New York City public schools are bracing for a $1 billion cut. The Wall St. Journal reports,

A seniority rule in state law requires that the teachers hired most recently be the first to face layoffs. As a result, city officials estimate that every teacher hired during the past five years would be let go if the state moves forward with a $1 billion cut in aid to city schools.

Mr. Bloomberg said this tenure rule means the city will “have to part company with some of the best teachers.” And because new teachers are typically employed in communities that are struggling the most, these layoffs would “disproportionately hurt the schools with more minorities,” he said.