Dr. Catherine Pozniak
Cobb County School Board Post 4
About Dr. Catherine Pozniak (She/Her):
Dr. Catherine Pozniak is an educator with local, state, and national management experience. She’s running for the Post 4 seat on the Cobb County Board of Education because she believes every family deserves to know their kids will graduate prepared to pursue their dreams, whether in college, a career, or the military. Catherine is a Georgia native, and she grew up attending Cobb County schools. The education she received at Kincaid Elementary School, Daniell Middle School, and Sprayberry High School made it possible for her to get into college and excel there. After graduating from the University of Sydney with first class honors and earning a master’s degree from the University of Cambridge, Catherine took a position teaching in a two-classroom, K-8 school on the Rosebud Lakota Sioux Reservation, an experience that led her to dedicate her career to expanding educational opportunities for others. She has been working in education ever since, taking on roles such as the executive director for the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) and co-founder and chief operating officer of a local education nonprofit in Baton Rouge. Along the way Catherine also continued her schooling and her commitment to education with a Doctorate in Education Leadership from Harvard University. Most recently, Catherine served as Assistant State Superintendent of Fiscal Operations & Federal Support at the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE), serving more than 700,000 students. Today Catherine is back home in Georgia, in the house where she grew up, working for an organization that supports states and districts around the country to design, implement, and scale transformative education plans. Additionally, she serves as an education officer in the U.S. Army Reserve and represents the third generation in her family to serve in the military. Catherine continues to be a certified K-8 teacher and holds a superintendent endorsement.
Why We’re Endorsing:
Catherine believes her job as a board member is to ensure that all students get the services and support they need to lead successful, meaningful lives. She believes teachers and school staff should be trained to not just be culturally competent, but welcoming and inviting to all cultures. Her district is also in need of a comprehensive review of data so that we are aware of where there are gaps in terms of student achievement and supports and resources that are offered to students and families. With that data, she believes that we can make more informed choices about the allocation of our resources across schools.
Cobb county has a fast growing immigrant population, and Catherine recognizes that Asian American students and families do not get all of the necessary support for a variety of reasons, including model minority stereotypes that lead many to believe incorrectly that Asian American students do not struggle academically. The poverty of many Asian American families, particularly those who have recently immigrated, is also often hidden because of both systemic and cultural reasons. Additionally, there is stigma regarding mental health issues, which are even more pervasive since the pandemic started. Dr. Pozniak will work to address these issues while on the school board.
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Paid for by the Asian American Advocacy Fund Independent Committee and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.