GothamSchools — daily independent reporting on NYC public schools

After two incidents of youth violence in the city this week, New York City teachers may share Chicago teacher (and New York Times blogger) Victor Harbison’s fear that the economic tailspin will expose students to even more violence:

As unemployment figures go up, I imagine readers of the Times thinking about IRA’s and who will be on Obama’s economic team. … Me? When I hear unemployment is going up, I wonder how long before my students have to face violence in the home as well as on the streets. (There are tons of studies, like this one, that show a correlation between unemployment and a rise in domestic violence.)

Schools are feeling the effects of city belt-tightening, reports Peace in the Classroom, a first grade teacher:

I spent about 30 minutes today chopping 3 inches off about 500 copies of reading logs, writing paper choices, homework assignments, etc. You see, we are having another copy crisis at my school. I was told that this crisis is city-wide. Apparently (according to my AP), the chancellor has put a “freeze” on all new purchases, including copy paper. We have been without white paper for almost a week right now. …

When my “office” friends ask me what my job is like, I tell them, imagine being the CEO of a small company where you are expected to oversee employees, communicate with associates, and make a profit without email, copies, a phone, or any office supplies.

Teachers from another school have also told me about the supply freeze resulting in a shortage of copy paper.