Cathy Hopkins issued the following statement after defeating incumbent Jean Clifford of Garden City in the District 5 Republican primary for the Kansas Board of Education on Tuesday.
Hopkins does not face a challenger in the general election.
As the books close on the 2022 Kansas Primary for the State Board of Education District 5 Seat, I would like to take this opportunity to thank every person who helped make my campaign a winning one for Kansas kids, parents and teachers.
I want to thank those that invited me to their towns, their parades, planted signs, did endless calling on my behalf, and most importantly, prayed. I feel truly blessed to be surrounded by so many good people.
The results of this election were a referendum on the need for transparency and the need to focus on academic achievement that will give our kids the tools to succeed in life.
Achievement scores tell the story and parents, as well as teachers, know we are veering off the path of Kansas Values. I see this job as a partnership with the families of northcentral and western Kansas and our teachers who want our children to have those opportunities to achieve their biggest dreams.
Those opportunities will not happen if Kansas education does not refocus on the importance of academics. Preparing our children for whatever path they choose after high school, be it technical training or college, will always be my number one focus. It is time to stop asking teachers to do the job of a parent and return their classrooms to an environment where the basic building blocks of learning are taught.
Parents, in the eyes of God and the Constitution of this nation, are solely responsible for nurturing, providing, and educating their children.
Usurping those rights of parents with government programs that break down the family unit is an injustice to that child. I will work diligently with the current board members as well as the new members to find common sense solutions that work for all children and solutions that respect the boundaries of parental rights.
I look forward to serving this district, its families and teachers, working hard to make the changes that will get Kansas education back on track. We can do better for Kansas kids, and it will take all of us to make that happen.
Sincerely,
Cathy Hopkins,
District 5 Board of Education Member-Elect