THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, January 1, 1997 TAG: 9701010251
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JON GLASS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: 102 lines
Layne Dyer is the first to admit that she's no miracle worker. And she has no illusions about changing the world.
But she is on a mission: To make life better for families who live in the city's eight public housing neighborhoods.
Dyer, 49, a former alternative-school teacher, is the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority's first ``parent advocate.''
The job puts her on the front lines of efforts nationwide to tackle problems posed by such urban social ills as poverty, juvenile delinquency and illiteracy.
Her primary task: To help children in Norfolk's public housing grow into productive adults by helping their moms and dads become better parents.
``Knowing you have somebody on your side helps,'' said Barbara Jones, a Bowling Green public housing resident with two children in city schools.
At its most basic, Dyer's job is to work with parents to ensure that their children succeed in school. She has helped parents navigate the city school system, which many view as intimidating and unresponsive because of their own bad experiences when they attended school.
``My role is not to go in and fight their battles for them, but to show them they can do it themselves,'' Dyer said. ``I do not try to do the job of a parent, but to help teach them how to do it.''
Since starting work in June, Dyer has kept busy. ``There are so many problems,'' she said.
Some issues she has encountered her first six months:
A mom in Diggs Town public housing sought help after being told her child couldn't return to school in September until she paid $33 to replace a missing book. The child said the book was stolen. Dyer met with school officials, explaining the child had never before lost a book. The fine was lifted. Dyer later stressed to the mother the importance of the child being responsible.
Another Diggs Town mother turned to Dyer after learning her child was removed from school attendance rolls after more than 15 absences. Dyer discovered the parent had documentation to prove the child had been sick and helped get the child reinstated. Dyer has attended teacher-parent conferences with the mother to help keep the youngster on track.
A Young Terrace mother received help getting her child back in school and paired with an adult mentor after the child was suspended from school and arrested for shoplifting.
A senior at Booker T. Washington High School with two children will return to school this month after dropping out because she couldn't find adequate day care. Dyer went to court with the girl to settle problems with the father of one of the children, and helped locate day care. The girl is set to graduate in June.
Among Dyer's proudest accomplishments is helping to get five high school dropouts back in school.
Most recently, Dyer has worked with Ruffner Middle School and city Social Services on a job-training program to help parents meet stringent work and community-service requirements under new welfare reform laws.
Dyer keeps tabs on parents in the program who are trained at the school as security officers, custodians, cafeteria workers, secretaries and teachers' aides.
In the fall, she organized a support group for parents of 10 children at Campostella Elementary School who were chronic discipline problems.
``We found it very helpful as far as children's behavior changing in school and in parents becoming involved,'' said Carolyn Harper, Campostella's assistant principal. ``We need to not only address the children's behavior, but branch into the home and the family because a lot of the problems stem from home. If we don't intervene while they're young, it's going to be crucial later on.''
Dyer also has brought school officials into the housing communities to talk to residents, and she's held numerous workshops on parenting and other self-sufficiency skills.
``She encourages the parent to stand by their child, and she will be there for that parent,'' said Deborah Ross, president of Tidewater Gardens' public housing resident management council. ``Some parents feel they want to give up, and if they have someone who cares and understands, it helps a great deal.''
In this age of welfare reform, NRHA officials view education as critical in helping youngsters break the cycle that has tied generations of families to public assistance.
``Many times parents are overwhelmed by a big system and need assistance to follow through on issues that affect their children,'' said Vera Franklin, the NRHA's resident services manager. ``We wanted someone to help us make that bridge.''
Dyer, a graduate of Norfolk's Granby High School and Old Dominion University, supervised an in-school suspension program at a Chesterfield County high school for four years.
Before taking the parent advocate job, she taught in the Commonwealth Challenge program, an alternative, military-style school started for high school dropouts two years ago by the Virginia National Guard at Camp Pendleton in Virginia Beach.
``I thought maybe I could help kids by helping their parents,'' Dyer said of her new role. ``I've learned that kids need to feel secure with rules. This applies in school and at home. They want boundaries; they feel safe with boundaries. They want to know you care.''
The NRHA created the parent advocate job using about $55,000 from a federal Family Preservation and Family Support Services grant. The grant money runs out in Sept. 1997.
Franklin, who gave the advocacy program high marks, said she hopes another source of money is found so the program can continue. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
BILL TIERNAN/The Virginian-Pilot
``I do not try to do the job of a parent, but to help teach them how
to do it,'' says Norfolk ``parent advocate'' Layne Dyer, right.