About Us

My name is Kate Witzke, and I come from a proud lineage of educators—stretching all the way back to the one-room schoolhouses on the Colorado prairie.

I began my teaching career in New York City in 1990, working with third, fourth, and fifth grade students. Over the years, I served as a science teacher, a math coach, and eventually made the transition into school administration. As Assistant Principal and later Principal of PS9, I discovered that the most powerful—yet often overlooked—strategy for school success is building a strong, connected community.

At PS9, I focused on creating shared experiences, developing a common language, and setting collaborative goals. These efforts weren’t just about improving outcomes—they were about cultivating trust, belonging, and resilience across the entire school.

When I retired, I knew my work wasn’t done. I founded Connect For Kids to continue supporting schools in this vital mission. I deeply understand the complexity of the principal’s role and the reality that there’s rarely enough time or bandwidth to do it all. That’s where I come in.

Connect For Kids, LLC is designed to lighten the load for school leaders by partnering with administrations to foster and sustain vibrant, inclusive school communities. I have partnered with a group of like-minded people who bring a wealth of experience to the company and can provide translation and babysitting if required. 

I handle the heavy lifting—so you can focus on leading.

I handle the heavy lifting—so you can focus on leading.

Kate Witzke

“As a parent who has worked closely with Kate Witzke in my roles as PTA President and Fundraising VP at PS9 Sarah Anderson, I have seen firsthand her commitment to building a strong and connected school community. She consistently engaged parents as partners, encouraged collaboration, and lead with warmth and respect. Her ability to bring families, teachers, and staff together has created a welcoming, inclusive environment where students, families, and staff work together in support of student success.”

— Xiao-Xiao W, Former PA President and Fundraising Chair, PS9M

  • It has been a pleasure working with Kate. She is an exceptional leader who truly understands schools and families, with a rare ability to unite parents, staff, and school leadership around a shared goal. As a Parent Association President, I felt welcomed, supported, and empowered in my role. Kate’s leadership had a clear and positive impact on our school community, and her ability to bring families together in meaningful ways is truly special. I am grateful for the opportunity to have worked with her.

    —E. Horvath, Previous PS9 President, PS9M

  • I had the honor of working with Ms. Kate Witzke at PS 9 in Manhattan from 2004 to 2015, during which time she consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership, professionalism, and dedication to our school community. She quickly distinguished herself through her expertise, collaborative spirit, and deep commitment to staff, students, and families.

    She was an active presence in the Parent Association, a thoughtful and effective member of the School Leadership Team, and a steady support to teachers across grade levels. Her strong work ethic and community-centered approach made her unanimous selection as Assistant Principal a natural next step.

    As Assistant Principal and later Principal, Kate helped elevate PS 9 to new levels of success, contributing to top Department of Education Quality Review scores, strong School Community Report Cards, and ultimately achieving prestigious Blue Ribbon recognition. She is articulate, dependable, and deeply committed to excellence.

    —D. Brady, Former Principal, PS9

  • I’ve known and worked with Kate Witzke for over 25 years, and she is exceptionally well‑suited to lead CONNECT FOR KIDS. Kate brings a rare blend of professionalism, creativity, and follow‑through. She thinks strategically, executes with precision, and consistently turns ideas into meaningful action.

    I’ve watched her manage complex projects, collaborate with diverse teams, and navigate challenges with calm determination. Her strong sense of ownership, organization, and thoughtful decision‑making earn the trust of everyone around her.

    J. Aranoff

    Friend and colleague, 25+ years

  • I’ve had the pleasure of working with Kate Witzke and witnessing her success as a principal. She built a strong, inclusive school community and brings a rare combination of strategic insight, professionalism, and genuine care to every school she partners with.

    Kate listens deeply, asks the right questions, and tailors solutions rather than relying on one-size-fits-all approaches. She turns ideas into clear, actionable plans, and her work through Connect For Kids reflects thoughtful, practical, real‑world experience.

    As Connect For Kids launches, I’m confident it will be a valuable partner for principals, families, and school communities seeking stronger home‑school connections and meaningful support. I highly recommend Connect For Kids as a trusted advisor.

    Ilene Altschul Cohen
    Retired NYC Educator, Principal, Superintendent, and Administrator

  • Kate and I worked closely together as teacher colleagues for more than ten years at an elementary school in Manhattan Valley.  I worked directly with Kate on many schoolwide events - school fair, fund raisers, gradewide trips, parent/teacher events, etc. - and can attest to her work ethic, dedication to the school community and her remarkable ability to build relationships with adults and children and collaborate with others of diverse backgrounds to achieve a goal. 

    Her positive attitude, innovative mindset, reliability and proactive approach to problem-solving inspired and motivated school community members to trust her as a leader and enabled motivation to bring completion of complex projects such as the school garden (which was maintained for many years), and the school fair (which continues annually) from ideas to reality.

    I highly recommend Kate’s organization, Connect for Kids to anyone in need of family engagement services. Her expertise, professionalism, integrity and dedication make them a trusted partner for success.

    Felice Piggott, Former Colleague & Friend

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What We Do