Introducing new teachers in county schools
Staff writer
County school districts will see a handful of new teachers joining their faculties in the 2026-27 school year.
The Record asked them to answer a survey about their backgrounds and motives for teaching.
Peabody-Burns School District did not send information about their new teachers by deadline.
Centre
Dylan Page
After first getting to know Centre as a substitute teacher, Dylan Page is returning to the district as its new business teacher and junior high football coach.
Originally from Fort Worth, Texas, Page attended Tabor College, where he played football. Centre stood out from the start because of its welcoming atmosphere, he wrote.
“I’m excited to join Centre because it felt like home when I first started substitute teaching,” he wrote. “I was always greeted with a smile, and it felt like a place where people wanted me to be there.”
Page added he wants students to know he is always willing to help them when they run into challenges. ”When you don’t understand something, I will always be willing and ready to help, and I want you to ask.”
His favorite part of education is watching students overcome obstacles and grow in areas they once found difficult.
Outside the classroom, Page enjoys weightlifting, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, hunting, playing guitar, and spending time outdoors. He also can play the cello.
Chastadee Bailey
After spending much of the past two decades teaching college students, Chastadee Bailey is bringing her experience to Centre High School as an English teacher for grades 9 through 12, college composition, and yearbook.
A graduate of the University of Texas at Tyler, Bailey wrote that the university nurtured her love of English and launched her teaching career. She spent her early years as a professor and has taught in post-secondary classrooms in person and online.
Although much of her career has been in higher education, Bailey wrote that she has missed working with younger students and felt an immediate connection to Centre.
“Centre has felt like home from my first phone call,” she wrote.
For Bailey, teaching goes beyond the subject matter.
“Teaching is not just about the content; it’s about being able to watch the next generation blossom,” she wrote. “My favorite part of education is seeing students grow into their full potential.”
She will emphasize metacognitive strategies that help students better understand themselves and the world around them while developing skills they can apply throughout life, she wrote
As the school year approaches, Bailey is looking forward to meeting students and helping them grow inside and outside the classroom.
Goessel
Jill DeWerff
With experience spanning early childhood, elementary education, and reading instruction, Jill DeWerff joins the USD 411 district as its only new staff member for the coming school year.
After nine years of teaching kindergarten, Jill DeWerff is beginning a new chapter as Goessel’s preschool teacher. DeWerff comes to USD 411 from Wiley Elementary in Holcomb. She also has experience teaching first grade and special education in preschool.
She holds a Master of Science in Education as a reading specialist, an Early Childhood Unified degree, and an endorsement in teaching English to speakers of other languages.
DeWerff wrote that she and her husband recently moved to the area to be closer to family. Her husband also will begin a new teaching position this fall in Hesston.
Hillsboro
Esther Richert
After more than 20 years working in education, Esther Richert is beginning her first year as a classroom teacher.
Richert will teach middle school special education in Hillsboro after serving in a variety of educational roles, including paraprofessional, substitute teacher, and preschool teacher.
A graduate of Tabor College, Richert wrote that teaching has been her lifelong goal.
“My self portrait in kindergarten was as a teacher.”
She wrote that she is looking forward to watching students grow while helping provide every child opportunities to learn and succeed.
Richert said her goal is to ensure every student has the support and opportunities needed to reach their potential.
Sara Wesner
Sara Wesner is returning to the elementary classroom as a first-grade teacher in Hillsboro.
Before stepping away to raise her children, she taught fifth grade. She was a substitute teacher before returning to the classroom for another year, and recently she served as USD 410’s family advocate, supporting students, families, and staff.
A graduate of Tabor College with a degree in elementary education, Wesner is pursuing a master’s degree as an instructional specialist through Emporia State University.
She wrote that helping children discover their strengths has always been the most rewarding part of teaching. “There is something incredibly rewarding about watching students grow in confidence, curiosity, and a love of learning.”
A Hillsboro graduate, Wesner wrote that returning to USD 410 was an opportunity to give back to the district that helped shape her while working alongside educators she admired.
She was especially looking forward to helping first graders learn to read while creating a classroom where students feel safe, encouraged, and challenged to do their best, she wrote.
Marion -Florence
Calli Burkholder
One year after student teaching in a second-grade classroom at Marion Elementary, Calli Burkholder is returning to begin her first year as a second-grade teacher this fall while also serving as an assistant volleyball coach for the Warriors.
The Marion High School graduate earned a degree in elementary education from Fort Hays State University.
“I have wanted to be a teacher since I was very young,” she wrote. “My goal is to be a positive influence in children’s lives and to be someone they know believes in them.”
Returning to Marion fulfilled a longtime goal, she added. “I am from Marion, and I have always dreamed of returning to my community to teach. This community shaped me into the person I am today, and I have always wanted the opportunity to give back.”
Although this will be her first season coaching high school volleyball, Burkholder has coached youth recreation teams and played club volleyball for years.
Whether in the classroom or on the court, she said her goal is to build strong relationships, create a positive environment, and encourage students to work hard, be kind, and continue growing.
Emily Pippin
After working in Marion schools as a teacher’s aide and substitute teacher, Emily Pippin will have a classroom of her own this fall in the very school district she grew up in.
Pippin is beginning her first year as a special education teacher at Marion High School.
She earned a master’s degree in education from Fort Hays State University and wrote that helping students succeed drew her to teaching.
“I enjoy the community aspect of teaching,” she wrote. “We are all working together toward a common goal, which is the success of our students.”
One of the most rewarding parts of teaching, she wrote, is watching students grow and helping them discover new ways to succeed.
Returning home to USD 408 appealed to her because of the teachers and staff who shaped her education, she wrote. “I believe Marion provides an excellent education for its students, thanks to its dedicated, knowledgeable, and caring staff.”
As she begins her teaching career, Pippin wrote that she hopes to build relationships with students and staff while creating a classroom where students feel safe, valued, and supported. She also looks forward to becoming more involved in the school and community as she helps students reach their individual goals