DODGE CITY — Janet Fleske has been named to the Kansas Teachers Hall of Fame, Class of 2026.
The former Larned teacher’s photographs appear frequently in the Great Bend Tribune.
“I have a photography business, and I cover Larned High School activities as well as others in the district, LHS sporting events, and various community events,” Fleske said. “I also cover the Pawnee County Fair, and I’m a volunteer photographer at Fort Larned.”
The Kansas Teachers Hall of Fame is the first of its kind in the United States. It is dedicated to the early and present-day teachers who have devoted their lives to the profession. Located at 603 Fifth Ave. in Dodge City, it is open from late May to late August. This year’s 50th class induction ceremony will be held June 6.
Fleske holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business education, a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Master of Arts in English, all from Fort Hays State University.
She was nominated for the Hall of Fame by Fort Larned USD 495.
Her career in education began as a substitute teacher at Larned High School for 15 years, and during that time she taught Learning Disabilities for one year. She became a full-time teacher and from 1990 to 2017 she taught such classes as English, creative writing, forensics, and speech, drama/theater. She also taught courses for credit at Barton Community College, including night courses on the college campus and night classes at Larned Juvenile Corrections when it existed. She was a photography mentor for the Larned High School yearbook photographers. Her sponsorships at LHS were National Honor Society, Senior Class sponsor, Student Council and OAA (Over Actors Anonymous).
She also served as a coach for forensics, Scholar’s Bowl and volleyball, and later was a volleyball referee. She directed three drama presentations a year: The Fall musical, Spring production and dinner theater (in partnership with the local arts council).
“I thank USD 495 for nominating me for this honor and to the committee for selecting me for their 50th year,” Fleske said. “I am honored to be listed on the Kansas Teachers Hall of Fame with so many amazing teachers. I also recognize that there are so many other teachers across Kansas who are putting in hours of work to ensure that their students are happy and who will become productive citizens when they leave the security of their school. I also thank my husband and two sons who supported me in every way. Enduring the long hours needed to grade all of those English essays and for the countless hours in drama rehearsals that are required to put on theater productions.”
When asked why she chose teaching, Fleske said she wanted to form relationships with teenagers in order to help them navigate through what can sometimes be a very difficult time in their lives. “If they learned some English along the way, that was just icing on the cake.”
Originally from Burdett, she graduated from Pawnee Heights High School. She has been married to Bill Fleske, who recently retired from farming, for over 50 years. They have two sons. Brian is Chief Petty Officer in the Navy; he and his wife Cortni and grandson Mason all in Tampa, Florida. Mark is a gifted facilitator, English teacher, and tennis coach at Andover Central High School, married to Elizabeth. Their daughters are Madison, who lives in Wichita; Jordan, who attends college at Missouri State; and Brooklyn, who will begin working on her master’s degree at University of Arkansas in May.
Other teachers in the Class of 2026 are Stacy Harris, Manhattan; Jon Johnson, Cheney; Darlene Rake, Hiawatha; Linda Stelzer, Pratt; Kay Unruh, Haviland; Jill Vierthaler, Spearville; and Rachel Marlow, Kansas Teacher of the Year, Olathe.
