33, contacted the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theater and Broadcasting in order to place all of Brooklyn Heights on the City’s list of “hot spots.” This listing will place a hold on filming until a more reasonable schedule for filming can be implemented which impacts less on the lives of the neighborhood’s residents.

Brooklyn Heights is not the only place the film industry has been encroaching on. Film crews have been shooting in Windsor Terrace and Kensington of late as well. Some of the major projects filming in these neighborhoods include a Vince Vaughn comedy called “Delivery Man,” a Martin Scorsese star vehicle called “The Wolf of Wall Street,” and a few TV shows such as “Elementary” and “Boardwalk Empire.”

Sandy’s Victims Get Helping Hand from United Cerebral Palsy of New York

Schevone Williams

Gravesend, Brooklyn resident, thirty-two year old Schevone Williams, who has cerebral palsy, lost almost everything when her apartment was inundated with flood waters from the torrential forces of Hurricane Sandy.

Using a specialized device to communicate Williams explained what happened.

"My apartment was destroyed by Hurricane Sandy,” said Williams. “I lost everything my hospital bed, my motorized wheelchair and all of my clothes.”

In addition to her specialized equipment which makes her life possible as a person with cerebral palsy, she also lost the ordinary objects everyone needs in their home, such as her major appliances including her refrigerator, stove and washing machine.

Williams, who is dependent on her $17,000 wheelchair for mobility, was at home when the flood waters entered, bringing in debris from the outside, and threatening to drown her.

“The Fire Department actually rescued Schevone, that’s how serious it was for her,” says Amy Bittinger the director of Family Support Services with United Cerebral Palsy of New York City.

According to Bittinger UCP of New York had to come to the aid immediately of many clients who were at risk during Sandy. Now there most pressing concern is finding Williams a replacement wheelchair.

“We were able to get her a loaner manual chair with proper positioning and we were able to get her augmentative communication device working again,” says Bittinger.

The Kensington branch of United Cerebral Palsy of New York has many visitors with a range of disabilities due to the popularity of their innovative “tech works” room. The room offers the latest in technology to help ease some of the challenges of having cerebral palsy or other disabilities, including iPads, which can help with communication. There is also a mobile van which visits different locations throughout the city to publicize the latest assistive technologies.

“This way we can go to communities that can’t come here and tabling events and be able to show products at those events,” says Liz Voluz, the director of Assistive Technology.

United Cerebral Palsy of New York has been answering the phones non-stop since Sandy devastated so many lives, helping people with disabilities get their lives back on track by getting their hi-tech equipment replaced. Workers at UCP New York say that Williams should have a new wheelchair before Christmas.

Environmentally Friendly Library Opens in Kensington

Brooklyn opened its most green library to date last week when the new Kensington Library opened its doors to the public. On hand to celebrate the event last Wednesday were city officials joining library staff.

The building was constructed from scratch for $16 million, the first Brooklyn library to have that honor in almost 20 years. The building is an environmentally concerned book-lover dream come true.

The building has LEED Silver certification and features some really neat features such as large front windows and a skylight to enhance the use of natural light and reduce the need for artificial lighting.

Sculptures powered by the rays of the sun hang down from the ceiling near the windows, spinning around when the sun is shining brightly.

In addition the spanking new library has 24 computers for public use; three iPads; and an assortment of spaces for story hours for children and community meetings for adults.

The new Kensington Library is located at 4207 18th Avenue. Come visit and see its high-tech amenities in action.

Chinese Development in NYC

Xinyuan Real Estate Company recently purchased a 216 unit condominium building in Brooklyn, NY, at a cost of $54.2m, making its first ever development in America. The firm plans to spend an additional $200m on this project. It is anticipated that sales thereafter will be between $250 and $350 million.

Xinyuan Real Estate Company is also looking for other projects in America.  The idea is to sell close to half of the units it builds to Chinese investors. According to Omer Ozden, (a partner at Beijing Capital, the private equity arm of the Beijing municipal government), Chinese investors it seems, are more likely to purchase buildings from Chinese developers in the US, than their American counterparts.  Chinese investment in American real estate has been growing steadily, with a focus on residential properties.

New York private equity is becoming increasingly popular for Chinese investors.  In recent years, the government in China has been making attempts to deflate the local housing bubble.  In order to achieve this, it has limited permission of property purchases.  Thus the Chinese who want to invest in real estate are instead turning to America.  Indeed, as the National Association of Realtors’ report noted, residential sales for the year ended in March saw $9bn in American residential sales from the Chinese.

The city of New York is also gaining popularity for Chinese investors as that is one of the places where they would like to live (along with LA, San Francisco and Miami).  Thus as Ozden noted, these investors are purchasing properties that they will seek to rent out or use as second homes or places for their children to stay while studying abroad.  In the past, Chinese investors have had a harder time locating the right property in America, as navigating US culture has not been so easy.  Thus Xinyuan Real Estate Company is now providing a great solution for Chinese looking to participate in New York private equity deals.

Brooklyn Rentals Rare as Sandy Victims Look for Housing

Some of Sandy's Damage in Rockaway 

Lorraine Massoni and her three children were forced out of their Rockaway home by severe flooding in the wake of the devastation wreaked on New York by Hurricane Sandy. Since then the family has been staying with friends and relatives while they look for alternative digs for herself and her children. But so far she has only run into a brick wall.

“I have reached out to I can’t even tell you how many Realtors,” Massoni, 44, said as she drove around Brooklyn in her rented minivan with her children. “They tell you they have places, they say, ‘Let me talk to the landlord and see if they take dogs,’ then nothing. They don’t even call you back.”

Massoni recently looked at a two-bedroom flat in Kensington renting for a pricey $2,150 per month. The price is almost double the $2,495 she received from a federal relief agency to cover two months’ rent. And the Kensington place is, at 1,200 square-feet, about half the size of her Rockaway home- not big enough for her family of five. Massoni will just have to keep looking.

She is not alone in her frustrating efforts to find an alternative living arrangement that does not involve sleeping on a friend’s pull-out bed or staying in a relative’s guest room or basement. Rental vacancies in Queens and Brooklyn are about 2 to 3 percent, a low number causing heartache for many displaced New Yorkers.

“It couldn’t be worse timing,” says Jonathan Miller, president of Miller Samuel Inc. in New York. The market in Brooklyn is tight partly because banks are reluctant to write mortgages, so few renters are buying a home and moving out, he said. With hotel occupancy rates at high levels, Miller said, “there are just not a lot of places to stay.”

Food Co-Op May Be On Its Way to Kensington and Windsor Terrace

After Windsor Terrace’s only grocery store was bought-out by a pharmacy, people there and in nearby Kensington were left with no convenient way to purchase food. Since necessity is the mother of invention, the residents have come up with the idea of bringing a food co-op into their neighborhood as an answer to the question where will the food come from.

It appears that support for this idea has been building in recent weeks among the people of the neighborhood.  Ever since Walgreens bought out Key Food in June, organizers have been trying to get a food-buying group started. Last Tuesday night their efforts got an extra push when more than 100 people showed up for a meeting in support of the idea of a food-buying group for the residents of Kensington and Windsor Terrace.

No seats were left for meeting participants, showing organizers that their efforts have finally been rewarded.

“Going into the meeting, we were all thinking, ‘This may not sail,’ ” said organizer Jack O’Connell, 68. O’Connell added that he was “flabbergasted” by the hefty crowd that showed up at the Knights of Columbus Hall on 10th Avenue.

Listeria Found in Herring Product from Kensington

Herring Recall in Light of Listeria Contamination

A Kensington, Brooklyn food manufacture was forced to recall a herring product after it was discovered that Listeria monocytogenes were present in the food.

The company, Four Seasons Dairy, is located at 255 58th Street in Brooklyn. An announcement was made by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets that “Fillet Atlantic Recipe in Oil,” a Four Seasons herring product was being recalled.

The herring was packaged in a one-pound clear plastic tub with a white plastic lid. On the bottom of the item a label shows an expiration date of 12/11/12. The FDA says that the food product was being sold in a variety of New York City locations, but did not specify as to any names of shops.

So far no one has reported any illnesses as a result of the Listeria contamination, but the potential for harm is great. Listeria monocytogenes can cause serious and even deadly infections in young children, elderly and frail people and others who have weakened immune systems.

For those who are strong or who have intact immune systems the possibility of illness is high, including fever, stiffness, nausea, stomach pain, and diarrhea. In pregnant women the infection of Listeria can cause miscarriages and stillbirths.

Anyone in possession of “Fillet Atlantic Recipe in Oil” from Four Seasons Dairy should throw the product away or return it to the store where it was bought. Consumers with questions can call 718-567-7877.

Teens Help Animals in Kensington Pet Haven Animal Hospital

Sofia and John

Sofia Annunziata is getting a reputation as a true animal lover. The thirteen-year-old Brooklyn girl spends her Saturday’s helping out on behalf of her organization New York City Teens for Animals at the Kensington Pet Haven Animal Hospital. Her and other teens volunteer there to help rescued animals that need medical attention.

“It makes me feel so happy when the animals get better and I get to see them blossom,” 

Sofia said. Sofia was recently noticed on Facebook when she attracted 5,000 fans to her page in which she documented the nursing back to good health of a beautiful black Labrador/Pit Bull mix named John that was first discovered barely alive in Brooklyn a month ago.

NYC Teens for Animals recently collected about $1,200 to save Sunny, a golden Pomeranian that is in need of surgery on one of her back legs, and another Pomeranian called Tina.

John, Tina and Sunny are just three of the many other lucky animals that receive Sofia’s special TLC. About one year ago Sofia helped raise money to buy a wheelchair for Timmy, a Shih Tzu that is paralyzed.

“Imagine how one teen can make such a difference,” said Pet Haven veterinarian Jill Caruso.

One Year Later Rocket Still Pedaling Women Home Safely

Brooklyn Bike Patrol Celebrates One Year of Helping Women Get Home Safely

Believe it or not, one year has already passed since Jay “Rocket” Ruiz was first inspired to start his grassroots security organization, “Brooklyn Bike Patrol.” Back in September 2011 Brooklyn women were fearful after at least 20 sexual assaults had been perpetrated during a six-month period beginning in March from Bay Ridge to Park Slope. Finally Ruiz felt he needed to act to protect women and help them arrive home safely, so he hopped on his bicycle and rode to the subway station at Fourth Avenue and Ninth Street and held up a sign that said: “Brooklyn Bike Patrol” with his name, phone number and e-mail address.

After a short time Ruiz had a crew of 11 volunteers escorting women from 11 subway stations so they could arrive home in peace.

One year later “Brooklyn Bike Patrol” still has only 11 volunteers, but they manage to cover 50 subway stations in 16 Brooklyn neighborhoods including Prospect Heights, Crown Heights, Bed-Stuy, Sunset Park, Kensington, Windsor Terrace and Carroll Gardens, Borough Park, Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Bushwick and Williamsburg.

To celebrate this milestone Ruiz and his crew plan on riding down Fifth Avenue in Park Slope handing out flyers offering their free service. “Brooklyn Bike Patrol” would like to acquire cameras for each of the volunteers to wear on their helmets. Ruiz believes this piece of equipment will make the escort even safer. Each camera costs $269, but he says when traveling through some of the rougher neighborhoods having a camera recording every walk will make it safer just in case something happens along the way.

“We are grateful for all the love and communities we cover,” he said, explaining that BBP now has 117 clients. “I wanted to do this for one year, but now there are so many people calling us and we need to keep doing it. People still need us, so I want to see where we are at in five years.”

Ruiz said he feels like he is “on top of the world” to be able to celebrate one year protecting women.
But, he is humble:

“We are not the heroes, the heroes are the women who call us and trust us to walk them home,” Ruiz said.

Brooklyn Residents Curating New Artists’ Show at Brooklyn Museum

Artists from all over Brooklyn will open their studios to Brooklyn residents as part the “GO,” project, the community curated studio project, organized by the Brooklyn Museum. On September 8th and 9th, between 11am and 7pm 1,812 artists will welcome visitors into their work spaces, exhibiting their creations so that Brooklyn residents who have registered to vote can examine the work and then vote on their favorite artists. The ten artists with the most votes will be included in a group show at the Brooklyn Museum on beginning on December 1st, 2012. Brooklyn Museum curators will visit the studios of the winning artists to choose which of their works will be exhibited.


Registrants will need to download a “GO” app for their iPhone, send a text message, or record the studios that they visited with paper and pen and then transfer the information to the “GO” website later in order to participate, and will also be required to visit a minimum of five studios. There is no maximum number of artists participants can visit, and they can spend the entire two days visiting some of Brooklyn’s most talented, up and coming artists.


GO project participants will be able to be part of the entire process via their online connection, and discuss and follow the putting together of the exhibition as the events unfold, thus becoming co-curators and participants in bringing great Brooklyn art into one of the New York City’s foremost museums.


About twenty of the participating artists are from Kensington and Windsor Terrace, and are hoping to see their neighbors and friends coming through their studios to see their work, and maybe even vote for them to be included in the show.

In Kensington- Dogs are Man's Best Friend

Shimmie Horn and Friend

Not long ago this lovely dog was begging and scraping just to put a tiny bit of meat on his bones. When the dog was close to death, this kind Kensington  man, took the dog into his home and his heart. Now when you ask him, Shimmie Horn says that he can't imagine life without his dog, who he named Speckle.

ARTery at Farmer’s Market this Sunday

Susan Siegel of Brooklyn ARTery

Kensington’s Farmer’s Market has a special treat for its patrons this coming Sunday, July 29, art classes.

At 10am mosey on over to the open market on Cortelyou Road and join in on a variety of classes sponsored by ‘Brooklyn ARTery,’ the brainchild of Susan Siegel of Ditmas Park. Begin with either animal balloons or mosaic murals. At 10:15am and continuing for one hour learn cartooning and book binding. From 11:30am until 12:30pm discover vegetable and fruit print-making plus making origami mobiles. The last classes of the day will be on herbs and fruit infused drinks, from 12:45 until 1:45pm.

Be sure to come early, as classes will only be offered on a first come, first served basis, with only limited space available.

Running Wild

I have recently started to get into running.  Yeah I know, it's not something that my friends would have thought of, but I decided to start keeping in shape.  Luckily my friend from work Frank Storch is an avid marathon runner and he gave me some tips. 

• Drink lots
• Don't try to accomplish too much too fast
• Stretch both before and after
• Always run at the same time everyday
• Pick a target and don't stop until you get to it

Frank seem to have his running down.  He is infact trraining already for the Baltimore Marathon, which is in October.  I for one haven't run with him because he is in Cobble Hill and I am here in Kensington, but I hope to join him in a few weeks.  He runs over the Brooklyn Bridge and up the East Side of Manhattan.  That's a little too much for me right, now, but you never know.

Learn more about Frank Storch here!

Online Marketing and a Local Florist

I don't know much about online marketing, but I'm really starting to understand its importance. I mean, take a walk down memory lane and relive the very first steps of today's internet. It's incredible, really.

So, what made me think of this? While chatting with an old friend today, she told me that she'd recently hooked up with a company called 'Yodle.' Tess is a florist, and has been seeing a slow but definite slide in business lately, as flashier, more popular flower providers steal the spotlight. She did some research, checked out some competitors' websites, and knew what she was missing.

How she found Yodle I'm not quite sure, but I glanced at their website today and she seems to have hit the jackpot. They claim to 'make it easy for local business owners to get new customers', and their clients seem to be very satisfied.

For example, on YodleReviews.com, Barbara Levine of New Canaan said:

“As a small business owner, it has been great working with Yodle for the past two months. I have been consistently impressed with the company’s ability to generate leads that turn in to real business for me. Yodle’s local online advertising program is better than anything else I’ve tried. Yodle makes the marketing process so easy."
                                                                                   -YodleReviews.com

I'm sure Tess will make great progress as another local business, too.

The Brooklyn Cyclones Remember Gary Carter

In a very moving tribute, on June 29^th, there will be a tribute to Gary Carter with a pre-game ceremony before the Brooklyn Cyclones play against the Aberdeen IronBirds.  This past year, Hall of Fame catcher and Mets icon, Gary Carter, died after a long battle with brain cancer.

While he entered the Hall of Fame as part of the Montreal Expos, those in New York who love the Mets will always remember him fondly. As such, the Brooklyn Cyclones will have the ceremony before their 7 pm game against the IronBirds and they’ll be wearing special orange and blue jersey with “Kid 8” memorial patches on the right sleeve. This is the same patch that the New York Mets wore throughout the season.

What’s even more – the special jerseys will then be auctioned off throughout the game and some of the proceeds will benefit the Gary Carter Foundation, which works to better the physical, mental and spiritual lives of children who are in need.

Come out that night to support a great team, and to support an amazing cause.

 For those who don’t know the history behind the Brooklyn Cyclones, the NYC Tourist.com website explains, “The Brooklyn Cyclones are a minor-league baseball team based out of Brooklyn's MCU Park at the Coney Island boardwalk. Originally founded in Toronto, where they were known as the St. Catharines, the Brooklyn Cyclones (along with their principal rivals, the Staten Island Yankees) were brought to New York in 1999 by then-mayor Rudy Giuliani.”

Here is a look at the shirts that will be raffled off during the evening:

Parents Boycotting Field Tests in Protest of Over-testing

Parents and Teachers say Tests Take Away from Learning

After years of letting for-profit testing companies use their children by over-testing them to put more money into their pockets, parents representing an unprecedented 59 schools are finally fighting back.

They have decided to keep their children away from “stand-alone” field tests which have no benefit other than to provide revenue and information to the testing company.

In support of the parents the Chancellor’s Parent Advisory Council (CPAC) passed a resolution on May 31st which urges parents to choose not to allow their children to be tested. Community Education Councils (CECs) of Manhattan’s District 3 on the Upper West Side, and Brooklyn’s District 20 which includes Kensington, Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights and Borough Park, also passed resolutions favoring the boycott.

“All this testing is out of control,” says Dani Gonzalez, a Bronx parent who is protesting the excessive testing. “Real learning happens when children can explore and experiment and do projects, when they can read books and discuss them. All this testing is crowding real learning out of the classroom. My children can’t learn when all they do is prepare for tests and take tests.”