2025 SPEAK: october 18 @ Valley high school, louisville
What is SPEAK?
SPEAK is a professional development conference for speech/debate teachers/coaches that began in 2011 with seed money from the National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA).
SPEAK occurs every year with the support of the speech and debate organizations in Kentucky (KHSSL is the organizing lead). It’s officially the Speech Professional Education Alliance of Kentucky!
While KESDA and the Bluegrass Debate Coalition are no longer active organizations, we salute their past participation in SPEAK. We still hear them SPEAKing.
WHAT TO EXPECT AT SPEAK 2025?
An amazing keynote by our Keynote Speaker, Greg Malis of Isidore Newman School in Louisiana (bio below)!
Door prizes!
Fellowship with fellow teachers and coaches! And connections for help throughout the year!
Workshops you can't get anywhere else in Kentucky -- just for speech/debate! See below!!
Certificates showing six hours (6) of
Professional Development /
Inservice Credit!
Free lunch!
$40 Registration fee includes lunch.
First-year coaches who have joined KHSSL
by October 15 --
KHSSL pays your registration!
Six hours of inservice credit!
Six hours of inservice credit!
Tentative schedule for the day --
Registration 8 - 9 AM
Welcome and Keynote 9 AM
Classes begin 10 AM; registrants can attend 4 classes (Round 1, 2, 3, and Final Round) plus the Keynote and Round Table.
Round 1 10 AM
Round 2 11 AM
Lunch 12 PM
Round 3 1245 PM
Final Round 145 PM
Roundtable and Door Prizes 245 PM
Exit 345 PM
WORKSHOPS AT SPEAK 2025
Attendees can come to four of these plus the Round Table!
At the Very Beginning -- Starting Your Debate Team
Neomia Hagans Flores, Paul Laurence Dunbar High School
At the Very Beginning -- Starting Your Speech Team
Rachael Castillo, Atherton High School AND
Chase McCoy, South Oldham High School
Black Book Events and YOU
Cathy Spalding, Bardstown High School
Broadcasting -- That New Old Event
Michael Robinson, Murray High School, AND Aaron West, Graves County High School
Coaching Impromptu Speaking
Eric Cecil, LaRue County High School
Coaching Informative Speaking
Molly Seifert, Beechwood High School
Coaching Program Oral Interpretation
Katy Cecil, LaRue County High School
Extemp Debate 101
Greg Malis, Isidore Newman School, LA
Flowing a Debate
Pedro Sanchez-Villa, Wyatt Debate League
Managing Practice After School
Katie Donohue, SCAPA
Tabroom Be Tabbin': That Dramatic, Humorous, and Original Website and YOU!
Rachel Page, Larry A. Ryle High School
Online 9/27/25 1-4 PM Eastern
Three hours of introductory work just for rookies!
(Plus 3 hours’ PD credit)!
Register for NewSPEAK with SPEAK registration at www.kyspeak.org.
NewSPEAK is offered for free for anyone who wishes to attend who is also attending SPEAK.
