A Group Of Dads Took Over A Louisiana High School After 23 Kids Were Arrested For Violence In Just 1 Week
Southwood High School, in Shreveport, Louisiana had a pretty tough week. They had so many fights on campus that 23 kids got arrested.
You read that right. The students got more than suspended or expelled. They actually got arrested by the police.
Parents knew that something had to give. A change was needed, and it was needed fast.
But, what could they do?
Some quick thinking dads got an idea, and they sprang into action.
They were going to take matters into their own hands, because who better to deal with these kids than their own parents!
A group of about 40 dads got together, and formed what they have dubbed Dads on Duty.
These dads take shifts. They not only greet the kids in the halls, they help keep the momentum of the school moving in a positive direction.
Instead of fights, there is laughter and joking. Instead of hate, everyone seems to be getting along.
Dads on Duty makes coming to school enjoyable. They make school a place to learn instead of fear.
They actually show up and are present in the lives of the students — they are the father figure that so many of these kids are lacking.
The students say it’s working — and the numbers prove it. There hasn’t been a single incident on campus since the dads showed up.
CBS News
Now, there is nothing special about these dads. They don’t hold college degrees in school counselling. They haven’t been trained in hand-to-hand combat. Heck, they aren’t even getting paid!
But, they know that they need to step up and be the parents these kids need. Just being a strong presence in an otherwise chaotic environment goes a long way.
These dads are there with “The Look” — you know that look that only a dad can give — and a quick “Dad Joke” or two, and the kids are LOVING IT!!
And it’s that perfect mix of tough love and gentle ribbing that dads do so well that has helped transform this school.
CBS News
These dads have decided to keep going to the school — to keep showing up — for the foreseeable future.
Hey, maybe this will be the start of a grass-roots movement to get parents involved in all schools. This just may be the start of turning the schools in this nation around for the positive, and I’m totally here for it!
