School Violence and the Adult-to-Student Ratio

By Donald Singer

New York City's public schools are reflections of the neighborhoods in which they exist. Often school supervisors and administrators have to resort to "street savvy'' to keep their school buildings safe as more and more they come to resemble the mean streets that surround them ("'This Has To Stop': Coping in the Middle of a War Zone at Jefferson High,'' March 25, 1992).

In order for children to be able to learn, schools must be safe havens, but budget-slashing practices are turning them into battlegrounds. In their attempt at balancing the budget, both the city of New York and the board of education are resorting to reducing the number of adults in the school buildings. The motive may be to save money, but the result is a deteriorated school environment that in some areas translates into an unsafe school environment. Witness the recent tragic shooting in Brooklyn's Thomas Jefferson High School, where reduction in the adult population of the school has led students to feel ever freer to bring their guns and their grievances into the school building.

During the current school year, the New York City public-school population has increased by 25,000 students--mostly new immigrants who bring special problems with them--while the adult population has dropped. This not only translates into larger classes, it also translates into less supervision and thus greater potential for danger. The students aren't safe and...