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Dad sees perks of role in PTA

By LINDA TRIMBLE
EDUCATION WRITER

NEW SMYRNA BEACH — Joseph Darrisaw used to leave PTA meetings and similar events at his daughters´ school up to his wife.

N-J Photo/LINDA TRIMBEe

That was until about four years ago, when his wife had to take a break because of health problems and Darrisaw filled in for her at Chisholm Elementary School, where two of their daughters attended classes.

It wasn´t long before Darrisaw noticed his daughters liked seeing their dad around school and took pride in his growing involvement with the PTA that included two years as president of Chisholm´s chapter. "It made a world of difference," Darrisaw said. "They were proud Dad was there at school."

Now, as president of the Volusia County Council of PTAs, Darrisaw is trying to get more dads involved in the parent-teacher groups at their children´s schools and in their children´s education.

He´s hooked up with All Pro Dad, a program involving more than 30 National Football League players and coaches that offers information and advice on how men can become better fathers. Family First, a nonprofit Tampa-based organization devoted to promoting stronger families, sponsors the program.

Bryan Davis, All Pro Dad director, plans to lead a training program for fathers Saturday as part of the PTA Council´s Family & Friends Day at Daytona USA.

Darrisaw has already completed the All Pro Dad training and is excited about sharing it with others because of the positive impact it´s had on his relationships with his three daughters.

He was only 3 when his father died and said, "I never really had a male figure in my life." There was no one "to give me a proper perspective as a young man," Darrisaw said, until he latched on to some of his male teachers as role models.

Darrisaw´s local initiative to get dads more involved in PTA and their children´s education is an offshoot of a National PTA campaign to make the organization´s membership more diverse and representative of the nation.

"There´s a stigma for PTA that it´s white, suburban mothers," said James Martinez, spokesman for the National PTA. "We are sending a message to state and local PTAs on how to recruit fathers."

Many times, Martinez said, that´s as simple as asking dads to get involved and planning activities that interest them, such as sports-related events. A national survey done five years ago concluded many fathers weren´t involved in PTA because they´d never been asked, he said.

Some strides have been made since then. Martinez said the 6 million PTA members nationwide now include about 750,000 men, and the number of them serving as PTA presidents has doubled in the last three years.

Darrisaw´s pitch for more men to join includes emphasizing PTA´s long history as a child advocacy organization and downplaying its image as a fundraiser.

And then there are the benefits he´s seen in his own family.

"With fathers getting more involved in PTA, it shows their children they are concerned with their life in school and at home," said Darrisaw, who is a teacher´s assistant at New Smyrna Beach High School. "It shows children you have a total involvement with their lives, especially in education."

The hour-long All Pro Dads seminar is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. as part of the all-day Volusia PTA event that will include Daytona USA admission, tours of Daytona International Speedway and showings of the NASCAR 3D Experience movie.

Tickets are available through Daytona USA. They cost $12 in advance and $16 at the door.

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