 As we look ahead to the 2026 KATE Conference, it’s worth taking a moment to reflect on the impact of the 2025 gathering. The KATE Conference continues to be a powerful space for emerging educators to discover their voices and engage with the profession during a time of growth, change, and inspiration.
We invite you to read this thoughtful reflection by Alice Huelskamp, a pre-service teacher at Wichita State. To learn more about registering for the 2026 conference or submitting a presentation proposal, visit our homepage at kansasenglish.org. The descriptor ‘teaching conference’ doesn’t exactly draw up the most exciting image. For me, in the weeks leading up to the 2025 KATE Conference, the name mostly brought me a lot of worry. I’m still just a student myself, and I felt quite a bit like I didn’t really belong at a two-day event designed specifically for teachers. It was hard to imagine how I could have a role at this metaphorical table. I struggled to understand how my perspective could fit into the mix. By the end of the conference, though, I could imagine the kind of seat I might have. Across both days, many of the sessions provided perspectives that helped me feel more motivated and prepared to teach than I was beforehand. The opening session with Dr. Latasha Eley Kelly, owner of the Left on Read bookstore, gave a lot of insight into the ways people find their paths into education. Dr. Kelly didn’t first start out her adult life by running her bookstore; it took her time and many other steps to find this particular pathway into supporting education in her community. No matter how and when she came to this point, the only thing that matters is that she is supporting education in the most authentic way to herself now. That opening keynote session immediately set up the rest of the conference, and made it clear that everyone in that room might have their own unique path, but they all lead to one place--education.
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This insightful reflection comes to us from Avery Gathright, a senior at WSU and an aspiring educator. As we step into the new year, Avery’s experience serves as a beautiful reminder of the lasting impact the KATE conference has on pre-service teachers. KATE Pages invites you to take a look...
I recently had the privilege to attend the Kansas Association of Teachers of English (KATE) 2025 Conference, Empowering Voices, Inspiring Change: Navigating Change in Turbulent Times. As a pre-service teacher and an introvert to a fault, this was my first KATE conference, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I learned and the fact that I even enjoyed the experience. I was lucky enough to be able to attend every breakout session and learn from a diverse group of experienced educators and experts. Although I entered uncertain, worried that I was missing a day in the classroom and that I would just be overwhelmed, I left the conference feeling incredibly inspired and ready to make plans for my own future classroom. During the most recent KATE Pages Open Write, Nathan Whitman took some time to pen a poem about what KATE is, for himself and others.
Keep an eye out in the Facebook group for monthly announcements regarding our next Open Write! They take place digitally on Zoom, and provides group accountability to work on passion projects, potential publication pieces, or whatever calls out to you! Click the 'Read More' link below to read Whitman's poem. Recently, the Kansas Association of Teachers of English (KATE) became aware of an incident of censorship within the Kansas National Education Association (KNEA) Reading Circle Commission. Each year, the Reading Circle is tasked by the KNEA with the reading and selection of books that become a published list and valuable resource that is shared with public schools, educators, students, and families across Kansas. The expertise of the reviewers is a great benefit for educators and students. Many of the books read and reviewed by these professionals are not included on the published list of recommended books. After the process is finalized each year, the reviewed books are placed in school and classroom libraries as well as the hands of children across the state. Two of the books that were reviewed and not selected for the 2025 publication list were found in a Kansas elementary school library. These children’s picture books address and provide instruction on human anatomy. Two executive officers of the KNEA demanded that these books be removed from all Kansas Public School locations, thereby censoring the access of the books by school staff and patrons.
KATE believes in the importance of intellectual freedom for all students and staff in public schools. Additionally, we affirm the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE)’s various position statements on censorship and academic freedom which are as follows:
KATE continues to support and affirm educators’ expertise and students’ access to materials in and outside of the classroom. Furthermore, we denounce the censorship of materials and the work of educators in their professional capacities. Signed, The Kansas Association of Teachers of English July 18, 2025 Dr. Reagan Murnan of Wichita State and Dr. Sandra Bequette of Emporia State published this practitioner piece in the 2025 edition of Kansas English. Click the 'Read More' link below their abstract to read the full piece.
Abstract: Phonological awareness and phonics are critical components of early literacy development, serving as foundational skills that support decoding and reading comprehension. This manuscript explores the integration of phonological awareness and phonics through explicit, systematic instruction. It highlights the importance of transitioning students from recognizing and manipulating sounds to connecting these sounds with written symbols. Using evidence-based practices, educators can effectively address diverse student needs, ensuring all learners build a strong foundation for reading. Practical applications, such as tailored lessons and activities, are provided to guide educators in fostering successful literacy outcomes.  Looking for some fresh book recommendations to begin the upcoming school year? Look no further! The William Allen White Book Award Master List has dropped. Click 'Read More' to read the full lists for 3rd through 5th grades and 6th through 8th grades, and to find information on joining the selection committee!
 Traci Bramhall--2024 KATE Conference Keynote Speaker, distinguished professor of English, and current Kansas Poet Laureate--has been selected as the 2025 Poet-in-Residence at the Guggenheim New York.
Click 'Read More' to read the post from K-State Today.  Looking forward to the 2025 conference is becoming more and more exciting as each day passes.
As of current, breakout session proposals are now being accepted, registration is open, and the Keynote Speaker has been announced! It’s difficult to believe that we are arriving at the midway point between both last year’s and this year’s conference! If you’re someone who has never been to a KATE Annual Conference, or if you are someone who has had too many emails come through since then that you’ve forgotten what happened at the conference, it’s always nice to have a refresher. Especially when those refreshers come from new voices and new perspectives on the situation. Pre-service teachers in Dr. Katie Cramer’s English Education program at Wichita State University transformed their experiences into thoughtful blog posts, reflecting on the conference’s wealth of engagement opportunities, learning experiences, and takeaways. Click ' Read more' to see what they had to say!  Are you an educator for grades 6-12 that currently teaches the Holocaust?
The Midwest Center for Holocaust Education has a wrap-around learning experience centered around a study tour of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Click 'Read More' below to find out details and apply for this largely subsidized trip! Applications close on Monday, April 7, 2025 Join KATE and give your students the incredible opportunity to be published in Voices of Kansas--a celebrated literary journal! Submissions for the 2024-2025 issue are still open! Don't miss this chance to spotlight your students' written and artistic work. Click the 'Read More' option to view dates, submission guidelines, and Zoom meeting information!  |
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