Kathy and her husband, Brett, have lived in Washington, Missouri since 1999. They have two children, Mackenzie and Elijah. She enjoys spending time with her family, watching their children’s sporting events, relaxing at the beach, and working on projects around their 110-year-old home. Kathy grew up in West Central Illinois. She graduated from Western Illinois University in 1986 with a Bachelor of Science in Education degree. Her first classroom experience was in the Francis Howell School District. While teaching in the public school system, she completed her Masters of Science in Education degree in 1993, and over the years has earned an additional 30 plus college credit hours in education. Kathy has taught in second, third, fourth, and fifth-grade classrooms.