Class of 2026 Kansas Master Teacher announced

Congratulations to the seven members of the class of 2026 Kansas Master Teachers!

• Emily Chandler, 5th Grade Teacher at Fort Riley Elementary, USD 475 Geary County
• Casey Ewy, 8th Grade Social Studies teacher at Susan B. Anthony Middle School, USD383 Manhattan-Ogden
• Kathleen Gilliland, Mathematics and Robotics teacher at Emporia High School, USD 253 Emporia
• Heather Hall, Science and Research Teacher at Blue Valley West High School, USD 229 Blue Valley
• Michelle Kelly, K-5 Reading Interventionist at Glenwood Ridge Elementary, USD 458 Basehor-Lindwood
• Rachel Tanney, Gifted Teacher at Heatherstone Elementary, Sunnyside Elementary and Madison Place Elementary, USD 233 Olathe
• Kimberly Tate, 7th Grade Math Teacher at Chisholm Middle School, USD 373 Newton
 

Through the support of the Bank of America Charitable Foundation, each Master Teacher will be presented with a check for $1,000.
 

The recipients were selected by a committee including representatives from the Kansas Association of School Boards, Kansas State Board of Education, K-12 Kansas Principal Association, Kansas Parent Teacher Association, Kansas National Education Association, United School Administrators, Kansas Association of Teacher Educators – Kansas, and representatives of the 2025 Kansas Master Teacher class.

The 2026 Master Teachers will be honored on Master Teacher Day on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, at Emporia State University. As part of several recognition activities, the teachers will tour the National Teachers Hall of Fame, one room schoolhouse and participate in the How We Teach This Podcast. The teachers will then be honored during a social hour at 5:45 p.m. in Webb Hall Lobby of Emporia State’s Memorial Union followed by the banquet and award ceremony at 6:30 p.m. in Webb Hall.
 

Emporia State University established the Kansas Master Teacher awards in 1954. The awards are presented annually to selected teachers who demonstrate the attributes of exemplary professional educators.
Information on the 72 years of educators named Kansas Master Teachers is available through Emporia State University.
 

Since 1980, Bank of America has pledged more than $100,000 to permanently endow the Kansas Master Teacher awards.