Meet Kate

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I have lived in Dubuque since 2007 when I relocated here to pursue my career as a professor at Loras College.  As a Loras alum, I knew that I was coming back to a wonderful community.  What I was not sure of was whether I would settle down here.  To my great joy, I met my husband Todd a few years later and in a short time we got married, bought our home, and started a family.  Our  daughter just finished fourth grade and son Henry be going into third grade. We knew that we wanted the best education for our kids and we are finding it in Dubuque public schools!

I’m running for re-election because there is still work to do to make sure that our district and our students can thrive. At a time when state funding continues to lag, public funds are going to private schools, and educators are leaving the profession, it is more important than ever to have people at the board table who are willing to fight for public education! For the past four years, I have proven that I'm willing to stand up for our kids and teachers. I've contacted legislators, written opinion pieces in the paper, and stayed in contact with my constituents to hear their concerns. I've been willing to make difficult decisions and have sought out training and education on the issues facing our schools. I've taken on leadership of the board and have set a tone for transparency and collaboration. 

I've been ready and willing to do the hard work for our kids! Support my re-election!

My mom recently reminded me that when I was in elementary school, she’d be waiting outside the building to pick me up and I was often the last student to wander out, a testament to how much I loved school even at a young age.  She joked that I would be helping the janitors lock up the building and would wonder sometimes if I had already walked home and she had just missed me.  The truth was, I loved school and didn’t want to leave.  In some ways, I never did.  I was an enthusiastic and hard-working student who was eager to learn and to take on new challenges.  I absolutely loved my teachers and credit them, as well as my parents of course, for encouraging me to pursue my goal of going to college and to continue my education beyond that.  My early experiences in public school in Marshalltown set me on a path that lead to a love of learning and a desire to become an educator myself. 

After graduating from high school, I pursued majors in history, sociology, and German at Loras College.  As a first generation student, I understand the importance of having a strong academic background in order to be prepared for the expectations of higher education.  When I graduated from Loras, I had the amazing opportunity to live and work in Austria as a Fulbright Teaching Scholar.  My role involved working in two Austria high schools and teaching students English and about U.S. culture. When I returned to the U.S., I worked in residence life and then eventually pursued my PhD at Texas A&M University.  Before moving back to Dubuque in 2007, I had the opportunity to live in Texas, Wisconsin, and New Mexico.  I’ve been teaching at the college level for the past 18 years.  And as a sociologist, I have researched, studied, and taught about issues in education.  I believe this strong interest stems from my own experiences as a student and a teacher.