Catherine Remkes (Fayette County Public Schools school board District 5, Georgia, candidate 2024)
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Catherine Remkes (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Fayette County Public Schools school board to represent District 5 in Georgia. She was on the ballot in the general election on November 5, 2024.
Remkes completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.
[1]Biography
Catherine Remkes provided the following biographical information via Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey on September 22, 2024:
- Birth date: March 13, 1984
- Birth place: Torojon Spain, Armed Forces Africa/Canada/Europe/Middle East
- High school: McIntosh High School
- Bachelor's: Old Dominion University, 2006
- Graduate: Georgia State University, 2020
- Gender: Female
- Religion: Not Religious
- Profession: Teacher / Business Owner
- Incumbent officeholder: No
- Campaign slogan: For Students. For Teachers. For Fayette.
- Campaign website
- Campaign Facebook
Elections
General election
General election for Fayette County Public Schools school board District 5
Incumbent Brian Anderson and Catherine Remkes ran in the general election for Fayette County Public Schools school board District 5 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | ||
| Brian Anderson (R) | ||
Catherine Remkes (D)  | ||
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| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Fayette County Public Schools school board District 5
Catherine Remkes ran in the Democratic primary for Fayette County Public Schools school board District 5 on May 21, 2024.
Candidate | ||
| Catherine Remkes | ||
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| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Fayette County Public Schools school board District 5
Incumbent Brian Anderson ran in the Republican primary for Fayette County Public Schools school board District 5 on May 21, 2024.
Candidate | ||
| Brian Anderson | ||
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| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Election results
Endorsements
Remkes received the following endorsements.
Campaign themes
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Catherine Remkes completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Remkes' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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Catherine Remkes is a former highly-certified Mathematics Teacher and small-business owner in Fayette County, GA. She holds a B.S. in Mathematics and Statistics from Old Dominion University, and a M.Ed. in Mathematics Education from Georgia State University, where she was selected as the outstanding graduate by her in instructors in 2020. Catherine has taught in Texas, Oklahoma, in Fayette County and Starr's Mill High School and McIntosh High School, and in Arizona through Arizona State University's online academy. Most recently, she served as a substitute teacher in Fayette County Schools. Catherine lives in Brooks, GA with her husband and two children, both attending Fayette County Schools, where she owns and operates a small organic flower farm.
- Students First: As a school board member, working for every student is critical. From our gifted students to our special needs students, supporting and helping every student in this county is the most important job we have.
- Too Much Testing: As an educator, I do understand the necessity of assessments, but the amount of testing that our students are subjected to is getting out of hand. The endless number of benchmarks and standardized tests we require of our students takes a mental health toll on them.
- Ivy League isn't for everyone: For reasons unknown to me, our county has decided to throw differentiation out the window and force all 8thgrade students to take high school physical science. It seems our school board have been out of the classroom for too long. They forget that our job is not to force students to be ready for Ivy League schools, but rather to prepare each student for their goals and interests.
As the owner of a small farm, I feel its essential to teach our children where, how, and when our food comes from. Just as we provide courses to prepare students for healthcare, teaching, and flying, we need to expose students to agriculture.
The green energy jobs sector is rapidly increasing in Georgia. As of 2022, there were over 280,000 green energy jobs in the state. Salaries for these jobs start in the $70k’s and quickly grow to over $100k per year. Preparing students for these types of jobs in the solar, battery, and electric vehicle industries will set Fayette County apart as the best place for people to raise their children and give those students more opportunities for their future.
The green energy jobs sector is rapidly increasing in Georgia. As of 2022, there were over 280,000 green energy jobs in the state. Salaries for these jobs start in the $70k’s and quickly grow to over $100k per year. Preparing students for these types of jobs in the solar, battery, and electric vehicle industries will set Fayette County apart as the best place for people to raise their children and give those students more opportunities for their future.
My father--he showed me what Math can do(as an airline pilot), how to patiently teach it, and how to apply it to your every day life.
No. Engage with your local politicians, stay involved, and never accept things that need fixing.
Integrity. No one likes a liar, and unfortunately our politicians are known for lying. We must demand that our politicians speak honestly to their constituents.
When I commit to doing something, I do it with my whole heart and head. I see things through, and work tirelessly in pursuit of my goals.
Being honest, available, and thorough. People should expect this in anyone, but especially someone they vote for.
My children are my legacy--everything else is secondary. I want nothing more than for them to be healthy and happy in wherever life takes them.
I remember distinctly my father coming home from a trip when he was a new hire at Delta Air Lines. I can't say exactly how old I was, but its a clear as day in my mind.
I worked at Wendy's and it felt like it lasted FOREVER. HAHA.
Harry Potter (all of them)--a young kid with great friends achieves so much!
Hermione--she saved Harry SO many times.
Anything...literally anything by Taylor Swift.
Life gets us all down, and I struggle with anxiety as I've gotten older. I find myself reliving events where I felt I could have done or said something better.
Students, Teachers, and all of Fayette County--in that order. My first responsibility is and will ALWAYS be: the students. Providing the safest and healthiest learning environment possible for our students should be our number one priority.
Again: Students, Teacher, and all of Fayette County--in that order.
Though we may not be that far outside of Atlanta, our county has a rich cultural, and agricultural history. We have to foster all the areas of our county, which brings the best of both the urban and rural together.
As a graduate of Fayette County Schools who eventually came back, I know well what its like to grow up and raise a family here. I know the county inside and out, have a history here, and hope to keep growing my group of people I know. With all the growth going on in Fayette County, we have a unique opportunity to welcome new members to our community with open arms.
This is perhaps the toughest question of all, other than saying, "when you see it, you know." We've all had bad teachers. I remember a college professor who simply read his notes, and walked away. However, I can still remember the names of those teachers that encouraged me the most while making learning enjoyable. There is only one way to measure this: through the memory of the teacher that took the extra time to explain a subject, was patient, and equally thrilled when the light bulb finally went off. We have to support our teachers by giving them the tools, and time they need.
We need to offer a pathway for students who do not want to go to college. Ivy League schools aren't for everyone, and we cannot approach students and instruction like they are. Today's job environment opens a world of opportunities for those with experience in new green energy jobs and agricultural jobs.
As much as our world is changing with every ear, there are some things that do not change. Food, for example, still feeds our bodies and is grown on farms. This means that we still need farmers. Although much of our district is suburbia, we still have some rural areas in the county where the students are raising chickens, growing tomatoes out back and seeing cows on their way to school. If those students are the only ones exposed to farming, then we as a school district are failing our students. Students need to understand where their food comes from, and be exposed to agricultural courses. Just as we provide courses to prepare students for healthcare, teaching, and flying, we need to expose students to agriculture.
The green energy jobs sector is rapidly increasing in Georgia. As of 2022, there were over 280,000 green energy jobs in the state. Salaries for these jobs start in the $70k’s and quickly grow to over $100k per year. Preparing students for these types of jobs in the solar, battery, and electric vehicle industries will set Fayette County apart as the best place for people to raise their children and give those students more opportunities for their future.
The green energy jobs sector is rapidly increasing in Georgia. As of 2022, there were over 280,000 green energy jobs in the state. Salaries for these jobs start in the $70k’s and quickly grow to over $100k per year. Preparing students for these types of jobs in the solar, battery, and electric vehicle industries will set Fayette County apart as the best place for people to raise their children and give those students more opportunities for their future.
Students cannot learn if they do not feel safe. This generation of children is growing up in a world of active shooter drills, a barrage of threats, and unnecessary distractions. The students of our county deserve better. So many of these policies are set at much higher levels of government. The school board's role should be in providing the safest environment possible. This involves fully funding our SROs, and providing the most current technology available to our administrators.
We must fully fund our counselors and psychologists. We must offer resources to both our students and teachers that allow them space and time to deal with the rigors of the classroom environment. As a current teacher and mother of two, I understand the stressors our teachers and students face daily.
What did the triangle say to the circle? You're pointless.
As an educator, I do understand the necessity of assessments, but the amount of testing that our students are subjected to is getting out of hand. The endless number of benchmarks and standardized tests we require of our students takes a mental health toll on them. Test anxiety has increased over the years, and it does not take a statistician to see the correlation between it and the increased amount of time testing. As much as politicians would like to be able run public schools like a factory, printing off production line growth rates and test scores, public schools are not a factory. Students deal with different situations in and out of school, different emotions, family situations, and different levels of hormones. Any one of these things could cause a student to lose focus on testing days and not perform their best.
As teachers we understand these things and feel for the students. It is why our amazing teachers provide remediation, credit recovery and re-takes on assessments they give. To do all these things for the students as well as cover the material and give the dozens of county required benchmarks and state test takes time. Time teachers do not have. Cutting down on benchmarks gives back a significant amount of time that teachers could be using to do more hands-on activities, differentiated instruction, and reviewing material students are struggling with.
3.14 Action Fund
Progressive Change Campaign Committee
Progressive Change Campaign Committee
A safe, healthy environment that is best for student success involves a teacher that truly cares about them, not only as a student but as a human being.
I know better than anyone on our school board the trials that COVID played on our students and teachers. My children were sent home in March 2020, and transitioned to the online environment. After I finished my Master's Degree, I took a position teaching Math online because I understood the challenges associated with learning online by watching my own children. NO ONE else on our current School Board has taught in both the brick and mortar and online environments like I have. Though our school board did the best they could, so much more could have been done to help our students and teachers. They needed more help, and often times, politics got in the way of providing the safest place for our students and teachers.
By being available. As a teacher, I had 24 hours to respond to parents, and I pledge to stick to that timeline on the school board. Our board members are largely out of sight, and I want to change that by being active in our schools.
We have fantastic schools because we have fantastic teachers, and we must continue to recruit and RETAIN that talent. The average teacher quits the profession in their first 5 years, and we have to do something to keep our fantastic teachers on the job. Part of that comes from taking away unnecessary benchmarks that distract from learning, put arbitrary measurements on success, and frankly, have no bearing on students' performance.
As a small business owner, I know that essential financial planning is imperative. If you don’t plan ahead, spend your money wisely, and balance your checkbook, you’ll end up in debt and scrambling to make ends meet. Our school board seems to have forgotten these core principles and needs to be held accountable for how they spend your well-earned tax dollars. Too often, the concept of “other people’s money” seeps into the decisions our board is making. We need to be good stewards of the tax dollars we receive, plan ahead, and make smarter choices with how we budget.
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See also
2024 Elections
External links
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Candidate Fayette County Public Schools school board District 5 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ [Email from Georgia Secretary of State Election office, "Candidate list," March 12, 2024]
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