In this episode, Principal Mike Wiley of California Trail Middle School shares about Father's Club, the activities they do, and impact it's having on his building. Father's Club is a grassroots effort that started in a Blue Valley high school but has since grown and spread to 40+ middle and high schools. Only 3 years into his program, Mr. Wiley's school and community are enjoying the fruits of this group's efforts.
The Father’s Club is a dad-led, grassroots effort creating simple ways for dads to be intentional with their KIDS, with other DADS and within their COMMUNITY. With resolve, humility, and love, our mission is to be a catalyst for positive influence around the world.
Rick Sola (00:01.56)
Hello and welcome to another edition of Cool Coffee with Kansas principals. Today I'm with Mr. Mike Wiley of California Trail Middle School, home of the Bulldogs here in USD 233, Olathe. Hello Mike.
Mike (00:16.194)
Good afternoon, Rick. How are you?
Rick Sola (00:18.186)
I am doing okay. We're just completing a Monday and the start of a week off of a Chiefs win. I see your Chiefs attire there. That's perfect.
Mike (00:28.398)
Well it is Red Ribbon Week at California Trail and today was Red Day so it seemed pretty fitting.
Rick Sola (00:35.63)
Perfect. We won't bring up the other game, although I'd like to. I know we're on the same side of the state collegiate game on Saturday night. Don't want to alienate our listeners, but I think you and I were happy with that outcome.
Mike (00:50.046)
Anxious, anxious most of night, but yes happy ultimately.
Rick Sola (00:53.612)
Yeah, we got it done. So before we get started, I do want to draw attention again to the show notes for this and every show. You're going to find a full transcript of today's show contact information for our guests and also a Google form to leave some feedback input or express interest to be on this show. So please check it out. And I do think today there's quite a bit that will be in the show notes cause some resources will be left. We're talking about father's club and
Mike, your school at California Trail is heavily involved in that. And it's, I don't know if it's totally unique or if it's fairly new. It's new in the Kansas City area, but what has been really interesting about it is seeing it grow. And so I wanted to talk with you a little bit about that and the school I'm at. have our experience with it as well, but I know you're doing really great things at California Trail. So for those who have no idea what Father's Club is,
Talk to us about Father's Club, what is it?
Mike (01:54.548)
Absolutely. was in that seat a few years ago, knowing nothing about the organization and actually experienced it first as a dad. My kids went through Olathe South, my two older went through Olathe South, my youngest is actually struggling her way through a building now in middle school, at Rick's school to be honest. That leads me
Rick Sola (02:19.03)
Yeah, that was very, very nice of you. Thank you.
Mike (02:21.854)
Olathe South and she's doing great there, great things going on. when my oldest was at Olathe South, there was a little bit of a buzz about a new organization, a new way to get involved as a parent and that was Father's Club. Father's Club, think originally started at Blue Valley High School and as an organization that they were struggling with some things with kids.
having some mental health issues and some of those kind of things. And I think a group of dads talked to the principal about how could they get involved and make a positive impact on the school. And that's kind of where it started. And then it has spread to a lot of metro schools. And I think they're even expanding to kind of guide different clubs outside of both the
Kansas and Missouri sides. As a parent, I looked at it as an opportunity to connect with my daughters as well as friends of theirs and things like that in a real low key manner that maybe could just make a difference in a kid's day or a kid's week or a kid's school year. So that's kind of the gist of why I got involved in Father's Club and
kind of where that started.
Rick Sola (03:53.762)
Yeah, and I'm to put the website up here and I've got it pulled up right here and there's over 40 schools on the Kansas and Missouri side that are with active chapters. And, you know, I think when you and I were initially talking about this a few years ago, kind of in the same boat, trying to get some information, how does it relate to middle school? Does it relate to middle school? There weren't, I don't know if quite half, there weren't nearly as many schools that were involved, but it just, it's
in the area we're in, we're seeing a major growth and certainly the districts out here in the Kansas City area. You mentioned Father's Club and your involvement as a dad. What did that look like as you were a parent of Olathe South? How did it present itself to you?
Mike (04:42.708)
Sure, so they wanted to do some encouraging things around finals, I think was the first one that I went to. And at that event, a group of dads organized it and then invited others in to help pass out. They did breakfast burritos from McDonald's. Somebody had a connection.
a connection with McDonald's and got them at a fairly reasonable rate. And they handed out breakfast burritos to every student as they arrived in the morning. Of course they had run it through admin and made sure that they were good with those kind of things. But just they're offering a fist bump and a hey, good luck on your finals. And here's something to munch on to make sure your body's ready to go in and utilize what you've got in your mind with finals.
That was pretty cool. I got involved and did a couple of those kind of as they as they worked in my schedule, which was a little bit more difficult since my school and in late the South are starting in times were fairly close at that time. And so it took some finagling on my end. But what I got out of it as a dad was just seeing seeing some kids that maybe my daughters had played softball or soccer.
with years ago and I hadn't seen for years and they're like, hey, Mr. Wiley, how are you? And that was fun. And then I also had the kind of the inside with knowing the admin team pretty well and asked what, how did that impact your day? And they were just talking about the buzz that it created in the building and just the overall kind of positive feeling that was really obvious to all of the staff there.
So I'm like, okay, this is something that I want to get behind as a dad and do. And then ultimately there came a conversation. I was talking with the leader of the Olathe South chapter and he was talking to me about, you know, what would it look like in our middle school to get something like this done? And so I reached out to, reached out or he helped me reach out to kind of the
Mike (07:06.942)
the core group that was helping guide the club on a bigger scale and had a conversation around some of the different things that we could do and it was exciting and so we started here at CT.
Rick Sola (07:23.586)
So you talked a little bit about as a dad, shifting positions or putting a different hat on now as a principal and you're of a middle school that did not have it. You see it around you. What were some of those, I guess, growth processes you went through or considerations as you went to adopt it or consider adopting it at California?
Mike (07:45.324)
Yeah, so if you've ever been involved in a booster club or a PTO or something like that, you know very clearly that the impact that that group is going to have is, you know, truly correlated to the folks that are involved. And so we first started talking to some parents that I knew were, you know, that were involved with different things like coaching kids and doing some of those kind of things already. And I would
them at you know parent teacher conferences in the drop off and pick up lane and they were friendly charismatic people and so I shared those names kind of with the district director if you will and he did kind of a soft reach out to them said hey this is the organization and
And we're thinking about thinking about doing something at the middle school level. Mr. Wiley shared your name as somebody that's a positive influence in the community and some of those kind of things. And they went through and talked about what the program has been in different places. And then we sat down as a group and talked about what would be a way to kind of start off small here at California Trail and then build some momentum and some of those kind of
So that's kind of the way we we kicked it off from from
Rick Sola (09:14.434)
So, now go ahead.
Mike (09:17.626)
From there, we had some events coming up that we were having parents into the building for, think it was a spring fifth grade, fifth grade parent night where parents come in and learn about different activities. had Father's Club had a table, it sat out there by our PTO table and each group was kind of talking to talking to parents as they came in. They shared a little bit.
that night about the vision for each of those organizations and that was kind of the way we kicked off and started the membership. At first was kind of, know, membership was slow. I think people thought, gosh, I'm going to get hooked into doing something every week and for two hours a week and some of those kind of things. And we tried to reassure that it's a pick and choose, find what fits in your schedule and some of those kind of things.
It started to build momentum.
Rick Sola (10:19.362)
So you touch on this little bit at the origins of when it was popping up in Blue Valley, but kind of that why Father's Club? And I think there's an obvious question that has presented itself. And we do have a chapter here at the building I'm in. And it's been asked as it's very specific, Father's Club. What about moms? Where do moms fit in this? Or how does that look with this club?
Mike (10:47.854)
Yeah, I know your wife and my wife have been very, very involved in the elementary booster club and some of those kind of things and been used to that and been very involved in talking with our elementary principals. That's kind of the model there, right? The majority of their involvement is from the moms and there's a spot for that. In our building, we do have a PTO and PTO looks at doing some different things.
And, you know, they're really their mission in our building anyway, the PTO mission is building community, supporting tradition and expanding opportunities for students and staff. When we added the Father's Club, we were able to engage a part of our community that really wasn't engaging in that program, you know, in the PTO program. And it's really been good as far as, you know, if there's a mom that wants to,
wants to get involved. I think there are all kinds of avenues to do that. The Father's Club organization as a whole has had a couple of those conversations, I think, in other buildings. We really haven't run into that here because we do have different ways to get involved and know what's going on and be able to support your child's education. And Father's Club hasn't had to be that for.
That group,
Rick Sola (12:20.428)
Yeah, one thing I've liked is, you it's a stereotype perhaps, but dads are generally speaking underrepresented at the table in schools, in our schools. And that's a point of emphasis here is, you know, we may do a handful of events throughout the year. If you miss the first one, that doesn't mean you don't come back or that, you can't commit. It's truly a
hey, you can make this fist bump welcome, but you can't make the burrito give out or whatever. That doesn't disqualify you from being a part of the Father's Club and just being a part of it. speaking to that, your building, think you're three years into it, what are some of those maybe events that have grown into an annual expectation versus maybe something you're trying new this year?
Mike (13:16.14)
Yeah, so.
Kind of the annual expectation piece would be showing up at drop off a few times and doing fist bumps. We started that, I think the first one was around finals also because it was about the end of first semester, that first year that we started doing some events. And it's just, holding the door, telling a dad joke maybe.
into having some music out there and just making it a, you know, kind of a festive time as they're walking in. Our group has gone with some chicken and biscuits from Chick-fil-A. Somebody had a connection there, so that's kind of the way that went. Each year we do a full day community service piece where every one of our students and the vast majority of our adults go out somewhere in the metro area.
we're doing some sort of community service on on those days now for the last couple of those our father's club has reached out to Andy's frozen custard and and brought that in during our during our lunch and on the next day after after our CT serves day and and what they love about that is they're hearing from kids you know hey what did you go do what did how did how did you how'd you feel about that and they're seeing the the impact that
that community service has on our students and then also, you know, getting to feel that excitement. So that's kind of cool. For when assessments roll around, Kansas assessments, that first day of the reading assessment, our dads were out doing or handing out bookmarks that had some positive quotes on them, had their father's club logo on the backside, but just encouraging kids to do well on the test. They did the same thing for the math assessment.
Mike (15:17.9)
handing out pencils, you know, and just really, really just being there for kids and starting the day off right. The last two years we've been really fortunate on the first week of school. Some days it's the same dads for like the three days in a row, but they're out there at parent drop-off. They're helping direct traffic there. My building is such that we have a
a street right in front with one of the push button lights that flash to tell cars to slow down and stop so that someone can walk through the crosswalk. We've had dads out there that are teaching the kids, no matter if you see a car or not, you push this button before you enter. And just kind of giving some of those coaching things that we kind of think are common sense, but at middle school, nothing's common. So they're out there doing that.
helping parents as parents pull up and and you know look kind of confused they're they're giving them directions on how how the car loop goes and some of those kind of things which has been awesome. Yeah.
Rick Sola (16:29.282)
One thing I've noticed that's been fun is we have kind of a once a month fist bump Friday and it's all about relationships. mean, ultimately that's what's really neat about this. It's just another way to build relationships with the school, the community and our community back with other students. But it's funny because you'll see the kids whose dad is out there, especially when we do like ugly sweater or
you know, they're dancing to the music they have jamming out there. And you could just see the wave of embarrassment sometimes from the kid whose dad is out there, but the kid, the kids friends love it. And they, they see, and they're just having a great time seeing each other's dads. And I think, truly I've seen so much, so many more just super positive interactions and kind of that, I'm embarrassed, but I'm so glad you're out here. look as I've seen full on bear hugs given from
a dad to one of their kids' buddies that it's just a fun way to pick up. And what I've seen as well is there's certainly some comfort in our parents dropping off and you see a lot of adults and the dads and some staff out there, especially a lot of times, you know, kind of where it started was some of the need, maybe something's going on in the building or in the community that's
of concern and that added presence just goes a long way and I've heard so much good feedback from that.
Mike (18:03.5)
I agree. It's neat to see and like you said, I think it starts as a little bit of embarrassment and then rolls into, well, maybe this is OK, you know, in their own middle school way. They're not going to come right out and tell you that probably. But I think our kids do like seeing their parents involved and that's awesome.
Rick Sola (18:22.99)
So Mike, know that I can't remember what your building has done over here. Our father's club sponsored screen sanity and then a fentanyl presentation, which both of those were intended for parents, but it was sponsored by father's club. And I wanted to throw that out there as kind of another example of, I think the father's club can kind of be what your each individual building needs it to be. And
we had an opportunity to bring both of those in and there's always the challenge of bringing parents in at night after a long week and our numbers were maybe not as high as we'd like them to be but actually not terrible but it was a really good outreach from the Father's Club. Have you as a parent or a principal been a part of those that you're building?
Mike (19:12.438)
Yeah, so we also hosted a screen sanity. We had hosted it a few years ago before we got involved with Father's Club. We as a district connected with screen sanity and it's actually a fairly expensive program to put on in your own building. And so as 10 middle schools, we split up the cost and had two sessions.
one on each side of our district, if you will. And that cost us several hundred dollars each, if I'm remembering right. And this is something that the Father's Club has worked out a contract with Screen Sanity. They've gone through and had actually their couple dads that have been trained as trainers and they come in and present it. we actually had that presentation, I think it was either in late August or early September.
And we had good involvement that night and the parents that were able to attend absolutely appreciated the information and it's just one more way that that organization is making an impact on many kids.
Rick Sola (20:25.41)
Well, it's been a lot of fun and you know, I guess the full transparency, maybe this should have been at the top of this, this episode. and I go way back and you know, doing all, all that I can. I'm sure you are too to keep it professional here and not, not take any shots at each other. no, Mike and I go way back. We presented last year at the KPA conference. But going back a few years, we were both getting into getting information about Father's Club around the same time. And it's been fun.
now that it's expanded to several of our middle schools here where we're at, we all have a different flavor on it. We all have a different need. And truly, I think we're all kind of learning from each other as well from this. But it has been a real positive. I know you're doing really good things. That's why I'm so glad you're able to come on here today. And I'm going to put a lot of information just for accessing.
some information about Father's Club and it's been a really, I think it started kind of unique, but we're a few years in and it's spreading. It's over 40, I think over 40 some schools here, just in the metro area, both sides of the line and it keeps growing and growing. So, Mike, gonna, you know, I mentioned the KPA and one thing I've found, I'm shifting gears here, but anytime we do anything,
with USA, Kansas or KPA or we're in statewide groups, you are like almost like a mayor. seems like everybody knows you or you know, you know, you know so many people. Talk about, you you've got a lot of connections. Talk about your road. like to ask people their road to the chair. What is your road to the chair you're in right now?
Mike (22:02.126)
It's cause I'm old Rick, it's cause I'm old.
Mike (22:18.85)
goodness. I started out, I graduated with an elementary Ed degree and I taught three years of fifth grade in Wamigo. Then my wife and I were getting married and we moved to the metro and I made that move into the middle school world where I taught middle school math and coached about everything under the sun and then
As we, you as I progressed through that, I decided that, you know, that leadership route was something that I really wanted to explore and I was associate principal at Turner High School for two years.
And then, then went to Baser-Lynwood where I was middle school principal for six years, opening a new building there, which was kind of fun out in the middle of a pasture that is an absolutely gorgeous building now. And then, and then my kids had always been in Olathe. We'd lived in Olathe since my wife and I got married. And there was an opportunity to make the move and get a little closer to home and shrink that drive.
from about 40 minutes to about eight and be able to go home and eat dinner and then come back to a choir concert or some of those kind of things was good for me. In my time, both at Turner and Baser and now in Olathe, I always wanted to be kind of fed, right, professionally. And so I went through several different programs. currently in Elevate Leadership.
leadership too with USA Kansas. It's a great program. I really enjoy that opportunity not only to just pause and focus on the leadership side of our job, which on the day to day, I know you're just as busy as I am that that doesn't that doesn't happen as much as we'd like it to. And so getting involved in those those type of courses, whether it's Elevate Kansas or, you
Mike (24:25.88)
something else going locally. KSB had a leadership for tomorrow program I went through.
gone through leadership Olathe, which I think that lot of different communities have that kind of explore that connection, not only that schools have with legislators and the community and those kind of things. But that for me is where I get my, you know, I get my feed, if you will. That's a horrible word for it, but that's where I get, where I feed my need to keep pushing myself forward.
Rick Sola (24:54.158)
You
Mike (25:02.992)
Personally, that's been great. Like you said, the KPA conference last year was fantastic. It was a great opportunity to present with you. And yeah, look forward to hitting that again soon.
Rick Sola (25:17.346)
Well, I've had a lot of these conversations and talking about just the collective resources of either the KPA or the networking that's done. it's just, the word I use is energizing. That's what it is to me. Or feed, it feeds me well. But it's energizing. even within my own team, but just connecting with people all across is...
Mike (25:32.524)
much better speed.
Rick Sola (25:46.826)
It's just a huge value and so glad you brought that up and I appreciate you sharing your road to the chair that you're in and I always give everybody a chance to brag on their people and you got some great things going at California Trailed. I know it takes great people so take a moment. Tell us about California.
Mike (26:05.1)
Yeah.
my goodness, you know this is my tenth year in this building and each year I'm more more impressed with the level of connectedness my teachers have with the community. You know it's a joy each day to come in and work and work with people that really have the student needs at the heart of everything that they do. You my office staff is amazing.
together a staff that can you know work really hard for our customers which our customers are students and parents and community and and and and really do some great things for them but also have some fun and this is a group of people that I come come to school each day excited to spend my day not only
with our office staff and our teaching staff, but our paras that are working every day so hard with some bigger challenges than we've faced in education in a lot of years, and ever in my estimation, some of the things that kids are having to deal with, and we're helping them through that, and it's a joy each day to come and do that. And I would say this,
In Baser, I was kind of a one-man team, right? I was the only middle school in the district. being in a district like ours where there are 10 of us that share the same seat, I love the opportunity to be able to pick up the phone and call any of the other nine and say, here's what's going on. Have you ever dealt with this? And be able to kind of be a little bit vulnerable, but then also gain.
Mike (27:56.88)
gained so much from other people's experiences and those kind of things in it. And the flip side of that is it feels good when people reach out and ask for, ask if there are things that we can help them through. So great team both in my building and outside of my building. I love that, and like you said, knowing a lot of people from really the metro especially, but across the state that are out in
in buildings every day. fortunate to be able to have a Rolodex of people to reach out to and share a laugh and gain some knowledge.
Rick Sola (28:36.11)
Well, absolutely. And you got to share the laughs or else the job can swallow you up. And that's one thing. Going back, I don't know, nine years or so, we connected, I guess, or you said 10 years, I guess it's been longer than that, but we connected for the first time. You've always been there and always a good perspective, a good ear. So I'll always appreciate that. And you're right. It's those connections that really what the KPA is all about, what
our own districts and then networking that we do. It's, you know, without it, it really can be a job that, like I said, can just swallow you up. But, you know, there's also, there's just so many celebrations in there and having those networks and those connections are huge. And, you know, kind of on that point, I want to thank you because a few weeks ago you recorded a perspective, the crosswalk, see at the crosswalk. And if you're listening to this and you haven't checked that out, it's about a five minute PD.
Mike (29:28.721)
Yeah.
Rick Sola (29:34.734)
principal perspectives. But Mike did one of those about the importance and value of being outside and the crosswalk being visible every day and what that means to a community. It's really, really good. So check it out. Mike, I appreciate you taking the time. At the end of a long day, I know, but jumping on here talking about some really neat things going on in your building and all the things that we spoke about today. I'm going to put some links in the show notes, so make sure to check it out.
I really appreciate your time and giving back to the listeners in this way.
Mike (30:11.582)
Well, I appreciate you asking me to join and I will also give a shout out to
those principal perspectives that you're posting. I listened to one on the way to school today and that was Dr. Woolever talking about different culture things to kind of energize your staff as we're getting into this tough time of the year and that was a lot of fun to listen to but I've enjoyed each of those that I've listened to. If someone's by chance hearing this and hasn't
tuned into those. There are some really good ones and they're quick hitters that I think you're going to leave every one of them with something to take back to your building. Even yours Rick, the man slash woman in the arena is a great quote and I love the way that you put some thought to that and made it extremely applicable to what we do on a daily basis. And thank you for all you do for my daughter at your building.
Rick Sola (30:58.467)
Uh-uh.
That's right.
Rick Sola (31:12.994)
Yeah, that's what.
Yeah, no, she is awesome. Yeah, you may miss that early on if you're listening here, but Mike's daughter is here at the building and she is a wonderful, wonderful person and certainly takes after her.
Mike (31:30.594)
Clearly.
Rick Sola (31:32.578)
But no, I appreciate your time, Mike. And we'll be seeing you around soon. So check the show notes, and we'll get it all connected. But thanks for being here today.
Mike (31:44.743)
Thank you, sir. Have a good one.
