New York Times parenting blogger Lisa Belkin reports that Charles Saylors will become the first male president of the national Parent Teacher Association this June, the first dad to assume the role in the organization’s 112-year history. Belkin says the involvement of both parents in a child’s education--including joining the PTA, which is only 10 percent male on the national level--has a positive impact.
The National Household Education Survey by the US Department of Education found that: Students whose fathers were highly involved at school were 43 percent more likely to receive As. Children of highly involved resident fathers were 55 percent more likely to enjoy school than those with uninvolved fathers. Students with nonresident fathers who participated in even one activity at school were 39 percent less likely to repeat a grade and 50 percent less likely to experience serious disciplinary problems.
