Alana Mcwilliams

Alana Mcwilliams is a candidate for Member, State Board of Education District 7 Primary Election in 2026 in Statewide, Kansas.

Founder & Literacy Advocate in Abilene, KS

Also running: Ann Zimmerman.

Alana McWilliams is a Republican candidate for the Kansas State Board of Education, District 7. A communications strategist, entrepreneur, and mother of three (two with dyslexia), she founded Designed to Learn, providing structured literacy instruction and advocating for dyslexia awareness. An alumna of Newman University, McWilliams previously interned at the White House. She is running to address Kansas's literacy crisis, noting that 70% of students are not reading at grade level. Her platform emphasizes evidence-based literacy strategies, aligning educator prep with the Science of Reading, and ensuring practical solutions that prioritize students.