Educator served kids with special needs
Kim Rubin, a longtime Santa Fean who spent much of her life working on behalf of specialneeds and emotionally challenged children, died May 6 at her home following a long battle with the brain disorder progressive supranuclear palsy. She was 72, said her husband, Jim Rubin.
“She was always flying below the radar, except for with people who knew her,” he said. “With them, she flew high on the radar.”
Bergit Salazar, who worked with Kim Rubin in the Santa Fe public school system in the 1970s, said Rubin had a knack for working with challenged students because she “realized what children are going through and how they feel and the circumstances behind every child, because every child learns differently.
“She understood the ups and downs of life, and therefore understood the differences of each child,” Salazar added.
Born in London, Ontario, in Canada, Kim Rubin moved with her parents to Michigan while she was still attending elementary school. Always interested in education, she attained her bachelor’s degree in education at Michigan State University and later earned two master’s degrees — one in education and one in psychology.
She moved to Santa Fe in 1973, in large part because she was an avid skier and wanted easy access to the slopes, her husband said.
She first worked in the city’s public school system as a resource room teacher at Kearny Elementary School, helping students with reading, math and other academic coaching. She helped pioneer the district’s enrichment program while working at E.J. Martinez Elementary School a few years later. Eventually, she became a diagnostics coordinator for the district.
After leaving the school district, she opened her own firm, Rubin Educational Resources, which initially provided psychotherapy and counseling for students. Later, she branched into college counseling work, helping students — including those with learning challenges or differences — find a college that best suited their needs.
“She believed she could help these kids, and she did over time,” Jim Rubin said. “… She was very, very careful with them and their needs.”
His wife began cutting back on her practice several years ago, after being diagnosed with PSP, he said.
Kim Rubin also enjoyed hiking, playing tennis, dogs, outdoor adventures and travel. Her husband joked, “She was always looking for something, and lots of times the kids and I were not quite sure of what.”
Along with her husband, Kim Rubin is survived by her son, Josh Rubin, and daughter, Mia Napolitano, a number of grandchildren and dogs. The family plans a celebration of her life at 5 p.m., Memorial Day, May 28, on the grounds of the International Folk Art Museum on Museum Hill. In lieu of flowers, the family is asking for contributions be made to CurePSP (www.psp.org).