When Daddy Dances Daughters Smile

“Nothing I've ever done has given me more joys and rewards than being a father to my children.” Bill Cosby

The importance of fathers can never be disputed in a child’s life. There are many committees, organizations, groups, and clubs that support the growth and development of girls and young women locally and nationally. My personal association with Girls Inc. is participating in the Daddy Daughter Dance. I was fortunate to accompany two of my TEAMUP students to this great event. They had never participated in this type of dance and I was honored and humbled that their mother, a single parent raising her two girls allowed me to take them.

As you can imagine they were excited beyond words. As an educator in public education and working with TEAMUP through The Bridge at my school enables me to teach and encourage young girls and boys to be the best they can be and to teach them to always strive for the stars in academics, to guide social behaviors and motivate students to learn. It amazes me that so many people criticize teacher’s, we do our collective and individual bests to help students in and out of the classroom. As a father and educator it is important to support all children with an anointing of encouragement, wisdom to help them overcome obstacles that they may face in life and model the value of education. This is the responsibility of a father, to be supportive, encouraging, wise of the dangers of the world, use loving discipline and have high expectations to guide their daughters to success and just as importantly sons also.

I encourage fathers, even divorced fathers to be involved in their daughters, stepdaughters, granddaughters, and Goddaughters life. It does make a profound difference in how daughters develop emotionally, mentally and even spiritually. There are too many detrimental influences in society through media outlets; radio, TV, social media and other avenues that do not support positive and healthy lifestyles for girls and women. Statistics do show the positive influences of fathers that are involved, but it goes beyond statistics. It affects the very fiber of societal influences and economic directions for girls as they mature into women. Involvement by father’s means: honest and open communication, sharing of behavioral expectations, visiting schools and talking with teachers and administrators, volunteering in schools, family outings, emotional support, follow through on promises, keeping your word and owning up or “Man Up” to mistakes.

“A dad is someone who is a daughter's first love will be there for you no matter how bad of a mistake you've made will stand up for you when you need him; will give you their hugs and shoulders to cry on promises you that you will always be his little girl loves you so much and will sacrifice whatever it is to make you happy again A father is supposed to be the one man who will never give up on you ” Unknown No father is perfect, striving to be the best father/dad for your children is more important than how much money is in your pockets or trying to impress people. “A dedicated father is someone who carries pictures in his wallet where his money used to be.” William Jackson, from personal experiences Girls Inc.’s Daddy Daughter Dance provides daddies of all ages, cultures, and races to come together in support of their children and supporting the mission and vision of Girls Inc.

As stated on their web site; Girls Inc. inspires all girls to be strong, smart, and bold through life-changing programs and experiences that help girls navigate gender, economic, and potential social barriers. These words have importance, when girls grow into strong, intelligent, educated and empowered women she can accomplish great things in the world and be a role model for girls and women all around her. Fathers support your daughters; encourage their talents and abilities to grow into productive and successful women. Fathering / Parenting is not easy, in the grand scheme of life girls need their fathers. You have to be involved (connected) to be a positive and beneficial influence in your girl’s life.

My Daddy Daughter Pictures http://photobucket.com/wgv William Jackson, M.Ed. My Quest To Teach http://MyQuestToTeach.WordPress.com

National Men Make A Difference Day For Academic Success

 

10.8.12

National Men Make A Difference Day For Academic Success



Research has shown that a father’s involvement in the academic lives of their children will last beyond their childhood; in fact their influence will expand well into the child’s early adult lives (Rosenberg & Bradford, 2006).  The benefits of an involved father or significant male role model are not limited to the homes of children’s where the fathers live. Studies have indicated children with fathers living outside the home but who remain involved benefit from having an engaged father. According to Fogarty and Evans (n.d.) children in homes with absent as defined in their study as nonresidential fathers, but who nevertheless engaged fathers benefit in a variety of ways: (1) stronger relationship with their dads as they enter adulthood; (2) better social skills in many cases than children whose nonresidential father is not engaged; (3) less behavioral problems; and (4) better grades. These are just a few of the benefits to having an engaged father who may not live in the home with the child.

Parental Minimization Is Not An Effective Parental Engagement Strategy

By:

Dr. Mike Robinson

Perhaps my ambition to see an educational system where parents, teachers and school administrators are in partnership for the academic success of all students is more a dream that a possibility. Over the past several decades, research and a myriad of news reports have reflected on the value of parental engagement, while at the same time criticizing the lack of parental involvement. The benefits of parental engagement are well researched and documented.

This argument is juxtaposed to the increase bashing of teachers and their unions which have reached epic levels. Efforts to silence, marginalize, and destroy teacher unions have dominated news headlines for the past several years. The apex of such actions having taken place in Wisconsin, where Governor Scott Walker worked tirelessly to break his state’s unions to include teacher unions, by dismantling collective bargaining rights for state employees.  Governor Walker’s actions are just a drop in the bucket of the methods used to eliminate inclusion and engagement among a specific constituent base. However, these methods pale in comparison to those used to eradicate the position of parents and families when it comes to the educational systems in America.

The systemic efforts by a variety of entities to silence and completely eliminate the voices of parents who are striving to have an authentic role in the academic lives of their children have been shameful at their least to bordering on outright violations of one’s civil rights at their worst.  Parents are typically bashed by the media for their lack of engagement in the lives of their children. Reports describing the lack of parental involvement are seldom based on any long term studies; typically suggesting a vast majority of parents, just awake in the morning and after a large steamy cup of narcissism send their children off to public schools to be raised by teachers and school administrators and if time permits the teachers are welcome to educate their children.

Once the media has finished, teachers, school administrators and civic leaders pile on; many offer assertions regarding parental involvement within the schools with little statistical data to support their claims. Seldom does one hear or read of the variety of ways in which schools attempt to engage parents/families prior to proclaiming parents just do not want to be involved, because they do not attend Back to school night, PTA meetings or a Parent Teacher Conference.

When you hear of the great successes taking place in schools and overall in school districts, one can rest assured there is a strong and healthy relationship between home and school. Families and school personnel are working on the same page. In these successful models of high achieving schools and school districts, parents have a voice in school leadership.  When parents are used as allies, teachers and administrators have a new found freedom to speak openly and frankly about student performance.  While there are many examples of such effective relationships that have turned poor performing schools into beacons of student achievement, the sad fact is the number of school districts that do not have or even desire to have a strong relationship with parents are driving the negative discussion about parent involvement.

Dr. Mavis Sanders, a renowned researcher, scholar and author in the area of parental engagement and more specifically the relationships between communities and schools, stated that if schools really want an effective parental engagement environment, they will have it, if they do not want a parental engagement program in their system, they will not have it.  Dr. Sanders’ statement is powerful, as it professes school districts either desire to have parents in their schools or they do not.

Certain school districts use a myriad of methods, techniques and systems to control parents as they continue to drive a message that parents do not understand. The leadership within this type of school system is well versed in creating communication systems which pretend to offer two-way communication. However, the reality is these systems are riddled with hidden layers that contain a culture which states to parents “you do not understand education and to some extent parenting itself”. Many of these schools have suggested and championed laws that would criminalize aspect of engagement, specifically those they have defined types of engagement they want parents to perform as the true forms of parental involvement.

Failure to attend a PTA meeting or missing a Parent Teacher conference is being considered violations of the law. Failing to fit into a mode which is typically narrowly defined by schools regarding parental engagement could have incarceration as a consequence.  There are now States advocating schools actually grade parents as to their level of involvement. Yet these same systems cringe at the thought of having parents’ grade teachers or that an educator’s evaluation is attached to their student achievement.

Parental Minimization can result in parents, families and community stakeholders becoming frustrated, confused, angered and disillusioned about their community school. The results of such efforts are dramatic, parents and communities become disengaged, they reduce their level of involvement with their school district and in extreme cases, parents seek to find alternative educational opportunities. This is defined as “Give Out”, a process by which parents seek to remove their children away from a school system that is simply not friendly to parents and students. The ultimate result of parental minimization is declining enrollment and an increase in low performing schools.

Next week: How Parental Minimization and the lack of student achievement drives the desire for home schooling or parent directed education.

 Dr. Mike Robinson is the creator of the National Men Make A Difference Day for Student Success and the host of Parent Talk Live. Dr. Robinson is a leading voice/expert on parental engagement and community outreach in education. He is also the CO- CEO of Forest Of The Rain Productions, an Internet communication company, whose mission is to expand the voices in and about education.

PARENT SPOTLIGHT: LARRY JUHANS

Parent Name: Larry Juhans
Martial Status: Single

Student's Name: Eugene Juhans

What is your child’s greatest academic success?
Improvement in his Math grades

What is your Best Parental Engagement Tip? Parent Classroom Visitation. It’s a sacrifice to take time from work; however I find it helpful to see my son in the classroom environment, to see the different teaching styles of his teachers, and to see how he interacts with his classmates. I take notes during my son’s classes; after class we discuss the notes that I took compared to the notes that he took. I attempt to put myself in the role of a student on day of visitation.

What example would you give that has been successful in helping your child succeed academically? I tend to read a lot. When we spend time together, I encourage him to read to gain knowledge rather than participate in social or sports activities. I stress that knowledge is power and that reading is an avenue to knowledge. My son is required to attend Math tutoring each Monday and Thursday (after school with ERHS NHS tutoring) which has helped bring his grade up from an “E” to a “C”.

What is your best family organizing tip? As a father (not in the household); my son “must” call me every day. I will ask him what did he learn or what did he do in each of his classes that day. He must have an answer. I also ask what tests or quizzes are forthcoming in each of his classes. Subsequently, we prioritize how and when he will study for these tests and quizzes. I review his weekly progress report that is signed by each of his teachers. His Guidance Counselor showed him how to organize his notebook; weekly, he presents his notebook to this Counselor to see if it is still organized the way that she did it originally. I call his counselor weekly to check on how is his notebook being maintained.

What school does your child attend? Eleanor Roosevelt High School

How do you ensure that your child is prepared to succeed in school? He must call me every day. After we discuss homework and quizzes, I discuss what he has laid out to wear to school the next day. Next I speak to his mother to be sure that he is describing it accurately.

How does your family stay healthy and relax? I stress the importance of a healthy diet and getting to bed on time. My son knows that going to school is his “job”; he must get enough sleep to wake up on time and to be at school on time.