Gottsch Begins Term as State President
Heather Gottsch, Family and Consumer Sciences Teacher and FCCLA Adviser at Cherokee High School, began her term as State President of the Oklahoma Association for Teachers of Family and Consumer Sciences (OATFCS) at the conclusion of the organization’s business meeting on August 5 during the 53rd Annual Oklahoma Summit. Gottsch was elected as President-Elect in May 2019 and spent the 2019-2020 school year as a member of the OATFCS Executive Council.
The mission of OATFCS is to bring together all family and consumer sciences teachers through membership in a state organization devoted exclusively to their interests. During her year as president, Gottsch will represent Oklahoma FCS teachers on the state and national level. Along with planning different activities and events for FCS teachers, Gottsch will serve as an advocate for family and consumer sciences.
“I am honored and humbled to serve and lead over 425 family and consumer sciences teachers statewide,” Gottsch said. “I am a firm believer in the importance of FCS courses and the CareerTech System. People are adamant that schools ‘bring back home economics,’ but the truth is home economics never left. We have adapted and adjusted to the needs of 21st century students and I believe FCS teachers have a unique opportunity to make a profound impact on the students we teach and the communities we serve. I look forward to advocating for family and consumer sciences education.”
In addition to her term as president, Gottsch will serve on the Executive Committee of the Oklahoma Association of Career and Technology Education (OkACTE) and will be a voting member of the CareerTech Administrative Council (CTAC).
Gottsch earned a Master of Education degree in Educational Administration from SWOSU in 2019. She has taught for twelve years and has been named teacher of the year three times, a Master Adviser for FCCLA, received the Wanda Hollman FCCLA Adviser Scholarship, and served as her district’s FCCLA Counselor and Treasurer for five years. She is a member of the Association for Curriculum Development and Supervision and served as the 2018-2019 OATFCS Secretary. Gottsch is currently a member of the Board of Directors for the Oklahoma FCCLA Alumni & Associates, Secretary of the Beta Phi Chapter of Epsilon Sigma Alpha, and the President of the Cherokee Education Association.