District 5

A former Orange County educator, Mrs. “KAT” Gordon was elected to the school board in November 2000. She has been a resident of Orange County since 1968 and was a librarian and counselor in Orange County for 25 years. She worked full-time in the business world for six years as a licensed mortgage broker, life insurance agent and a registered securities representative.

Mrs. Gordon has received many awards as an outstanding teacher in Orange and Osceola counties, including Disney’s Teacherrific Top Program Award.  She was named the 2007 Vocational Teacher of the Year (Distinguished Dove Award) for the New Beginnings Educational Complex in Osceola County and Osceola County’s Ida S. Baker Minority Educator of the Year.  In 2006, she received the Junior Achievement's Educator of the Year Award. In addition, she received the Humanitarian Award at the 2006 Annual Scholarships and Volunteers Awards Dinner sponsored by Orange County Mayor Richard T. Crotty and the Board of County Commissioners for services on the Head Start Policy Council and Community Action Board.

As a school board member, Mrs. Gordon has chaired the Master Calendar Committee and the Superintendent’s Evaluation Committee, which designed the current template for the evaluation of the superintendent.

In 2005, she earned Board Member Certification from the Florida School Boards Association (FSBA) and also served on the FSBA’s Board of Directors.

In October 2007, the College of Education at the University of Central Florida named Mrs. Gordon as one of its “Alumni of the Decades” as part of its 40^th anniversary celebration.

In February 2008, Mrs. Gordon received an award from the Osceola Classroom Teachers Association for her dedication and service to cultural diversity within Osceola District Schools.

She received her bachelor’s degree in library science from South Carolina State University, her master’s degree in guidance and counseling, and her certification in administration and supervision from the University of Central Florida.

Mrs. Gordon is the widow of the late Reverend James D. Gordon, Jr., and the mother of three children, all of whom graduated from Jones High.

District #5 Goals:  Student Achievement, Parental Involvement and Great School Facilities

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