A group of fathers in Las Vegas has formed "Dads in School" to counter fighting and violence between the kids and promote peace and safety in the school community.
"Dads in School" was founded by Troy Martinez, who was inspired to form the group after watching a story on television about "Dads on Duty" in Louisiana. He saw that having the presence of dads on campus decreased the conflicts among the students.
Martinez is currently working on getting the approval of the board members of the Clark County School District (CCSD) to make "Dads in School" official. He understands that there is a clamor for this kind of presence as CCSD has had more than 6,100 calls to the police about school-related violence between August to November in 2021. In December last year, CCSD decided to close school days earlier for the Christmas break amid threats of school violence, which originated on social media.
The father said that while the school community has powerful and impactful teachers, the kids need to see the presence of safety. If "Dads in School" is approved, they will be noticeable around the campus and school halls with their uniforms and approachable demeanor.
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Not the Police, Working with Moms
Martinez, however, clarified that "Dads in School" will not serve as the police or the school administrators. The fathers in the program will not dish out punishment or lectures to erring students. He wants the public to think of them as referees in a football or boxing match.
"I think everyone understands what a referee's job is to be on a football field or a boxing match," Martinez told Fox5Vegas. "I think it feels really good when a young person interacts with a Dads in Schools volunteer."
"Dads in School" aims to have about ten volunteers per campus or 3,680 people across the CCSD community. Volunteers will be strictly vetted before they participate in their fatherly duties.
While their group's name says "dads," Martinez said they would also welcome moms. They are working on another group, "Moms on a Mission," to coordinate the same initiatives.
"Moms on a Mission" is composed of mothers who visit the school at lunchtime to ensure no school fights break out. They also read to the smaller children during lunch breaks. Martinez said they also want to interact with the young kids, especially during Friday afternoons, when potential school violence is hot.
Dads on Duty Gives Birth to a Movement
Meanwhile, Louisiana's "Dads on Duty" has also inspired fathers in Arizona and Idaho to form their own daddy groups to help curb school violence. "Dads on Duty" was established in mid-2021 after 23 kids at Southwood High School were arrested for fighting in school within three days.
The group is composed of about 40 fathers who take shifts to visit the school, greet the kids as they go to their classrooms, or sit down with them if they need to talk. The dads are not trained to counsel, but they do what they do best: be father figures to kids who likely have no paternal presence and nurturing in their lives.
Reports cited that there haven't been any fights among the students since having the dads around.
