Ms. Jeanine Gottko, master technology teacher for grades K-8 in the Westfield Public Schools, will receive the Philhower Fellowship award at the online meeting of the Rotary Club of Westfield on Tuesday, May 5. The Philhower Fellowship is awarded to honor a teacher in the Westfield Public Schools who has made an outstanding contribution to elementary education. Each year, the honoree is selected by a committee which includes Rotarians and Westfield educators. The award is given in memory of Charles Philhower, a founder and past President of the Club and a lifelong Rotarian.
As master technology teacher, Ms. Gottko is responsible for training teachers in the use of instructional technology such as computer-aided learning systems. When the Westfield schools had to switch rapidly to distance learning to deal with the covid-19 epidemic, Ms. Gottko played a pivotal role in helping students and staff make this difficult transition and assuring that all students continued their education during these trying times.Westfield Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Margaret Dolan stated “Jeanine is so deserving of this important recognition.Her years as a classroom teacher combined with an impressive knowledge of digital learning tools and technology has been invaluable to our school community, especially during the educational upheaval caused by COVID-19"
A Westfield native, Ms. Gottko received a Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of Delaware in 1997. She joined the Westfield Public Schools in 1997 “I always hoped I would teach in Westfield because I had received such an outstanding education here and I knew what a wonderful district it was,” says Gottko . “I also liked the sense of community and the ability to continue the district’s tradition of excellence for future students.”
In nominating Gottko, a team of teachers at Tamaques Elementary School noted her expertise in instructional technology. “Her knowledge and skills reflect her continued pursuit of professional growth in this rapidly changing field,” the group wrote in a nominating letter. “Our recent abrupt switch to distance learning put Jeanine’s skills in the spotlight, as she is suddenly in charge of teaching everyone in the district, including staff, administrators, and parents, how to use an overwhelming number of different tools. She has instilled in all of us that we are capable of using technology to make distance learning effective.”
Another letter from a fellow educator lauds Gottko for going above and beyond to provide e-learning tools and assistance throughout the school year. “When the district moved to distance learning and the weight of the entire district was suddenly upon her shoulders, she has continued to support us in an astounding way.”
“Ms. Gottko understands the daily life of a teacher and tries to use technology to make our busy lives easier and less stressful,” says another educator who praises Gottko for her ability to share knowledge in a way that is fun for students. “She has a wonderful sense of humor and is always willing to help. I am happy to know she is just an email or a text away.”
Gottko has been a master technology teacher for grades K-8 for the past 7 years, serving as an instructional coach for teachers and administrators, planning and conducting professional development sessions, and visiting classrooms to incorporate technology into student lessons. In 2013, Gottko was named one of the National School Boards Association’s “20 to Watch,” a prestigious recognition of “emerging U.S. education leaders for their ability to inspire fellow educators and their innovative use of technology to contribute to the creation of high-quality learning environments.”
“I have been preparing for this for the last seven years, if not longer,” adds Gottko. “Obviously, I could not have anticipated the need for distance learning but the tools and training I have provided our teachers, along with the methodologies that instructional technology instills, have prepared us to face this current crisis.”
When asked about a professional highlight, Gottko says, as a longtime teacher, she enjoys keeping up with what former students are doing. “Quite a few have become teachers themselves and others are doing extraordinary things despite having lives that weren’t as simple as they planned.”
Ms. Gottko also will be honored at an online meeting of the Westfield Board of Education at 7 pm on Tuesday, March 5. Members of the public are cordially invited to attend. Please follow this link for the Board of Education meeting:
https://westfieldnjk12.webex.com/westfieldnjk12/onstage/g.php?MTID=e18dc38864ede6de8592e4983c640ed04
She credits her parents, former Rotarian and Westfield Town Administrator Ed Gottko and Jean Gottko, a nurse, with encouraging her to volunteer outside the classroom. “My parents always encouraged me to join different committees, to play a role in my community, and to never limit myself.”
Gottko says she is “beyond honored and overwhelmed” to have received the Philhower Award.
“To be in the same group as past winners is so meaningful to me since many of them continue to inspire me,” she says. “To be nominated by my fellow teachers also means so much to me. I know it may sound cliché but I truly do share this award with all of the teachers in the district who are doing an amazing job in such a trying and stressful time. I am so proud and in awe of how they are navigating this new frontier in education while also being a support system for their students and families.”
Gottko will receive the Philhower Award on May 5 as a guest of honor during a virtual Rotary Club meeting. That evening, she will be recognized as well at a virtual meeting of the Board of Education.
The Philhower Fellowship was established in 1993 by the Rotary Club to honor former Westfield Rotarian Charles Philhower and to recognize the importance of teaching in the elementary grades. An educator for more than 50 years, Charles Philhower, who died in 1962, was supervising principal (superintendent) of Westfield schools for three decades as well as co-founder and past president of the Rotary Club of Westfield.