Not to be confused with his methods of parenting. He was a fine parent, always coming through when most needed; he paid the bills, supplied the food, wielded authority and set ground rules like a referee in a boxing match.
You have a sentence fragment above: not to be confused... is an incomplete sentence. You seem to be saying contradictory things here -- fine parenting, but inadequate because your father did not like to leave the house. If it's any consolation, school administrators have recently been trying to find ways to boost parent involvement, because many many parents are just like your dad: they hate that sense of mutual scrutiny that takes place at some parent teacher conferences.
With your dad, particularly, the problem may have been that he suspected that you had told all the teachers he was a pot head like you did in this forum! I think that would cause anyone to feel reluctant to go to the school! So, it is very good that you have found good ways to cope with people's nonsense, and I think that is something that the reader can appreciate.
It's good if the final draft of this essay highlights your ability to use compassion and understanding and forgiveness. For example, you discuss your dad's inadequacy, and then you mention the fact that you felt broken spirited and began to miss your morning classes, etc. That is a perfect example of how external circumstances can affect us. Experiencing that, you can have compassion for others and their vices. That is good introspection!
And remember: It always reflects badly on me if I presume to start a conversation by talking badly about someone else. I think that rule might apply here; the extent to which you emphasize others' inadequacies in this essay is the extent to which it'll probably reflect badly on you. That doesn't mean you can't mention their inadequacies; just make sure the essay highlights what you intend it to highlight, which is that cool insight about understanding.