By Rinna Waddhany

| The Salt Lake Tribune

In an organization composed mostly of moms, Midvale Middle School’s PTSA president stands out. Why? Because he’s a dad.

Ulises Fernandez, an immigrant from Argentina who has two children in the school system, is the head of Midvale Middle’s parent teacher student association. Although he began as the only male parent in the organization’s board, he has since recruited three more fathers.

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"For many, many years, the [PTSA] has been primarily made up of moms," Fernandez said. "The perspective of the dad has been missing."

Fernandez joined the association three years ago to become more involved in his children’s schooling and to contribute to the community in general. But the decision proved a little awkward at first. Fernandez was the only father in the organization’s board of 15 members. Still, he stuck with it.

"I wanted to commit to do more for the kids and the schools," he said.

Fernandez said he had read about numerous studies dealing with fathers’ involvement in their children’s education.

"From research, the kids will do better academically when they have males involved," he said. "When it’s the mom, the kids are often better socially."

Monika Timm, who will be taking over as president next year, describes Fernandez as instrumental in bringing more fathers into the PTSA fold. She values that diversity.

"We always wanted more people," she said. "The cool thing about there being men is it gives a different perspective."

Among the benefits: It helps people to see that the PTSA is not just about the typical stay-at-home mom image. She, and many other mothers, work full-time.

Claudia Geist, an assistant sociology professor at the University of Utah, said children benefit from having both parents actively engaged in education. She shares Fernandez’s view that mothers and fathers lend different strengths to a child’s schooling.

"Women are seen as the ones that are more nurturing," Geist said. "So the difference in having that other parental figure can bring in some additional resources for the child."

Fernandez has ninth-grade son who attends Midvale Middle. He also has a sixth-grade daughter enrolled in Midvale Elementary. Consequently, Fernandez has become more involved in grade-school happenings, as well.

"After I got involved in my son’s school, my daughter asked me, ‘When are you going to come and be a part of my school?’ " he said.

So Fernandez has joined the community council at Midvale Elementary. He said he knows his children appreciate his involvement, even thought his teenage son doesn’t say it aloud.

Because of the benefits he has seen for his own family, Fernandez has recruited dads such as Ram Jayakumar to the organization. Jayakumar, who also wanted to take a more active role in his ninth-grade son’s education, now helps the school integrate parents who come from different countries or don’t speak English.

"My focus is on making everyone feel welcomed and included," he said.