[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 9 (Monday, February 7, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S392-S393]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         THE WATCHDOGS PROGRAM

 Mr. HUTCHINSON. Mr. President, I rise today to commend a 
special program that is having a positive impact on schools throughout 
my home State of Arkansas. This program is called WatchDOGS, and was 
founded to combat school violence in the wake of the Jonesboro tragedy 
by Jim Moore, PTA President of Gene George Elementary School in 
Sprindgale, Arkansas. Jim has informed me that the program has rapidly 
expanded to about 35 schools and I share in his goal of seeing it 
implemented in schools throughout the State of Arkansas. Furthermore, 
it is my hope that this program will be implemented in schools 
throughout the nation.
  In a WatchDOGS program, fathers and grandfathers of students 
volunteer to spend at least one day a year in their child's school. By 
doing so, they not only provide unobtrusive security, but they also 
serve as positive role models for the children. Each school has a 
WatchDOGS coordinator who schedules the shifts to ensure that there is 
a father or grandfather on the premises at all times. WatchDOGS 
participate in a wide variety of school activities. For example, they 
read to and tutor students, participate in playground activities, eat 
lunch with students, and assist in the loading and unloading of school 
buses.
  I believe that this program can be a great tool in our efforts to 
prevent school violence and to improve student performance because it 
increase parental initiative and involvement in their children's 
education. It can often be implemented without any expenditure of 
school funds as the only supplies necessary are a pair of walkie-
talkies and identifying t-shirts, which are usually donated by local 
merchants or the PTA.
  I hope that my colleagues will ask the school superintendents and 
principals in their respective home states to consider implementing 
this program in their schools. Finally, I wish to thank Jim Moore, Gene 
George Elementary School Principal Jim Lewis,

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and all the other people who have worked so hard to develop and 
implement the WatchDOGS program. Thank you for helping to make Arkansas 
schools the safe havens of learning that they are meant to be.

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