Commentary: Big-city mayor needs to butt out of schools and just do his job

What is most intriguing about (“Commentary: Nanny state in schools lessens education,” Nov. 11 and “Commentary: Both liberal, conservative points of view warrant respect,” Nov. 14), regarding New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announcing a $150-million infusion into the public schools, is that both “sides” believe the student does in fact need care.

What is lost is the fact that this mayor should not even be inside any school’s grounds until he has done what he can to ensure that the students can learn. He needs to focus only on the job he was elected to do for NYC and get the heck out of the schools.

Once again, we have a large-city mayor trying to “fix” the underperforming schools with nothing but words and press conferences. If the mayor did the job the city elected him to do, he would be the mayor who saves the students. This $150 million is not only disingenuous in size and scope, but it takes the focus clearly away from his failures as a mayor.

The children are in school for about one-third of any given weekday and at no time during the weekends. This means the majority of what influences their ability to learn in low-performing schools happens in their homes, neighborhoods and medical facilities, as well as in the type and price of food their families buy.

De Blasio needs to check his responsibilities: Is every street, every park and every pathway from the student’s home to school free from crime, gangs and grit? No.

Is public housing up to code and safe from violence, drugs, graffiti and gangs? No.

Do the children have access to free and readily available medical and dental facilities so that they don’t suffer from simple and easily treated diseases, infections, mental health problems and toothaches? No.

Lastly, does this mayor have any plan to ensure that the local stores offer fresh, high-quality food cheaper than horrible fast food and frozen food? No.

We all need to push him and all mayors back outside the school fencing and ask them to accomplish their real jobs. Fix what their students suffer from on the streets. Help them to be raised in safe homes, and make sure comprehensive child protective services are available.

If Blasio does the job he was elected to do and rids the city of harmful outside influences, I will guarantee him those 94 low-performing schools will vastly improve and those students will achieve in ways only dreamed of by their families.

ELIZABETH “LIZ” DORN PARKER lives in Costa Mesa.