For the second time in a year, Bloomberg angered critics by suggesting that some parents don’t understand the importance of an education.
“We have a lot of kids who unfortunately don’t have parents at home when they leave in the morning or get home in the afternoon and it’s harder to supervise kids,” Bloomberg said Friday on his weekly radio show while talking about truancy.
“And then maybe, you know, some people don’t care,” Bloomberg said.
“Some people don’t understand the value of education.”
The pushback was fierce and fast.
“There the mayor goes again, blaming parents,” said parent leader Zakiyah Ansari. “It’s always everyone’s fault but his.”
“He should be talking about ensuring that there are more guidance counselors, social workers and smaller classrooms so schools can keep better track of students and the reasons why they aren
’t going,” Ansari said, “instead of blaming parents and families that have challenges he clearly doesn’t understand.”
His anti-truancy riff targeting parents was an easy mark for Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, who quickly criticized Bloomberg’s proposed budget cuts to child care and after-school programs.
“I just think it’s blatantly insensitive,” the 2013 mayoral hopeful said. “I think he’s out of touch with what’s happening with parents all over this city.”
“This is not the first time he’s suggested that parents don’t care about their kids’ education,” de Blasio said.
Last May, Bloomberg hammered public school parents who were in opposition to his proposed education reforms.
(Source: NY Daily News)
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I listened to him on Friday when this was said, he was a guest on the John Gambling show as he is every Friday. It was not an attack on parents, nor do I find him out of touch at all. Gambling asked him if it is possible parents are not aware that their kids are skipping school and/or leaving early. Bloomberg said unfortunately in many cases parents are not there to see their kids off in the morning and do not get home until after kids are home and they can’t be in two places at once. He said in this day and age people are living in 2 income homes both parents are forced to work and can’t monitor everything with their children. At the end of the conversation he did say that yes and some just don’t care. But that was not his main argument. Do I think he is wrong? No.