Rebuilding Classrooms: Cathy Hopkins on Policy, Teachers & Change | Kansas Education

Sydney Collins
Aug 18
1 min read

Cathy Hopkins serves as chair of the Kansas State Board of Education and represents District 5, a 44-county region spanning much of western and north-central Kansas. A lifelong Kansan, Cathy grew up near Garnett on her family’s dairy farm before eventually settling in Hays, where she raised her six children. Her experiences as a parent, along with her appreciation for the close-knit culture of rural schools, helped shape her belief that education works best when families, teachers, and communities work together.

Cathy’s path to the State Board began with a desire to become more civically engaged. After narrowly losing a local school board race by just five votes, she was encouraged to run for the State Board of Education. Since taking office, she has helped guide statewide conversations surrounding school accreditation, graduation requirements, classroom technology, and teacher support.

Literacy remains one of Cathy’s greatest priorities. She has advocated for structured literacy training and a stronger focus on helping every Kansas child learn to read. Through her work on the board, Cathy hopes to strengthen public education by supporting educators, encouraging parental involvement, and making sure Kansas schools have the tools they need to help students succeed.