Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Kicks Off ‘Be There Dad’ Initiative

The Mecklenburg PTA Council held its first “Be There Dad” event Saturday, celebrating the initiative Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools leaders hope will get more fathers actively involved in their children’s lives.

“We are really pushing that effort for men to step up and be leaders” said Harold Dixon, president of the Mecklenburg PTA.

Dads at the event got the chance to take part in games and other fun outdoor activities ahead of the start of the new school year. Leaders said that having parents actively involved in their children’s lives will result in more well-rounded students who perform better academically.

The PTA said the hope is that by getting dads involved at the start of the school year, they’ll stay involved all year long.

“Go to all of the activities that the school identifies, build a relationship with the teacher, build a relationship with the principals and hopefully what the community is going to see is a strong presence of dads being involved across the district,” Dixon said.

Dads on hand Saturday were excited to be out spending the day with their children.

“My father, he was always involved in my education and also extracurricular activities. And so he instilled those kinds of values and morals in me. So I’m passing it down to my daughter,” father Ivan Lowe said.

There are 11 designated “Be There Dad” schools in CMS. Leaders of the initiative said for the first day of school, they’re challenging all fathers to be there to take their children to school.

Originally Posted Here

 

North Carolina School Boards AssociationCharlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Kicks Off ‘Be There Dad’ Initiative