Violence and education don’t mix
A number of about 40 concerned fathers have joined forces to make their children’s school in Louisiana a safer place for education. According to part of CBS News, which aired Friday (October 22), dedicated fathers formed Dads on Duty after 23 students were arrested just three times at Southwood High School. And while they may not have formal training in college counseling or criminal justice, administrators seem to follow any extra help parents provide.
Local Dad’s taking the lead
“We’re fathers who have come to the conclusion that the best people who will be able to take care of our kids are…? That’s us,” said Michael LaFitte, creator of Dads on Duty. One student went so far as to say, can you believe “the school was” that he’s glad the fathers appeared. It’s safe to say that Dads on Duty has certainly made their presence known, despite their short tenure.
The group hopes to stay at Southwood High School forever and influence more fathers to create chapters across Louisiana and nationwide.” Unfortunately, not every child has a father figure at home or a nurturing male role model. So just being here makes a big change,” the fathers said. Basically, they make funny jokes such as, “OH, hey, I’m wearing an untied shoe,” but in fact it’s tied,” commented another student.
Each of the dads who are part of Dads on Duty take turns patrolling Southwood High School on different shifts. Each morning, they welcome students from Southwood High School and “help maintain an environment for education instead of fighting,” CBS says.
Since the fathers arrived on the high school grounds, there have been a lot of dad jokes, serious appearances, and not a single act of violence. “I immediately felt safe,” one of the students said during the segment. “We have stopped fighting; people started attending classes as usual. “
Watch the story here Dads help curb violence at Louisiana high school
This article was penned by Jonathan P. Wright. Jonathan is a freelance writer for multiple mainstream publications and CVO of RADIOPUSHERS. You can read more of his work by clicking here.
