Groups organizing dads to march Philly kids to first day of school

Philadelphia groups are banding together to ask for some parental involvement on the day city public schools open.

The House of UMOJA is sponsoring it’s seventh Million Father March for the first day of school Monday. David Fattah of the group says the premise is simple, asking dads to walk their sons and daughters to school. He’s planning on hundreds meeting at 56th and Master streets in West Philadelphia.

“We want you to line up so we can march down the street to Bluford Elementary School, that will be 58th and Master and we’re going march straight down 59th street to Commodore John Barry Promise Academy,” Fattah said. 

Bilal Qayyum of the Father’s Day Rally Committee says young people really respond when fathers take an interest.

“If a father is involved in a child’s life consistently that child is likely to go to school and graduate from school,” he said. “When the father is not involved in a child’s life a a lot of these children have problems and they drop out of school.”

The group is also asking students to pledge to not use profanity while in school.