Five Questions with Natasha Ushomirsky, Program Officer, Education

What inspired you to work in the education field?

I truly believe that education has the power to change the world. There are lots of challenges facing our society, and each and every one of them will require the contributions of many people who have the knowledge, skills, passion and creativity to tackle them. Education has the unique capacity to help develop that human potential.

Education can’t fix all of society’s ills and there is a lot we as a country need to do to address racial and socioeconomic inequality. But for an individual young person, a high-quality education is still the best path to economic security and to maximizing options for their future. Unfortunately, the students who have access to such quality educational experiences and those who don't still differs by race/ethnicity and zip code. Instead of helping to address inequality, our current education system often replicates or even worsens socioeconomic disparities.

It is this pervasiveness of education inequities that drew me to the education field in general and to education advocacy in particular. I immigrated to the U.S. when I was 10 years old and know what it’s like to be learning the language, adjusting to a new way of life, and trying to stay on track in school all at the same time. I also know that I was lucky enough to receive a great deal of support in those first years, without which I wouldn’t be where I am today. Too many students—especially students who don’t look like me, a White, Eastern European immigrant—aren’t getting those same supports today. I do the work that I do to help ensure that all young people get the learning experiences and supports that they need to soar.

What does build public will mean to you? What role do you believe it plays in creating excellent and equitable experiences and outcomes for high school students?

Simply put, building public will means fostering community demand and power to create change. The shifts that our education system needs to make to serve all young people are hard. It’s hard to change funding formulas to ensure schools serving the most systemically marginalized student populations, including students of color, students from low-income families, English learners, and students with disabilities, get the resources they need. It’s hard to democratize school and even course admissions procedures to give all students a fair shot at the best learning opportunities. It’s hard to change what teachers teach and how they teach it to ensure all young people see themselves reflected in their curriculum and classrooms. These changes require political will, changing adult beliefs and mindsets, and, let’s face it, difficult financial tradeoffs. Because these changes are hard, they often don’t get off the ground at all or they fizzle when education or policy leadership changes.

The work our Build Public Will partners do—including narrative building, community organizing and advocacy—is critical to creating and maintaining the educational experiences our young people need and deserve, especially those who are often underserved in our schools.

How are your grantee partners building public will?

Our partners work with families, students, and community leaders to craft solutions to critical educational challenges that center the needs and experiences of students of color, immigrant youth, students from low-income families and students with disabilities. By listening closely to the students, families and educators most impacted by inequities in our education system, they are working to both identify the most viable paths forward and foster buy-in from the start. Critically, our partners are also helping young people and their families tap into their power to drive change and are holding education and policy leaders accountable for delivering on their promises. Together these efforts are helping create an environment where change is more likely to take hold.

You previously worked for an education advocacy organization. How does that experience inform your approach to this role?
My nearly 15 years in education advocacy gave me the opportunity to experience the work from a variety of angles and lenses–from what goes into publishing analyses and developing policy positions, to the efforts involved in bringing together and building coalitions across different constituents. I learned A LOT in the process. These are just a few of the lessons that are now informing my work at Barr:

• The best and most impactful solutions to educational challenges come from the people and organizations most impacted by those challenges. As advocates, we have to co-create solutions with young people, families, educators and education leaders.

• A policy “win” is just the beginning. How a policy is implemented dictates its impact—or lack thereof—on students and families and consistent advocacy during implementation is critical to maximizing that impact.

• Effective, equity-focused advocacy takes time, especially when the changes that advocates are seeking are difficult or costly. When funders push for quick wins or immediate evidence of impact, advocates may be forced to act in ways that run counter to long-term goals, undermining long-term impact.

What gives you hope about the future of educational systems in New England?

Honestly, what gives me the most hope is the work our partners are doing every day to build youth, family, and community power. Watching organizations and individuals come together to identify challenges, co-create solutions, and find common ground affirms my belief that change is possible.