There’s a great human interest story making its rounds about a high school in Louisiana. They’ve suffered numerous fights this academic year, leading to dozens of students arrested or expelled. Not wanting to let this sort of behavior continue, over 40 dads in the community signed up to patrol the school hallways.

School Resource Officers, sworn police officers detailed to schools, are common in most school districts in America. They provide a level of immediate protection to students and harden campuses. The downside to having police officers in the schools is a concerning trend of administrators referring students for criminal prosecution over matters that would otherwise be handled as a disciplinary matter by the school district.

It’s easy to see a problem and assume that someone else will handle it, someone with authority. These dads chose another path. They volunteered to take shifts at the high school. Dressed in visible red shirts, they talk and joke with the kids and quietly assert their own manly authority.

The students have responded.

Fights have stopped, students are showing up to class, and many kids are even reporting a calmer learning environment. These dads don’t carry credentials or weapons, they aren’t paid by the school district, are they are is present. A fatherly presence is a part of childhood that far too many children miss out on. It’s a presence that can mean all the difference in a child’s life.

Active, engaged, and loving fathers have the power to change the world. If only we’d let men step up to the plate and crank it out of the park.

Tags: Community