5 Things You Should Know This Week

"5 Things You Should Know" may turn your opinion of Mondays around, with information to jump-start you into a productive week. Be the first to know about parking changes, traffic changes, important meetings, and the hottest events in Bed-Stuy. Afterall, there's no better way to arm oneself than with information:

1. The City will release its list of schools hit by teacher layoffs today. The layoffs, totaling 4,675 teachers, 6 percent of the active teachers in the system, would spare virtually no academic subject or neighborhood, and they would affect 80 percent of the approximately 1,600 public schools in the city. Most would lose one to five teachers; nine would lose half of the teachers they have. Bed-Stuy Patch is following this closely and will provide a list of schools in the neighborhood that will be targeted.

2. At Bloomberg's request, Senate Education Committee Chairman John Flanagan (R-Suffolk) introduced a bill last week that would do away with the seniority requirement in regard to teacher layoffs. Instead, it would allow the city to first cut teachers who were rated unsatisfactory in any of the last five years, have been fined or suspended or meet one of seven other criteria. The mayor is expected to travel to the state Capitol on Tuesday to lobby personally for the repeal of a law requiring that teacher layoffs hit newest hires first.

3. This Wednesday, March 2, 2011 Pratt Area Community Council will host a . The workshop includes: How to budget and save for a home, insight into what banks are really looking for, applying for grants and closing on your home. The workshops are given in 4 separate classes.

• Features: Open to All

• Website: http://www.prattarea.org
• Phone: 718-783-3549

• Price: PACC Member $40.00 Non-member $50.00

4. On Friday, March 4th,  beginning at 12:00 noon, A book fair held at the Pratt Institute's gym. This book fair celebrates American authors.

• Where: 200 Willoughby Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11205
• Date: March 4, 2011
• Time: 12:00pm

• Features: Open to All

5. The AUDELCO and Obie Award-winning Billie Holiday Theatre continues its 39th season with the world premiere of , written and directed by Jackie Alexander. The Legend of Buster Neal will open officially this Friday, March 4, running through March 27 at the 200-seat Billie Holiday Theatre, Restoration Plaza, 1368 Fulton Street, Brooklyn; Thursdays – Saturdays at 8:00pm, Saturdays at 3:00pm, and Sundays at 4:00pm, with tickets $15 - $25, available at zerve.com/BHolidayInc/Buster.