Survey on Dads' Role in Children's Education

Many fathers today are more actively involved with the education of their children than their own fathers were, even during the summer months. Hooray for modern men!

In a recent online survey commissioned by Kumon Math and Reading Centers (April 2009), dads feel one of their main parenting roles is to help their children excel in school. A full 50 percent of the fathers surveyed indicated that they were more likely than their wives to motivate kids to do schoolwork.

Other survey highlights:

3 out of 4 dads were aware of summer learning opportunities
6 out of 10 dads enroll their kids in organized summer learning programs

For more stats from the survey or more info about Kumon (an after-school math and reading program), visit www.kumon.com.

Happy Father's Day!

PTA -- Not just for moms

What an interesting election year this has been. We looked at the possibility of a woman running the country, and Chuck Saylors became President of the National Parent Teacher Association. Mr. Saylors is PTA's first male national president-elect. It took nearly two decades of active membership for him to be handed the reins.

With more than 5.5 million members, PTA focuses on being a strong and powerful voice for children, on being a resource for families and communities, and on being a champion for children's wellbeing and education.

Black Star Project

Our mission is to provide educational services that help pre-school through college students succeed academically and become knowledgeable and productive citizens with the support of their parents, families, schools and communities.
The Black Star project sponsors father involvement/male involvement programs, including the Million Father March, Men in Schools Day, and the Fathers Club.

Philip Jackson, founder and Executive Director of the Black Star Project, is a national leader who advocates for community involvement in education. He also champions the importance of educating parents, so that their children will be properly educated.

Their mission is "to provide educational services that help pre-school through college students succeed academically and become knowledgeable and productive citizens with the support of their parents, families, schools, and communities. The Black Star Project also has scholarship programs for disadvantages students of all races who are seeking post-secondary education.

To find involvement opportunities in your community, visit their website, www.blackstarproject.org

MORE - National fatherhood alliance

A lot more families will have more reason to recognize their fathers this Father’s Day.That’s because more men are getting involved in their child’s education than ever before, according to recent poll results released by the national PTA. In fact, almost 50 percent of parent leaders said that the level of male involvement has increased at their PTA in the last three years.

The nation’s top male involvement organizations are looking to continue the trend. That’s why today they joined at National PTA Headquarters to announce an unprecedented partnership—Men Organized to Raise Engagement (MORE).

Simply put, research shows that greater involvement of men in the lives of children helps them achieve success socially, intellectually and academically. The MORE partnership intends to ensure greater father and male involvement to produce positive outcomes and successful relationships for children, parents, schools and communities.

MORE will call attention to the need to increase male involvement across the country by:

• Working with schools and communities to provide programs that engage fathers and positive male figures in the educational and social development of children;
• Developing male leaders who work with fathers and male role models to enhance positive male parenting and involvement with youth;
• Acting as a resource for families, communities and schools on fatherhood initiatives and issues; and
• Increasing the visibility and outreach of the quality programming of the coalition members.

For more information, go to www.pta.org/MORE.