Candidate: Katye Campbell

Katye Campbell was born in Germany where her father, a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army, was stationed.  She grew up in Fort Worth, Texas where she excelled in academics and music, participating in All-Region and All-State choirs, orchestras, and bands. Katye graduated from Eastern Hills High School as Salutatorian with a 4.0 grade point average.  Choosing to major in music education, she graduated Summa Cum Laude from Oklahoma Baptist University in 1997 with a K-12 certificate.

Katye taught her favorite age group — middle school — for 7 years in Kentucky and Texas.  While in Kentucky, she taught at a Title 1 school where 90% of the students were on free or reduced lunch.  She collaborated often with the academic and elective teams and led the school’s arts partnership with Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park.  She was also the only teacher in the building to serve every special education student. As a choir teacher, she took her students to assessment contests every year, coordinated performances with other schools in the district, and also took her singing groups to perform in nursing homes so they could give back to the community.  Katye regularly sought out master teachers to gain ideas and advice for the classroom.

Katye and her husband, Jim, have been married for 20 years. They have three children ages 14, 11, and 8.  Katye “retired” from teaching when her first child was born, then worked as an accompanist and voice teacher part-time in order to stay home with her children.  She volunteers in her children’s schools in their classrooms, on field trips, and as a piano accompanist. She also served on the music instructional materials adoption committee for Brevard Public Schools last year.

Currently, Katye serves as the worship leader for Bay West Church, where her husband is pastor, and works as a substitute teacher.  As a volunteer leader in the church, she coordinated and taught a moms’ group at First Baptist Melbourne, led small groups, sang and played in the worship teams at First Baptist and Bay West, and helped plan large community events.  As a substitute, she has been in more than 55 classrooms in five schools at all levels in the last two school years.

Katye sees this opportunity to run for the School Board as a calling, and she is extremely thankful for the encouragement and support she has received from friends in the community.  Her husband, children, and mother-in-law (who lives with them) are all on board and ready for the challenges ahead