By Matt Hoover
USD 475 Communications Coordinator
JUNCTION CITY, Kan. – Fort Riley Elementary fifth grade teacher Emily Chandler was named one of seven statewide 2026 Kansas Master Teachers on Wednesday morning by Emporia State University.
By being chosen for the 2026 class, Chandler becomes the fourth Geary County Schools USD 475 teacher in the last five years to claim the prestigious honor. She is also the 11th individual in USD 475 history to be named a member of the Kansas Master Teachers.
Chandler was chosen alongside Casey Ewy of USD 383, Kathleen Gilliland of USD 253, Heather Hall of USD 229, Michelle Kelly of USD 458, Rachel Tanney of USD 233 and Kimberly Tate of USD 373.
Chandler, who is in her third year of teaching in USD 475 and is a Texas native, brings a wealth of passion, fun and expertise to the classroom as she not only teaches fifth grade English Language Arts and Social Studies at Fort Riley Elementary, but also recently created a journalism club at the school. Prior to her time in USD 475, Chandler, who is also the fourth and fifth grade team lead at FRE, taught at multiple schools in Arizona and Texas.
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, Chandler 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.
Tickets for the dinner cost $25, and reservations are required by Friday, March 20, 2026. For more information, go to www.emporia.edu/masterteacher.
ESU established the Kansas Master Teacher awards in 1954. The awards are presented annually to selected teachers who demonstrate the attributes of exemplary professional educators.
Since 1980, Bank of America has pledged more than $100,000 to permanently endow the Kansas Master Teacher awards.
USD 475 Master Teacher Honorees
1961 - Jane E. Roether (Junction City)
1988 - Bonnie Weingart (Fort Riley)
1989 - Ada Ligia R. Paquette (Junction City)
1992 - Beth Bergsten (Junction City)
2007 - Angela Miller (Junction City)
2012 - Jodi Testa (Junction City)
2017 - Joan Hayden (Geary County)
2022 - Bryan Scruggs (Geary County)
2023 - Melissa Hall (Geary County)
2024 - Jennifer Fallin (Geary County)
2026 - Emily Chandler (Geary County)