Seaholm’s Katie Goetz Named BEA High School Teacher of the Year
The Seaholm Little Theater is usually home to classroom instruction, rehearsed plays and scheduled presentations, but recently, it became the stage for a surprise ceremony — to honor one of Seaholm’s most dedicated educators.
Katie Goetz was lured into the theater, only to be caught off guard by a room full of cheering Maples. The occasion? BEA President Amy Denys-Wagner stepped forward to present Goetz with the Birmingham Education Association (BEA) High School Teacher of the Year Award.
The weight of the achievement was underscored by those in attendance – Katie’s family, students, colleagues, Birmingham Superintendent Dr. Embekka Roberson and Seaholm Principal Michael Wicker, who all joined the crowd to celebrate Goetz’s profound impact on the district.
A Maple Comes Home
For Goetz, the award represents a full-circle journey. She is a proud Seaholm graduate from the Class of 1992. Before returning to her alma mater, she taught in Oxford, Michigan, and was teaching at Oxford High School during the tragedy of 2021. Seeking a return to her roots, she “came home” to teach at Seaholm, and she has spent every day since making sure the halls she walked as a teenager are a safe, welcoming, and vibrant environment for the next generation.
Her return has made an undeniable mark on the staff, as well. Goetz was nominated for the honor by a powerhouse coalition of her fellow Seaholm teachers: Robert Hart, Steve Claerr, Shannon Feliciano, Ed Caughell, and Jeremy Barber.
The Last to Leave the Building
While Goetz is an exceptional classroom teacher, the nomination highlighted an almost superhuman list of extracurricular commitments. To say she is involved at Seaholm and across the Birmingham Public Schools district is an understatement.
Aside from her daily teaching duties, Goetz serves as the BPS District Health Coordinator, teaches CPR and Lifeguarding, and sits on multiple district-wide committees. But if you really want to see her impact, you have to look at Seaholm’s student life and athletic programs. Goetz is the face behind some of the school’s biggest events and organizations:
- Student Life: She leads the National Honor Society (NHS), helps organize and run Charity Week, and drives school spirit by organizing both Homecoming and Prom.
- Athletics & Inclusivity: She is the freshman volleyball coach, helps with Unified Basketball, and is a constant fixture at athletic events—serving as the scorer and part-time announcer for varsity Baseball, helping operations for varsity Football, and previously serving as the president of the Wrestling boosters.
Because of this exhaustive list of responsibilities, it is a well-known fact around the school that on many nights of the week, Goetz’s classroom light is the very last one to be turned off.
Dedicated to the Maple Family
How does she balance it all? In addition to managing the schedules of hundreds of Seaholm students, she is also a mom to four of her own: Maddie (’24), Casey (’26), Asa (’29), and Finn (’31).
Ultimately, what makes Goetz the Teacher of the Year isn’t just the number of clubs she runs or the hours she puts in—it’s her heart. Ask any student who has worked with her, and they will tell you that she is their biggest advocate. She doesn’t just manage activities; she listens to student ideas, helps facilitate their visions, and celebrates their successes as if they were her own.
Congratulations, Mrs. Goetz, on a well-deserved honor. Thank you for proving that once a Maple, always a Maple!
Responses
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Congratulations Katie. You are the MVP who will do anything to help Seaholm students and staff!
Congratulations!! Thank you for all you do, You earned this award!!🍁🎊🍁🎉🍁
Well deserved honor to a fantastic human!