Kate was born and raised in a small sheltered community in Kentucky by a somewhat radically-natured father and a Christian grounded mother. She always pushed the envelope for what was expected in society, and the older she got, the more she used that rebellious nature in a positive way to ensure that people around her were given a fair shake at the real-world. For post-secondary education she attended the liberal arts college, Transylvania University and majored in Middle Grades Education and minored in Women’s Studies. While in school, she founded organizations that were focused on providing equity and resources to women and those who may have experienced trauma. After college she went on to become a teacher in Lexington, Kentucky. Her journey later took her to Chicago where she started with the UNO Charter Schools Network and later transitioned back into public education with Chicago Public Schools. Her experiences in Chicago’s education system pushed her to try to find grants and opportunities that could be utilized in low-income communities in order to try to level the playing field for scholars. After having children, she chose to move down south to Atlanta, Georgia, and to begin working with a more innovative and forward-thinking school network, KIPP Metro Atlanta Schools. Throughout her tenure there, she was able to really get into the community and see first-hand what a change in mentality and access to resources could do to change people’s lives and thinking. She began to work hand-in-hand with multiple non-profits and city councilmen to seek opportunities and find solutions for problems facing her community of scholars. Through these experiences, she developed a love for project planning, problem solving, and community networking. Her goal with 2Revolutions is to utilize her skills in these areas to continue to impact communities of learners by providing action plans, resources, and the fundamentals in order to see the success that is deserved by all.

Why are you passionate about this work? 

Throughout my 17 years in the education field and my years as a learner, I have experienced some amazing opportunities and have also seen some doors completely slammed and locked on myself and my peers. I have been able to witness inequitable education first-hand, and to work with teachers that are amazing but burnt out after having to consistently fight for just the basics for their scholars. I know there are solutions. I know there are ways to get around these outdated expectations and utilize methods that not only teach our teachers and our scholars, but empower them to thrive. Surviving is not the way to live through life, and my passion is really to develop these systems that allow all educators and learners to enjoy school again and leave their days with knowledge and skills that equip them to excel in society.

Why is it important that we focus on empowering educators?

The culture of a school is built not by the scholars, but by the educators in the classrooms. These humans shape the next generation’s minds and thinking each and every day. When you walk into a classroom of an overwhelmed and exhausted teacher, you are going to see scholars that are blocked and sometimes even traumatized by daily interactions. If an educator feels empowered, their students will feed off that energy and then feel empowered as well. I never understood this until I became a parent and realized that when I was stressed, my kids would misbehave because they were stressed too. The only way to change and shape the next generation to see some success and start moving society forward is to empower those that are in front of them each and every day.