Stacie Armstead

I work in Norfolk Public Schools where I have 27 years of experience in urban education as an assistant principal at the post-secondary level. Working with youth and their parents, I noticed that many parents, especially single moms, would come in frustrated and express that they just didn't know what to do. What I noticed is that most parents needed time and attention for someone to help them navigate through sometimes parenting skills, but not just parenting skills, skills for themselves - basic life skills, or just having someone they could relate to that made them feel like they weren't the only one going through their experience. I would remove myself from putting on that administrative hat and really relate to that person one-on-one, whether from woman to woman, parent to parent, or even from racial aspects. This helped change the tone of conversations, build relationships, and when I made more phone calls at home, it became more personable. Together, we were able to make even better choices and decisions for children in schools. This inspired me to start Basic Living Transitional Supportive Service one year ago, which focuses on giving women the opportunity to refocus, rejuvenate, and rebuild themselves. Sometimes it's not about education or mental illness - sometimes people just want someone to come in and give them a reprieve, to help them refocus and readjust in order to rebuild. It's all about basic living needs in order to have that transitional and supportive service. I used to be the Norfolk president for the NAACP, but I've stepped away from that because I wanted to develop something that was more solution-based versus something that's always showing where the gaps are or where things are not equitable.