Strong Men. Strong Head Start

Fathers and male caregivers walk alongside young learners for Dad Walk Your Child to School Day 2026.

LINDEN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, NJ (Sept. 17) — About 50 fathers, stepfathers, uncles and other male caregivers walked children to The Leaguers’ preschool facility in Roselle on Thursday (Sept. 17) for National Dad Walk Your Child to School Day, showing their support for young learners by starting the school day beside them.

The time together continued inside. Some settled onto colorful classroom floors to read with children. Others pulled up tiny chairs, sharing books and joining preschoolers in their school surroundings.

Linden Mayor Derek Armstead, Superintendent Dr. Atiya Y. Perkins and Assistant Superintendent Annabell Louis joined The Leaguers Inc. CEO Walter K. Frye, other local leaders and facility staff for the gathering. Speakers encouraged caregivers to carry that involvement beyond the morning walk and into their everyday routines.

Connecting Home and School

The Leaguers is one of four community providers partnering with Linden Public Schools to offer preschool education to eligible 3- and 4-year-olds. The district also partners with Sprouts, Alvey Education Center and Building Blocks Learning Center. The Leaguers’ Roselle location houses five classrooms serving approximately 70 Linden preschoolers.

Founded in Newark in 1943, The Leaguers is New Jersey’s oldest incorporated African American social service agency. The private, nonprofit organization provides early childhood education and family support in Essex and neighboring counties.

Superintendent Perkins thanked caregivers for supporting the district’s youngest learners. Children need instruction, love and support at home and in school, she said, emphasizing that the district’s partnership with Head Start extends beyond the day’s event.

“It’s a commitment to loving, to learning, and ensuring that our children get the best,” Dr. Perkins said.

Making the Most of the Morning

Mayor Armstead, a father of five, recalled how taking his children to school gave him time to talk with them about education, citizenship and respect.

He also made up songs to entertain them along the way. Amid the demands of public office, those morning rides offered time to listen, find out what his children were thinking and give them guidance.

“Enjoy your children. Spend time with them,” Armstead said.

Frye shared his own account of learning to make time. When his children were young, he said, his daughter’s repeated references to his golf outings made him reconsider the hours he spent away on weekends.

He began bringing his children to the golf course. His game became less important than spending time with them and teaching them to play.

Frye encouraged caregivers to remain active in their children’s education through preschool, kindergarten and the years that follow.

Staying Involved Beyond the Walk

Richard Paul, an Elizabeth pastor and community leader who has served on The Leaguers’ policy council and parent committee, offered a practical way to keep that connection going: Ask children about their day.

“What was for lunch?”

Paul said he uses that simple question to begin conversations about what his children learned, what went well and what was difficult. Even when he packs their lunch, he still asks.

He encouraged caregivers to establish those conversations early and participate in school meetings, parent committees and classroom activities.

“You have to be your child’s loudest and strongest advocate,” Paul said.

Dad Walk Your Child to School Day encourages fathers and other male mentors to support attendance and take an active role in children’s education throughout the year.

For Linden Public Schools, the gathering reflected the Relationships pillar of ROAR and Strategic Priority 5: Community and Stakeholder Partnership. From the walk to school to the books shared inside, caregivers spent the morning participating in their children’s learning and strengthening their connection to school.