In My FACS Era
Using the Past to Create the Future
đź’ˇ President's Message đź’ˇ
Happy May, VATFACS Members!
Spring is in full bloom, and I absolutely love seeing the kaleidoscope of colors in flowers and trees this time of year. My allergies, however, have a strongly worded dissenting opinion. The days are getting longer, and the promise of summer is just around the corner. That means no more alarm clocks, packed lunches, or the eternal morning question of what do I even wear today? And that means we are that much closer to VATFACS PDI in Virginia Beach!
The board has been working hard to plan an energizing and meaningful conference with a variety of topics, speakers, and sessions. There will truly be something for everyone.
This year's theme, "In My FCS Era: Using the Past to Create the Future" wasn't chosen by accident. FCS has a rich and storied history as the original people-centered discipline. From the very beginning, our founders understood that improving the lives of individuals, families, and communities required rigorous, science-based solutions. Ellen Swallow Richards, Margaret Murray Washington, and Martha Van Rensselaer weren't dabbling — they were solving real problems: how families ate, how homes stayed safe, how children grew. They understood that healthy family systems were the foundation of healthy communities, and they answered that belief with science, scholarship, and action.
That need hasn't gone away. If anything, it's grown. Today's students are navigating how to nourish themselves in a world of food deserts and processed everything, how to build financial stability in an economy that wasn't designed for them, and how to hold families together when the systems meant to support them keep falling short. No other discipline is better positioned to meet them there than FCS. Home Economics is not a bad word. It never was.
But honoring that legacy means more than claiming it. Our founders weren't just passionate; they were deliberate. They fought to be taken seriously at a time when the work of supporting families was dismissed as trivial, and they answered that dismissal with science, scholarship, and an unshakeable belief in the dignity of the discipline. They built credibility brick by brick because they knew the stakes.
We are the stewards of what they built. That means showing up with the same rigor, the same relevance, and the same intentionality this discipline has always deserved. The standard was set long before us. Our job is to honor it, elevate it, and carry it forward.
More on that next month.
Come ready to be inspired, reconnected, and reminded of why you chose this work. I can't wait to see you in Virginia Beach.
Keep Thinking,
Dr. Amber Tiernan
VATFACS President
This Month's Spotlight is on Martha van Rensselaer
Martha Van Rensselaer was an American educator, reformer, and one of the foremost pioneers of the home economics movement. Born on June 21, 1864, in Randolph, New York, she was deeply influenced by her mother’s activism in the women’s suffrage and temperance movements, which fostered her belief in women’s potential to shape society.
After completing her education at the Chamberlain Institute, Van Rensselaer began teaching and, in 1893, was elected school commissioner of Cattaraugus County, New York—a role traditionally held by men. During this time, she became aware of Cornell University’s agricultural extension work for men and noted the absence of similar educational opportunities for women.
In 1900, Liberty Hyde Bailey invited her to Cornell to establish a reading course for farmers’ wives, which became a groundbreaking program in adult education. Within five years, over 20,000 rural women had enrolled. Building on this success, Cornell developed formal courses in home economics, and by 1908, Van Rensselaer and Flora Rose were appointed co-directors of the Department of Home Economics. Their collaboration helped professionalize the field by uniting science, education, and social reform.
Under their leadership, the department evolved into the School of Home Economics in 1919 and later the New York State College of Home Economics—the forerunner of today’s College of Human Ecology. Van Rensselaer believed in applying scientific principles to improve daily life and elevate women’s roles in society.
Her contributions extended nationally: she served as president of the American Home Economics Association (1914–1916), directed the Home Conservation Division of the U.S. Food Administration during World War I, and helped draft the influential Children’s Charter at the 1930 White House Conference on Child Health and Protection.
Recognized in 1923 by the League of Women Voters as one of the twelve most important women in America, Van Rensselaer also worked internationally—surveying educational and nutritional needs in Belgium on behalf of the U.S. government, for which she received the Cross of Chevalier of the Order of the Crown from King Albert I.
Martha Van Rensselaer died of cancer on May 26, 1932, in New York City. Her legacy endures through the Martha Van Rensselaer Hall at Cornell University, which bears her name. Her pioneering vision made home economics a serious academic discipline and transformed the education and empowerment of women.
Sources: Cornell University, Wikipedia, Encyclopedia.com.
Dr. Donna Hoskins, Department Chair of Health and Human Services, Bridgewater College.
Leslie Rob of Leslie Rob Comedy
Leslie Rob, M.Ed. is an Award-Winning, International, Comedic Motivational Speaker, Teacher & Professional Development Presenter. She brings comedy, encouragement & professional development sessions to stages, conferences & social media worldwide. Her videos have brought laughter to millions across her social media platforms, which prompted an article about her in The Washington Post. Leslie Rob travels all over the country and abroad. She’s been seen on The Unknown Tour, Spirit FM’s Night of Love & Laughter, ABC’s The Tamron Hall Show, Dry Bar Comedy, ABC’s Good Morning America as well as solo performances. Leslie Rob has also interviewed celebrity guests, like Melissa Joan Hart, for the LA Cancer Support Program and played the role of Mindy in the claymation Christmas movie “Steal the Naughty List”. Her most recent accomplishment was being featured on NBC’s The Today Show.
THERE'S STILL TIME! Teacher Appreciation Event
Did you know that VATFACS, Inc. is the sole provider of FCS professional development for FCS teachers in Virginia? In order for this to continue to happen, we need you!
Join in on the fun and be part of our committees? There are various ways to get involved with the 2025-2026 VATFACS Conference planning, constitution and bylaws revisions, mentoring new and career switcher teachers, and much more! Click on the QR code below to complete and interest form.
Thank you!
Did you know your VATFACS membership also includes membership to Virginia ACTE (VA ACTE)?
What is that?
VA ACTE is the organization that advocates, supports and serves all CTE programs in Virginia. They help to influence public policy related to CTE programs, put on professional development, give awards and grants and support all program areas.
The Virginia Association for Teachers of Family and Consumer Sciences, Inc. (VATFACS, Inc.) is an organization dedicated to promoting Family and Consumer Sciences in Virginia public schools to improve the lives of our students, their families, and our communities.
VATFACS, Inc.’s mission is to promote professional development opportunities for family and
consumer sciences teachers in Virginia, provide opportunity for collaboration with family and
consumer sciences professionals, and support the purposes of the
Virginia Association of Career and Technical (VA ACTE).
