FACS Spotlight:

Meet FACS Educator Virginia (Ginnie) Tate

Virginia Tate knows something about adjusting to reality. In the 1980s, the Greensboro, North Carolina, teacher had earned a Bachelor of Science in Home Economics Education and a Masters of Education in Speech Communications, as well as picked up professional experience as an in-home foods consultant, when she made the choice to stay at home for several years to raise her four children. Virginia, who prefers to be called Ginnie, finally resumed her career some 10 years later by earning teaching credentials, receiving a license to teach in North Carolina and, finally, teaching her own FACS classes starting in 2001. Today, in addition to teaching Foods and Teen Living, she serves on a curriculum development team for Foods 1 - Fundamentals for the North Carolina Department of Instruction.

Spend Wisely

Ginnie's journey is serving her well as she works to adjust to an ailing economy at a time when the demands made on FACS teachers are greater than ever. "North Carolina gives a recommended, maximum number of students for each FACS class," she says. "Where I teach, teachers and guidance counselors try to keep to this guideline, but students must go somewhere, and sometimes we have to breech the recommended number to accommodate certain needs." The resulting, overcrowded classrooms pose several problems, among them greater safety risks and, of course, more difficulty staying within a budget.

Teachers of food labs have always had to use pennies wisely. "Trying to stay within a set budget grocery items and other needs for a foods classroom is a challenge at any time," Ginnie acknowledges, "and the current economy has made it even harder. I myself have dropped one of my food labs due to the increased cost of groceries. Plus, this is happening at a time when food classes are becoming more than a place for students to cook and eat. These days, more students are truly seeking careers in the food industry."

Emphasize Financial Literacy

Like all good teachers, Ginnie is using the current situation as a teaching opportunity. She discusses budget issues with her students, turning the problem into a learning experience for them. This is not a far jump for FACS teachers, she says. "FACS has always stressed how to get the most for dollar, whether the class is Housing and Interior Design, Parenting and Child Child Development, Apparel Development, Foods, or Teen Living. Our state in general is placing great emphasis on financial literacy as a tool students need as a 21st century skill as they leave high school."

That emphasis is echoed in Glencoe's FACS programs, which feature financial literacy activities throughout its text books and other materials, notes Ginnie, who recently reviewed Glencoe's Food, Nutrition, and Wellness. She also applauds her state's LIFE program, implemented with FeFe through the University of Arizona, FCCLA (for more on FCCLA, see Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships in this newsletter), and Take Charge America, an Arizona-based financial counseling center. Geared toward the more mature, upperclass student, this curriculum includes simulations of family budgeting challenges such as child-rearing and illness. "The program truly prepares our students with 21st-century financial skills," Ginnie says.

Call Upon Every Resource

Ginnie reminds FACS educators to use every resource available to help ease the budget crunch in their areas. "Contact the Career and Technical Education Department at the County or State level to make sure all the Perkins funding that is available has been used," she advises. "If it has, the school principal may still have available funds. Also, grants may be written for equipment and appliances that need to be updated at places like DonorsChoose, The National Restaurant Association, and local foundations that may support such a need."

"As FACS teachers, we have to be more resourceful than many of colleagues in other academic areas," Ginnie continues. "We should never be afraid to ask, and keep asking and keep looking until we get what we need. The students placed in our charge are the reason we are there, and all of our efforts will be reflected in their success." For a listing of funding resources, go to Perkins & Funding page.

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