RI PowerPlayer: Kate Bubrick
Tuesday, June 02, 2015
Every week, GoLocalProv shines the spotlight on one individual who is making an impact on Rhode Island. This week, GoLocalProv sat down with Kate Bubrick of is RI is Ready.
Rhode Island Is Ready is a relatively new non-profit that you co-founded. Can you tell us a bit about why you felt compelled to start such an organization?
For too long, the conversation around improving public education in Rhode Island has been that parents need to parent better, teachers need to teach better and our students don’t care. When I was teaching in Providence, I never met a parent that didn’t want what was best for his or her child, my students showed up every day and worked hard and I taught alongside incredible educators. That narrative around public education in Rhode Island just isn’t true.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTOne year I ended up teaching middle school students who were 2+ years below grade level in math. The workbook for my students had low expectations and was scripted, which meant I was told what to say and do every day. Now, I don’t have any children of my own but if i did, I feel like I would move mountains to make sure my child succeeded in math and caught up. This program just wasn’t it. The turning point for me was the realization that if I had my own child, I wouldn’t want to put him or her in my own class. This feeling and realization drove me to our vision, which is that we work towards a Rhode Island where every school in every community is worthy of every child.
Your first major campaign was the “Be Heard” campaign that took place throughout the fall of 2014. It was carried out in three ways – surveys, community conversations, and one on one meetings. Can you talk about the benefits of setting up the campaign this way and what RI is Ready was able to take from it?
First of all, I want to say thank you to every single Rhode Islander who participated in the Be Heard campaign. We’ve talked to people in every city and town throughout the state and the willingness to engage in a conversation around public education is a true testament to our state.
Our intention behind using multiple avenues to listen to and connect with people was that it provided several options for people to engage. If you only had five minutes to give, you could take the survey. If you had more time, you could sit down with us for coffee or even host a house meeting with your community. Our one on one meetings are 30-40 minutes meetings, sometimes over coffee, where we meet to exchange stories and build relationships with one another. This morning, I met with a young professional who had returned from college, out-of-state, to work with the after school program that had helped him as a student. We talked about the work that each of us did and shared stories that exemplified some of the challenges and opportunities he encountered in his school’s community. Community conversations, or house meetings, are organized by someone we’ve done a one on one with who wants to engage his or her community in a similar conversation. During house meetings, we, again, use storytelling to respond to a particular prompt (i.e., What story would you tell the new mayor and/or governor to highlight the most pressing challenge that needs to be addressed in public education?). Last night we held a house meeting a local church in Providence. In doing this, our work stays grounded in sharing stories, deepening understanding of people and place, and, again, builds relationships.
I think the the two things we’ve heard across every issue area and apply to all of us, no matter where we live, have been that relationships matter and we need to constantly be aware of and work to address our blind spots.
There are tough decisions being made right now around divisive issues like the funding formula, charter school caps, school turnaround, the Common Core, etc. It’s inevitable that there will be disagreement and not everyone will walk away from a decision feeling like the winner. All of us can do a better job of building relationships with everyone, especially the folks we might not agree with. Sharing stories, taking the time to meet with people beyond our own networks not only generates empathy but also helps us to gain a better understanding of experiences and opinions outside of our own. And by blind spots, I mean that several people that we’ve heard from on the campaign raised the importance of all of us, myself included, to check how our own power and privilege play out in our daily work.
After hearing the personal stories from the community, what is your next step? What, if anything, is needed from local and state governments?
Right now, we are in the process of wrapping up the Be Heard campaign and preparing to share the stories, challenges and opportunities we’ve heard back with the people who participated, current decision-makers and the greater public. As we prepare for our next phase of work, we are actively exploring how to play a role in engaging teachers, parents and students in the decisions that affect their school communities, but we are cautious not to overstep or needlessly duplicate some of the valuable work that is being done by other nonprofits and groups already.
In my mind, local and state governments can work to provide authentic opportunities for people to participate in the decision-making process. Increasingly I’ve seen spaces for people to engage in the designing of policies, strategic plans and proposals. I think a powerful next step is to build on this momentum and engage people in the implementation. Not to harp on the “it takes a village” idea but imagine a Providence or a Rhode Island where anyone on the street (parent, business owner, college student, etc.) could articulate his or her role in supporting great public schools in their community. That would be something remarkable and if it can happen anywhere, it’s going to be here in Rhode Island where we not only have the scale but also the people.
What have been the major obstacles you’ve faced so far? What opportunities do you see coming?
We have the same obstacles that any new project or organization encounters, the three T’s--time, treasure and talent. We have been ambitious in going statewide for our Be Heard campaign and although we’ll never cover everyone, and I’ve put quite a few miles on my Honda Fit, I’m glad we did it.
The other challenge we’ve faced in our infancy has been staying committed to spending time first listening and understanding before figuring out what exactly we will become. It would have been easier to come out of the gate last year saying, We are RI Is Ready and we are stand for policy X, Y and Z. That’s not how we want to operate. We want to do work that is reflective of the needs and interests of our community. That has meant having a lot of Rhode Islanders gracious enough to dig in and support us while also bearing with us in the first year of listening and learning. It also means that year two is bound to be exciting!
In terms of opportunities, there are a lot. The biggest opportunity I see is the mentality of the people working in and around public education right now. More often than not, people across the state have this mentality of, “You care about great public schools too? Great, let’s roll our sleeves up and get to work.” I’m humbled to work alongside such committed and action-oriented people. In our next phase, we hope to set a course that will allow us to make an impact and operate with a similar action-oriented mentality.
What is a typical day like for you?
The first year of Rhode Island Is Ready has been jam packed and hard work, both energizing and exhausting at the same time. The most typical things about my days are that I put decent miles on my car, consume insane amounts of iced coffee, and get to talk with Rhode Islanders who care deeply about public schools. Other than that, it’s always changing!
I try, key word try, to do most of my planning and “computer work” on the weekends or in the early morning. This frees up my week to do one on ones and house meetings as well as check-in with my team and meet with advisors. My nights are usually filled with community meetings and local events. I still work with new math teachers a few times a month to learn how to position students as sensemakers and competent and proud mathematicians. It’s helpful to constantly be back in classrooms working with teachers and students. It definitely keeps me grounded.
I’m at my best each week when I manage to play indoor soccer, surf and/or drink a delicious new beer. I’m also newly hooked on yoga at Laughing Elephant!
If you could give one piece of advice to Rhode Islanders, what would it be?
Go outside as often as possible.
Do you have any role models?
My mom, sisters and aunts are teachers, PTA presidents and behavior specialists across the country. They embody the profile of strong women who are dedicated to serving youth. Because of the women in my family, I’ve learned to surround myself with people who consistently lead with love and courage. In Rhode Island, Josephine O’Connell and Maryellen Butke embody this for me. When I moved here after college they practically took me in as part of their family. On my toughest days, I still show up at their house to be inspired, encouraged and reminded about how to lead and make decisions that align with my own values and the people I serve. I am incredibly grateful to have such awesome people in my life.
What is your favorite thing about Providence?
Our kids! Perhaps I’m a little too proud, but I’m certain that our students are remarkable beyond compare. Rhode Island students, especially in Providence, are so creative and intelligent. Take a look at any of our incredible youth organizations in town and you’ll see a cohort of critical thinkers who are already driving their own learning and making their communities great. Don’t get me wrong, the food here is great too, especially at Nick’s On Broadway, but our students embody the Creative Capital mentality and our state motto, “Hope.”
Last book you read?
Welcome to the Monkey House by Kurt Vonnegut. Vonnegut has this line, “And I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, 'If this isn't nice, I don't know what is.” I try to catch myself thinking and saying that at least once a day. He’s a pretty groovy guy.
Related Slideshow: The Ten Most Politically Powerful in Providence
A new group of leaders is taking over the City of Providence - take a look at the top 10.
Related Articles
- RI PowerPlayer: Leah Williams Metts
- RI Power Player: Nick Williams
- RI PowerPlayer: Rebecca Fisher
- RI PowerPlayer: Ray Watson
- RI PowerPlayer: Keith Oliveira
- RI PowerPlayer: Mary McElroy
- RI Power Player: Tennis Hall of Fame’s Mary Heath
- RI PowerPlayer: Marcel Valois
- RI PowerPlayer: Evan Granoff
- RI PowerPlayer: Karen Jessup
- RI PowerPlayer: Rick Simone
- RI PowerPlayer: Melissa Withers
- RI Power Player: Jim Vincent
- RI PowerPlayer: Dr. Jeffery Williams
- RI PowerPlayer: Giovanni Feroce
- RI PowerPlayer: Thomas A. Lawson
- RI PowerPlayer: Senator Louis DiPalma
- RI PowerPlayer: James Skeffington
- RI PowerPlayer: Larry Lepore
- RI PowerPlayer: James Morone
- RI PowerPlayer: Dr. Michael Fine
- RI PowerPlayer: Chace Baptista
- RI PowerPlayer: Seth Price
- RI PowerPlayer: Jared Moffat
- RI PowerPlayer: Kathleen Cloutier
