The Dad Difference: How and Why to Invite Fathers into Your School

A blueprint for making positive father engagement a reality in your school.

When students' fathers are engaged at school, good things happen. Discipline problems ease. Achievement rises. A positive sense of community and connection grows. The Dad Difference is a testament to the power of fathers as leaders and role models and a practical guide to working with them as educational partners.

Informed by experience and inspired by the dads whose voices appear in the book, education leaders Chacko Abraham and Deborah R. Higdon explore the transformative nature of effective father engagement programs. You'll learn…

• What the research says—how fathers' presence and absence affect student success and well-being and the overwhelming case for getting dads more involved in school.
• How to get started—advice for building a foundation of effective collaboration, from getting fathers on the phone and in the building to connecting them with peers and leveraging their talents and presence as committed partners.
• How to keep going—smart ways to navigate obstacles to father engagement, including dads feeling out of place, having irregular work schedules, and being physically distant.

You'll also find a starter kit of effective father engagement strategies—20 different activities that can expand your school's capacity, foster strong school–home relationships, and boost confidence and belonging in both kids and dads. If you're looking for a low-cost, research-backed way to improve students' academic, social, and emotional outcomes, The Dad Difference is for you.

Chacko Abraham is an international educator, school administrator, writer, speaker, and school board and PTA member. The coauthor (with Deborah R. Higdon) of The Dad Difference, his work focuses on how fathers can make a real difference in the lives of children, families, and schools. Through storytelling, reflection, and practical advice, he encourages fathers to see their role not just as a responsibility but as a sacred calling, to lead with love, to be consistent, and to help their families feel rooted no matter where life takes them. Abraham has a doctorate in education from the George Washington University and a master’s degree in education from Temple University. He served as a professor at the Universidad de San Francisco de Quito in Ecuador.

Deborah R. Higdon is an experienced educational leader who has been a school nurse, high school teacher, assistant principal, principal, and central office supervisor. The coauthor (with Chacko Abraham) of The Dad Difference, she is a father engagement specialist, a national and international speaker, and currently a K–12 administrative substitute and adjunct professor for Montgomery College, in Montgomery County, Maryland. Higdon earned a doctorate in educational leadership from Bowie State University, a master’s degree in education from Hood College, and a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing.