Ray Leone, parent of a son at Edgewater Elementary School and daughter at Central Middle School, was honored as Maryland PTA?s Father of the Year.
Leone, who is president of the Edgewater Elementary PTA, and his wife have been longtime volunteers at Anne Arundel schools and were named volunteers of the month earlier this year.
Leone, 44, spoke to The Examiner about the importance of parental involvement in education.
Are more fathers getting involved in Anne Arundel?s PTA?
Yeah, I think it?s grown in the last seven years I?ve been involved.
It?s less of a mom?s thing, and dads are less hands-off.
Dads are starting to feel more welcome.
I think the schools are a lot more welcoming environment, especially in the last two years, with [Superintendent Kevin Maxwell] taking over.
It used to be hard, unless you were in sports, you really weren?t welcome.
But now we?ve made leaps and bounds.
What does it take to be a successful father?
It takes being involved in children?s lives, being open to new ideas and participating.
It?s hard.
It takes some work and effort, but it?s generally very rewarding.
It?s the feeling you get helping your children and other kids.
What do you hope your PTA accomplishes for the remainder of this school year?
We want to improve community outreach.
I?d like to see us reach out into the Hispanic community.
We?ve had about 60 new families in the last two years. …
How is a child?s success best measured in school?
It?s personally how happy and productive they are.
While No Child Left Behind is important, I don?t think testing is the be all and end all.
It?s important that they get a well-rounded education.
