Why are dads taking on more household chores and child-rearing duties than ever before? The first and best answer is necessity. More moms are working outside the home than in generations past, in turn nudging men into roles their fathers and grandfathers had little need to contemplate.

But this new household order was not constructed on the stench of dirty diapers alone. Changes in attitudes and priorities have strongly contributed to the revolution.

Similar changes will be needed to bring about the kind of change championed by Education Secretary Arne Duncan at a "Conversation on Fatherhood" forum in Manchester last week. Duncan and others involved with the initiative kicked off by President Obama in June are doing a good job of stressing the need for fathers to be involved in their kids' education. Now educators and those who benefit from a well-educated populace (in short, everyone) need to help turn schools into an environment where fathers feel welcome and competent.

One idea floated at Wednesday's forum was keeping school doors open into the evening hours to encourage community involvement. It's a viable proposition if it relies on partnerships with nonprofit groups rather than taxpayer dollars. The problem with it is that it would likely draw on the same base of volunteers who already devote much of their time to kids.

To get new people - particularly fathers - in the classroom doors, educators will need to employ some big-picture thinking. For starters, they ought to begin a campaign to recruit more male educators. The number of male teachers is at a 40-year low, according to a 2007 Newsweek article, and men are especially rare in elementary schools. Pay is an obvious factor, but men also cite public perception as a deterrent to a career in teaching. A concerted effort to promote teaching as a courageous and rewarding career could change that. (Heck, if Fox can make the glee club popular again, anything is possible.)

As much as they need to find camaraderie within the educational community, men need to find time to be part of it. Educators ought to look for ways to help families balance their time, perhaps partnering with organizations that promote family-friendly businesses, offering a menu of childcare options within the school building, or even reducing the amount of homework and other paperwork parents must oversee.

Finally, and perhaps most important, educators must be mindful of their message to dads. President Obama's tough-love approach, carried forward last week with Duncan's admonition to "turn those TVs off," is undoubtedly warranted in some cases. But the majority of men are not deadbeat dads or clueless couch potatoes. Enlisting their help in educating future generations will require sensitivity to their varied circumstances and respect for what they have to offer.