National PTA Has First Male President

It's an area that was once the domain of women.  And even now, only about 10-percent the members of the PTA are men.
But that's a number a lot of people think is only going to go up.

To meet Craig Passe for lunch, the only business you discuss is whatever involves raising four year old Ella and one year old Leah.  "I guess I don't think of myself as that different. I think there's probably a lot of people out there doing it," Passe says.  Passe is one of 98,000 stay at home dads in the U.S., according to census figures.
 
Although small compared to the 5.6 million stay at home moms, it's a growing number.
It is also an example of how dad's are continuing to get far more involved in raising their kids, not just coaching them.

And a big step forward now is Charles Saylors, who this year becomes the first ever male president of the National PTA.

Jim Meffert-Nelson is Minnesota's PTA president elect and represents how fathers are, with each year, getting more involved in schools -once almost exclusively the volunteer domain of moms.  With Chuck taking over,  there's certainly an image of a dad being involved which is different than we're used to. And it's exciting," says Meffert-Nelson.  Dads are welcome in schools and dads need to be equal partners in raising their children and doing homework and understanding what's happening in the classroom and connecting with the teacher."

Craig just figures he'll stay very hands on...he'll probably return to the workforce.  For now, this dad has a big job at home.
Being a stay at home dad has made me realize how much there is to do."

And I think it would work for either gender either way.. once a parent stays home, I think you just become very involved in your child's life," adds Meffert-Nelson.

    


Rob Olson - FOX News