Class is now is Session

Like in many families, our children are no different.  As much as they enjoy their summer vacation, there is something they really enjoy about getting the new school year started.  The back to school shopping is complete. The backpacks and lunch boxes are packed.  The first day of school photos are taken next to the tree that the girls are now quickly beginning to outgrow.  This year marked an especially important occasion as Reese began her educational journey as a preschool student.  Two days a week she will be excited to join her big sister in the halls and classrooms of Warsaw Elementary.  This is a very joyous occasion for me as well, because as their dad, I am able to take them to school on these days.  It turns out that it also may be just as a joyous occasion for their mother as well.  We joked that she can now listen to her own favorite radio stations and stop along the way to grab an ice coffee is she so desires two days a week.  Those of you that were able to read the second article will understand the beauty in those days for her. 

As the new school year began, I am quite certain that many fathers like me were unaware that they were joining a very important movement when they took their child(ren) to school on their first day.  For the sixth year, the Black Star Project has called on fathers to walk or take their children to school on their first day this fall. The project is hoping for participation from 800,000 fathers around the country. As they state, “A father who actively participates in the educational and social development life of a child is invaluable and irreplaceable.” Phillip Jackson, one of the co-founders of the Million Father March, describes a program that has grown organically from 40 cities in 2004 to 767 in 2011, the first year the movement hit an estimated “more than a million” mark. I’m sure many fathers, including myself, at that time did not know that they were a part of something bigger for the betterment of fatherhood. 

Why do I mention the Black Star Project and the Million Father March some may ask?  It’s really quite simple.  According to the Institute of Educational Sciences National Center for Education Statistics, children do better in many different facets of education when their fathers are highly involved. That involvement includes taking children to school, eating lunch with them at school, volunteering to help in their classroom and with other school activities, as well as making education a priority at home, whether its homework or other activities that will help the children grow into well-rounded adults. In fact, a 2007 study reported that children with highly involved fathers were more likely to get A’s, enjoy school and participate in extracurricular activities. In addition, those in grades 6-12 were less likely to be suspended, expelled, or repeat a grade.

On a personal note, as a building principal, it is great to see how many fathers are actively involved in bringing their kids to school and picking them up in the afternoon. Of course, the best thing for your child will be your continued commitment well past that first day and being actively involved throughout the school year—at home and at school. At your child’s school, there are great benefits when dads like you are present and involved. One of the most effective parenting game plans is to simply take advantage of everyday opportunities to love our children and instill the right values in them. To be the best dad we can be is to make every day count.

I once heard a quote that said “Strong leaders say ‘no’ to good opportunities so they can say ‘yes’ to great ones.” Replace “leaders” with “fathers” and we stand at the edge of the Legendary Dad divide. This divide is that which separates Legendary Dads from all the rest.  The development to legendary status will be determined by ones involvement.  There are opportunities that we need to take advantage of with our families and children that will leave them changed for the rest of their lives.  As father’s, we can be the difference between success and failure. To take a line from my own fathers’ teachings, “I came from nowhere and am doing everything possible to make sure you never return there”.  This is great reminder to me, the impact and role we play is vital to our children’s success.  With what we now have read, I look forward to seeing many of you on the roads and sidewalks taking your young ones to school.  Be Legendary!

Monthly Quote:  "Fathers who play an active role in the lives of their children have a precious gift – they care; they know that education is extremely important for the development of their children and it is critical for them to be there when their children take their first steps in the right direction." – Jeffrey M. Leving, leading fathers' rights attorney, author and father.

Monthly Challenge: With the school year now up and running, my hope is that you will do a little research on your own and play a role in the upcoming National Men Make a Difference Day for Academic Success on OCTOBER 8, 2012.  

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