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A father showing up at school could be a kid鈥檚 worst nightmare. Embarrassing, right?聽

But when a posse of dads started showing up at Southwood High School in Shreveport, Louisiana, it was an answer to prayer.听

Let鈥檚 back up a moment. Last month, 23 students were arrested over three days as a series of fights broke out. The atmosphere among the 1,700 students was tense. In response, more than 30 students and staff gathered around the school flagpole on Sept. 29 for .听

Within days, five fathers showed up in T-shirts with 鈥淒ads on Duty鈥� across their chests. They didn鈥檛 carry guns or act as enforcers. They greeted the students, told 鈥渄ad jokes,鈥� and walked the halls, making comments such as, 鈥淵oung man, pull your pants up.鈥�

The group鈥檚 founder, Michael La鈥橣itte, told KSLA in Shreveport: . We鈥檙e just fathers who are changing the narrative.鈥� Mr. La鈥橣itte is also chair of the local NAACP chapter.听

Southwood Principal Kim Pendleton says the dads are delivering an important message: 鈥�. There鈥檚 someone who鈥檚 invested in my education and in my future.鈥�

The Dads on Duty group has grown to more than 40 men. A handful show up at Southwood High daily. The brawls have stopped. What happened? As one student told CBS News: 鈥�

A dad look.听

As a dad, I may be biased. But perhaps there鈥檚 a message here about how to deliver discipline in schools: gently, with a sense of humor, but firmly 鈥� like a loving father.