Engaging Dads Through the Watch D.O.G.S. Initiative

David Owen: 00:00:00

Dads, listen up. We've got an easy way for you to help increase security at your student's school on this episode of the Inside Scoop.

Hey, and welcome back to the Inside Scoop. I'm your host, David Owen. Safe schools are essential. Parental involvement is essential. Staying connected is essential.

All of these essential things are essential to the ultimate success of our students, your children.

One way these essentials are being provided is through a program that inspires dads to play an active role without setting them up with weighty commitments. That program is called Watchdogs, and it's being done with national level excellence in our very own Varner Elementary.

I'm joined today by Principal Althea Singletary and her now esteemed Mr. Tony Tesmer. Thank you both for coming on the podcast.

Althea Singletary: 00:00:58

Thank you for having us.

Tony Tesmer: 00:00:59

Yes, thank you for having us.

David Owen: 00:01:00

You know, one of the things that caught my attention, though, first of all, I saw the phrase watchdogs. And since everybody knows the podcast is really about me. Right. My memory went back to my own experience.

I got to be a watchdog when my kids were in elementary school. Such a memorable thing. I want to share that with the community. So, Tony, let's start with you, Tony. What inspired you to take on.

You're a special ed teacher?

Tony Tesmer: 00:01:33

I'm a speech pathologist at Varner. Yes. Yes.

David Owen: 00:01:36

Okay.

Tony Tesmer: 00:01:36

And I've worked at other schools, but Varner's always been my home. So it started with my own kids. My son Ethan, when he was in kindergarten, he was at a school in Paulding county.

And I started becoming a watchdog there. There was a guy there that ran the program named Bubba Rainwater, and he did a good job and got me interested, and I started doing it there.

Loved the recess, loved hanging out with the kids and doing the things. That was great. But then when I went to go to work at Varner, I met Ms. Singletary and I met Beth Lehrer, who is now principal elsewhere.

And I walked into her office just as a new teacher, and I saw the big pile of of materials under the desk is purple and yellow. And I was like, are you starting a Watchdogs chapter? She said, we actually are. And she said, we have a dad.

I have to give a shout out to Maurice Royter. He was the original dog father. You'll hear me say that about the guys that run the program with me.

David Owen: 00:02:29

I love that.

Tony Tesmer: 00:02:30

These are great dads that help run it from the dad's perspective and I run it from the school perspective. But that's how I got into it. And We've been running ever since, minus the pandemic.

David Owen: 00:02:40

So dog father, the dog. Did you come up with that? Because that's pretty cool.

Tony Tesmer: 00:02:45

Just kind of stuck, you know, we've. We've had several. Maurice was the first one and then it went to Kelvin Edwards.

ho's been my dog father since: 2016

David Owen: 00:02:58

Okay.

Tony Tesmer: 00:02:59

His last child is graduating from our school and so he'll be going to middle school. So we have to pick a new one. But I've already got a guy in mind. He knows.

David Owen: 00:03:07

He's already. He already feels the eyes on him.

Tony Tesmer: 00:03:10

He already knows. Yes.

David Owen: 00:03:11

So this could be for either of you, what do the Watchdogs do in the day to day? I mean, I have an idea because I got to enjoy doing it, but could you share with the audience, either of you, what watchdogs do in your building?

Althea Singletary: 00:03:28

They start first thing in the morning. They go throughout the entire school day. You would agree, Tony. Tony does a great job of working with the dads.

They come in first thing in the morning. They start the beginning of the day with the schedule. They have an opportunity to do a wonderful shout out on the news team.

So they get an opportunity to take a picture with their child or children. And so they have the opportunity to do a shout out on the news team and say good morning to everyone and start the day.

They go outside to do beautification around the school. They have an opportunity to engage with specials and with their child and our children.

They have a chance to do tutorial opportunities and read a book, do math. They go to art, music, PE and various things as well as they end the day and have a chance to take their child home, our children home.

And they always say, oh my God, I've never worked so hard at the end of the day, don't they?

Tony Tesmer: 00:04:43

That's correct. It's funny what they say because they're like, this has been a really exhausting day, but it's been a lot of fun as well.

David Owen: 00:04:49

I was going to say it's hard work but good work, right?

Tony Tesmer: 00:04:52

Yes.

Althea Singletary: 00:04:52

Yes.

Tony Tesmer: 00:04:53

I really feel like it gives them an insight as to what teachers do and what their students do throughout a school day. We're not just talking about during a school day either because we do nighttime functions as well.

Anything that the PTA or foundations does at our school and foundations is where we get donation money and things from anything that they do. We. They always reach out to me and say, can we get this many watchdogs for this or that or whatever.

And I put up a sign up, and we typically, especially starting last year, get it completely filled. So we do nighttime events and daytime. The daytime they are busy.

I made sure the schedule is completely booked from start to finish because I don't want them to feel like when they're coming to the school, they're just standing around.

David Owen: 00:05:33

Yeah.

Tony Tesmer: 00:05:33

I want them busy, and I want them to know that this is what your kid does every day so that they get an idea, a snapshot of, like, what their school day is like every day.

David Owen: 00:05:41

That's pretty cool. And. And so basically, yeah, you're. You're working them.

Tony Tesmer: 00:05:46

Yes.

David Owen: 00:05:46

But they also have. They feel the value of being there.

Tony Tesmer: 00:05:51

I hope they do. I believe they do. One of the things that I've.

I've really focused on the last few years especially is I make sure throughout the day that I go find them and ask them, how's your school day going? You know, I mean, it sounds like what you would ask your kid. Right. But I just want them to know I care that you're here. I want you to come back.

And I hope that you feel like this is awesome, because I feel like it's awesome. And I'd say 95 to 99% of my dads feel the same way.

David Owen: 00:06:17

Yeah. So, Althea, how has this impacted your school culture? I mean, you've got kind of the feel of your building.

I guess maybe you can remember before Watchdogs was implemented and then after. How has that changed?

Althea Singletary: 00:06:35

I've had the pleasure of being at Varn for 12 years, and so we've had the program for 10. 10 years. So the two years prior and now since we've had. Has immensely. Just impacted greatly.

Attendance has always been good, but attendance is even better. The students love coming to school. They ask for the Watchdogs. You could hear the children in the hallway saying, oh, my gosh, is so dad coming today?

Are they gonna be here for recess? Oh, my gosh, Is Logan's father coming? Is he gonna be able to go outside?

David Owen: 00:07:16

I'm guessing the cool dads, right?

Althea Singletary: 00:07:18

The cool dads. The cool dads. Is he coming? Is he gonna be a part of recess? Because they love building relationships.

David Owen: 00:07:26

Yeah.

Althea Singletary: 00:07:27

That's what it's all about, relationships. It really has been a positive impact on our school culture, and it's a great morale booster. It really, really is.

David Owen: 00:07:39

And that probably trickles out. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cut you off. But that trickles out into the broader community.

Tony Tesmer: 00:07:47

Absolutely, it does. The funny thing is we incentivize the program to make sure that we recognize the guys that do a really good job.

And last year's watchdog of the year was a grandfather. He came 14 times last year to win the award.

David Owen: 00:08:02

Wow.

Tony Tesmer: 00:08:02

Yeah. Great guy. He is. Totally invest. The biggest thing is you have to have that hook. Right?

And anything you do in your life, you have to find that thing that really pulls you in and makes you want to do it. When he got to read to his granddaughter in the classroom, that was the hook. He was hooked at that point, and I knew it, and I love it.

The more dads, grandfathers, stepdads, uncles, whoever is the male role model we can get, the better. It's funny. My voice is shot and it's been shot for a while now. Popular was yelling in Caroline. I want all of them.

I want every dad, grandfather, stepdad we can get. Because research shows that it's important.

Dad involvement in academics early on, unfortunately, or fortunately, whichever way you look at it, is the key to academic success later on. We need dads and strong dads there all the time.

David Owen: 00:08:53

Dads and father figures, father figures, mentors.

Tony Tesmer: 00:08:56

That kind of thing. And it's that important. It's not just that. It's also, as you mentioned in the beginning, it's not a security force so much.

It is like if, you know, Varner elementary has a huge dad, grandfather, whatever presence, people are going to try and do things there that they shouldn't do.

David Owen: 00:09:14

Right.

Tony Tesmer: 00:09:14

And we'll leave it at that. But it definitely is a program that inspires dads to come out in full force.

David Owen: 00:09:21

Do either of you have a memorable moment that kind of reflects the heart of the program that you share?

Tony Tesmer: 00:09:27

Oh, definitely.

ng. And I was excited because: 1920

David Owen: 00:09:50

Okay, wait a minute. When you say watchdog occurrence.

Tony Tesmer: 00:09:53

Yeah.

David Owen: 00:09:53

What does that mean?

Tony Tesmer: 00:09:54

It's a visit by a watchdog at our school, either during the day or at a night thing. So, okay, we were at 68 at the time, March 13th, and we had, I think, four scheduled the next week, which would put us at 72. I knew it.

With field day and all the other events throughout the rest of the School year, we were going to hit 100 for the first time ever. So excited we went out. It didn't happen.

David Owen: 00:10:16

Oh, wow.

Tony Tesmer: 00:10:17

y, so now you Fast forward to: 2022

I'm seeing clients. I get a text, and I usually don't check my text during speech therapy, but I looked at my watch, it was for Ms. Singletary, and she knows the story.

I was sitting there and I got a text that said, are you going to need a table tomorrow for meet and greet? I said, wait a second. Does she mean no? It can't be. Sure enough, I text her back and said, are you telling me we can have watchdogs back?

She came back and I heard her voice saying, yes, Tony, we can have watchdogs back. I stood up and did a dance in the kids room. I immediately texted Drexel, who is now the dog father, and I said, we're ready to go.

He said, wait, what? I said, watchdogs. And it was. It was on.

David Owen: 00:11:10

You got the green light.

Tony Tesmer: 00:11:12

Oh, my gosh.

David Owen: 00:11:12

Yeah. So. So how did that. I mean, one of the things about the topics, and this isn't a pandemic podcast, don't want to depressed.

But, you know, the rebound from COVID has varied from school district to school district and even school to school. How do you feel that that impacted your rebound at Varner?

Tony Tesmer: 00:11:36

Hugely.

Althea Singletary: 00:11:37

Oh, my gosh. The parents. I had so many parents who sent emails. They came to physically visit me. Ms. Singletary, we want to come back into the schools.

We want to come back to Varna. We love being a part of it. I have such a huge amount of parent particip patient at the school, and they wanted to come back.

They wanted to be watchdogs. They wanted the presence to be known at the school. They were elated and wanted to be a part of it.

And so when they knew they could come back, that was something. They were so excited. And so when I called Tony, his excitement trickled down.

The line was from the cafeteria to the front entrance of the school for our kickoff. For the kickoff.

David Owen: 00:12:30

Okay, so I don't know your school's layout, but I can imagine grade levels back.

Tony Tesmer: 00:12:34

4. Sorry. Kindergarten, first, second, third is where the cafeteria is. And they were lined up all the way down to the front B.

Althea Singletary: 00:12:41

As far as measurement, I mean, 300 plus dads.

Tony Tesmer: 00:12:46

Yeah, it was huge.

David Owen: 00:12:48

Okay, so now you got a glut of dads what do you do?

Tony Tesmer: 00:12:51

I mean, honestly, we had pizza for them. We had pizza. We had beverages. That's how we do our kickoff.

David Owen: 00:12:56

That's all you? Yeah, that's.

Tony Tesmer: 00:12:57

That's. Every kickoff is pizza and beverages.

Althea Singletary: 00:12:59

Absolutely right. Absolutely.

Tony Tesmer: 00:13:01

The numbers were the proof in the pudding. We didn't get every dad that showed up at the. At the kickoff to be there, but our numbers went from 68 to 132.

David Owen: 00:13:11

Wait, wait. You've got 132 dads signed up for your program?

Tony Tesmer: 00:13:15

Yes. They showed up to be in the school. That's not it. Oh, I'm not done yet. The next year was 142.

And last year was 262 times that a dad was in our building. Yes, it's that involved at our school. That's what it takes to make a successful program.

Althea Singletary: 00:13:30

Absolutely.

David Owen: 00:13:31

So the Watchdogs program is a national thing. It's not a cosmic thing. This is out of left field. Do you have a clue how many programs are out there in the.

Tony Tesmer: 00:13:41

There's over 8,800 chapters in the nation. We have several in Cobb. Yes.

David Owen: 00:13:47

National.

Althea Singletary: 00:13:48

Are you national that. Super proud. Super proud. The National Watchdog of the Year is Tony Testburn.

David Owen: 00:13:56

Doing something right, it's just.

Tony Tesmer: 00:14:00

I love the energy that it brings. When you have dads that come in and they give you this energy, you have no choice but to give it right back to them.

I told this story to quite a few people at the end of last school year. I was exhausted mentally, physically, emotionally, just like, whew. But it felt so good because we had so much dad involvement. And they.

You're not going to be surprised. Maybe. But the things you can do with that many dads, it's unheard of. Like landscaping projects. We did organizing of a workroom, a storage room.

We've done painting. They've done projects throughout the school over and over again. And all I do is ask. And these dads volunteer their time and the. The award.

I'm honored. I'm humbled by the award. But the award is a reflection of these dads and these grandpas, these. These male mentors that come to our school.

The amount that they show up, it's unheard of. You don't hear of that many dads in an elementary school. It's mostly so to get them there. That means the world to me.

I know it means the world to Ms. Singletary. And it's just. It's amazing.

David Owen: 00:15:06

And the world to their students. Yes, I remember that earlier you mentioned the. The beginning of the day, I think it was. Dads are out there letting kids out of the cars and car lots.

And then you go inside, everybody's getting ready to start the day. You do do your morning news broadcast, and I just remember they said, come on, you need to get on camera. I'm like, no, I'm not really.

I'm just here to, you know, let kids out of the cars and stuff.

Tony Tesmer: 00:15:32

Right.

David Owen: 00:15:33

But then they said, and. And your daughter, as to Joy, I'm like, okay, I'm in. Well, then, yeah, I mean, you know, that.

That relationship, not just showing the rest of the kids in the school that you're here and you're in their corner, but that relationship, your personal relationship, is also a boost.

Althea Singletary: 00:15:51

Absolutely.

Tony Tesmer: 00:15:52

And then Drexel, who is the dog father, will tell you. And it resonates with me. It's not just about your own kid. It's about all the other kids in the class at recess in the school.

You're there to help out with all the kids.

And I feel like the other kids, especially the ones that maybe that don't have a male role model in their life, they kind of cling to those watchdogs, and they love it. They just love that attention. So it's huge to have that in the classes.

And when they come to see me to watch, you know, a video about, you know, educational rights, which I'm sure is really exciting to them for three minutes. When I'm done with that, I always tell them, look, you're gonna have kids in the class that your kids are in that. That maybe don't have that.

Try to give them that extra attention, because they may not get it in their life. It's. It's a positive, and I think you'll enjoy it. And they do. They love.

David Owen: 00:16:37

Yeah, yeah, you're right. You could be an island to a child who needs an island. So let's. Let's kind of get to the bottom line.

For some of these folks watching that might be considering either participating in or starting a program. For the dads, what kind of a time commitment do they typically experience when they sign up?

Tony Tesmer: 00:16:58

It differs. We have so many opportunities for them to come in and be a watchdog. I would. I would encourage the schools to have the kickoff and get it started.

That's the base thing. Get the starter kit from national watchdogs. Talk to your PTA and your administrat.

David Owen: 00:17:13

Get.

Tony Tesmer: 00:17:13

Get the funding for that and get rolling, and then offer all kinds of opportunities to your dads. Give them and your grandpas Give them opportunities during school day, give them after school things.

Because some of these guys work and they're not sure. No. Right off the bat, they're not going to buy in that much to give up their income to come do this.

David Owen: 00:17:30

Right.

Tony Tesmer: 00:17:31

These guys are selfless. When they start getting hooked and they get involved into it, they give up their days and they come do it more and more and more.

So just get it started. If you need help, you know, you can list my email, my phone number, whatever. I'm there to help.

I want to help these schools get all these chapters started because they need to have watchdogs at every single school at all three levels, elementary, middle and high school. It's not going to look the same in the higher, higher levels. I get that. But dad involvement is that important.

You have to have it all the way through male mentors, grandfathers, whatever you can do.

David Owen: 00:18:07

Are you saying that it's available in middle school and high school?

Tony Tesmer: 00:18:10

Yes. Any school can have a watchdogs chapter. I think that they have frowned upon it because of the. The taboo of having dads at that level.

Oh, I don't want my dad around. But you have sporting events, you have projects that need to be done around the building.

You have dads that are eager to get in there and get involved. I can tell you right now, the middle school we feed into has a lot of dads that have gone there. And they're saying, let's get this started.

We actually had people from TAP and McEachern at our school for our kickoff. Absolutely.

Althea Singletary: 00:18:38

They're looking to start it. Absolutely.

Tony Tesmer: 00:18:41

So they can call me. We'll get over there, we'll get it started. My dog father is going to middle school next year.

Althea Singletary: 00:18:47

Absolutely.

Tony Tesmer: 00:18:47

It would be a great guy to task in your first.

David Owen: 00:18:50

Having them roll up like that. Okay. So your kid may ask you to drop you drop them off like a block away.

Tony Tesmer: 00:18:57

Right.

David Owen: 00:18:57

Don't see them in car line, but which I get all the time. And that's a reputational thing. I'm sure, I'm sure. But yeah, I mean, that's fascinating.

I'd never contemplated that that was even an option because of that. Exactly what you talked about.

Tony Tesmer: 00:19:13

It is.

David Owen: 00:19:14

So how can parents and community members get involved?

You've kind of already stated what some of the options are, but is there a way for, say, the community at large to support what the watchdogs programs are doing?

Tony Tesmer: 00:19:30

They can. We actually have social media for our program. So that's one way that could support our particular program.

I'm sure the other programs also have social media as well. But if you just Google Varner Watchdogs and look for our social media, you can find us. I think it's at Varner Watchdogs.

We're on Instagram, Facebook, we have our own webpage.

You can actually go through the district website and go to our school and go to volunteers and then Watchdogs seems like a lot of steps, but it's not. And then right there you'll see all of our stuff that we're doing.

I mean, we've been through the challenging stages of getting it started all the way till now where it's like it's just flowing.

David Owen: 00:20:07

So this is a phenomenal program.

And just to summarize, for those dads who are out there thinking about it, contact them, find out more about what the options are because there are full day options or part day options to help you coordinate your schedule to help them. And as far as community members go, they can reach out to you Principal Sega there and find out specific ways that they can help as well.

So thank you guys so much for coming in and we're out here. I really appreciate that. Now we'll make sure that you have the links that you need in the show, notes and descriptions of this podcast.

And you can help spread the word word about this unique opportunity for dads by giving this episode a like and sharing it on your social media. And don't forget to subscribe and follow so you'll know when the next episode is released.

So thank you for listening to this edition of the Inside Scoop, a podcast produced by the Cobb County School.