Educator, author, and speaker Keith David Reeves currently serves as an instructional administrator at Discovery Elementary School in Arlington, Virginia, a revolutionary standards-based and zero-energy public elementary school, the world’s first and only LEED Zero school. He has taught every grade level, PreK through 12, in underserved and affluent schools in both rural and urban settings, as well as educational methods at the university level. Columbia Teachers College Record called his first book on education, Insurrection: A Teacher Revolution in Defense of Children, “a call to arms nailed to the schoolhouse door” that “should be translated to every teacher preparation program in the country.” His primary area of research is standards-based assessment and understanding how to apply that research to practices and pedagogy.
As a national-level keynote speaker and professional developer, he frequently presents and writes on the importance of authentic love for children, authentic freedom for children, and the central importance of meeting every child’s every need in all things. His work ranges from educational technology to radical school design, which has appeared in print, live media, and podcasts nationwide, including National Public Radio, The Huffington Post, and Education Week. He has presented and headlined at numerous conferences from regional to international including CMEA, SWVLC, VSTE, ISTE, and Greenbuild.
Mr. Reeves is also a musician, having had his compositions and arrangements performed by solo, small ensemble, and wind bands, both school and professional. He is a native of Syracuse, New York and is currently based in Northern Virginia.
VMDO Architects interviews KDR to discuss post-pandemic school design.
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Grappling with COVID-19 has inspired us to reach out to our collaborators to shed light on this moment. We check in with Keith Reeves, Senior Instructional Technology Coordinator at Discovery Elementary School, who shares insightful, passionate feedback on the state of online learning and the future of K12 schools.
KDR’s first book on revolutionized pedagogy and newly conceiving “school”
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Enough. Private interests, politicians, reformers, and pundits have had their chance, and enough is enough. Teachers have been pushed around and pushed to the edge, and the time for tolerating the failed system of our public education policies is over. It’s time to drag the standardized testing commercial complex out of our schools, kicking and screaming if need be, and take back our schools for our kids. The revolution has already begun.
“…the author’s argument, anecdotes, and passion should be translated to every teacher preparation program in the country.” – M. Sato
We must understand the etiology of the American public school’s seeming inability to meaningfully and holistically teach every child if we are to have any hope of changing that school for the better. We must wrestle with the philosophical, sociological, and psychological roots of our misperception and mistreatment of children in order to change the way we understand our students. We must also understand the history of “reform” in American education in order to avoid repeating failed experiments. Once we do this, we can dismantle the traditional structures of the American Public School deliberately and thoughtfully, and capitalize upon the intense zeitgeist of the movement against corporatized standardized multiple choice testing, in order to truly revolutionize our schools.
“His unwavering focus on the sovereignty of children and ways in which the institutional forces of school deny children’s needs demands the reader’s acknowledgment.” – M. Sato
Over five sequential sections, “Insurrection” addresses educational philosophy, the system of schools, the social issue of misunderstanding children, replacement structures for those that are incompatible with understandings corrected in the first three sections, and a possible manner in which current school employees can lend their efforts to the revolution called for by Sir Ken Robinson in his 2010 TED Talk, which served as the impetus for the work.
How to write and edit with students in the cloud
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Utilizing the power of the cloud-based collaborative Google Apps for Education Platform, educators Dawn L. Moulen and Keith David Reeves developed a completely paperless model that scaffolds the academic research paper writing process from beginning to end. Free to implement at any school anywhere and completely digital, the Moulen-Reeves model is a practical platform for students in middle or high school to methodically organize, draft, and complete research papers of any scope or topic. Their action research demonstrated effectiveness in special education, general, and gifted settings in a variety of schools, and their model has been instructed at colleges and universities throughout the east coast. It’s now in use in classrooms all over the country, and you, too, can implement this 21st century model
KDR challenges everyone to radically love kids.
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On December 4, 2018, I was privileged to wrap up our Tuesday general session before our annual Demo Slam with my Ignite Talk on a cornerstone principle I have written and talked about for years: our need to practice radical love for all kids, every day.
A couple of KDR’s orations to Optimist International
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KDR addressed Optimist International on October 3, 2018, on the subject “Youthful Future: In Defense of Millennials.”
KDR also provided the Keynote for the 68th annual Optimists Holiday Breakfast on December 12, 2018.
KDR’s Keynote at the CMEA conference
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KDR was privileged to deliver the keynote address to the 2015 Connecticut Music Educators Association State In-Service Conference on May 1, 2015, at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford, Connecticut.
KDR goes viral then follows-up in DC
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Following the viral video response to Whoopi Goldberg, KDR was invited to speak in his home city of Washington, D.C. on the Education Town Hall with Thomas Byrd, broadcast by We Act Radio from historic Anacostia, as an education revolutionary on the subject of tenure, teacher evaluation, and the future of our public schools.
Click here to open the August 7, 2014 audio archive on MixCloud.
Joining Thomas and Virginia on We Act Radio once again, KDR discussed the need for a fundamental shift in our national educational philosophy to conceive and empower the individual child, including the dismantlement of the standardized testing corporate reform movement.
Click here to open the June 11, 2015 audio archive on MixCloud.
KDR and Dr. Rob team up to talk education revolution
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Rob Furman and Keith Reeves teamed up for several seasons’ worth of a video podcast series called “The Seditionists,” available on YouTube.
The Seditionists appeared on 21clRadio, hosted by Michael Boll, in a broadcast from Denver, Colorado at the 2016 International Society for Technology in Education Conference. Click here to open the broadcast archive.
KDR keynote at LearnerPalooza
KDR talks Intellectual Property on HuffPost Live
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Having weighed in over the past several years on teacher intellectual property rights, KDR was asked to join a live panel to discuss a proposal by the Prince George’s County (MD) Schools to copyright all student and educator work… regardless of when or with which resources that work is completed. He joined Professor Peter Jaszi of the American University Washington College of Law, Kevin Welner, Director of the National Education Policy Center, and Verjeana Jacobs, President of the PGCPS Board of Education.
(The February 6, 2013 link to Huff Post Live was taken offline.)
KDR on NPR’s The Kojo Nnamdi Show
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KDR was humbled and thrilled to be a guest on the January 19, 2010 edition of The Kojo Nnamdi Show, broadcast from NPR affiliate WAMU at American University in Washington, D.C. He has been a fan of the show for many years, and was privileged to engage in a conversation about instruction and technology in our public schools with Professor Natalie Milman of George Washington University, and Brian Sivak of the DC Public Schools.
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With coauthors Rob Winstead of VMDO and Brittney Butler of Iconograph, stemming from collaboration at Greenbuild 2018 that included Tony Hans of CMTA, this journal article highlights the design and operation of one of the most revolutionary and important elementary schools in the world.
KDR guest blogs for NAfME
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One of the first lessons KDR taught in both his Music in Our Lives and Music Theory classes was to tackle the basic question, “What is music?” Leading up to the national student composition competition and challenging more traditional ideas of what is and isn’t acceptable in student music settings, this blog post challenges music teachers to expand their horizons, and therefore, those of their students.
Click here to open the January 8, 2016 blog post hosted by NAfME.
KDR talks with Virginia ed leaders about keeping kids central
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As Director At-Large of the Virginia Society for Technology in Education, KDR led a discussion with VSTE Executive Director Karen Richardson and Vice Chairperson Becky Fisher on the criticality of keeping students and their learning squarely at the center of everything we do, a subject near and dear to his heart.
KDR and Dr. Rob are “The Seditionists”
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Rob Furman is one of KDR’s nearest and dearest. For several years, they toured major educational conferences, speaking and presenting as the “Don Quixotes” of revolutionary pedagogy and educational policy, and parallel to those adventures they collaborated as co-hosts of “The Seditionists” video podcast.
Here’s Episode 1 of Season 1. View the rest of their episodes here.
KDR on tenure, responding to Whoopi Goldberg
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In 2014, Whoopi Goldberg made some misinformed statements regarding teacher tenure. Many, responded, but mine went off to the races. Here’s my quasi-viral response to her statements, defending due process rights for education employees.
Keith possesses an innovative mindset that challenges the status quo and asks colleagues to think outside the box. This mindset, coupled with focused action, has resulted in positive outcomes for teaching and learning. Keith is a visionary leader. He led Discovery’s implementation of SBA by sharing the philosophy behind SBA and providing professional learning around it to the entire school community. His leadership facilitated positive shifts in teachers, students, and families’ conceptualization of grading practices, rooted in skill mastery of standards. In addition, Keith has demonstrated his visionary leadership by collaborating with colleagues to create the Profile of a Discovery Graduate with grade level mastery projects. This work included innovative concepts of sustainability, social responsibility, design thinking, computer science, and personalized learning. He teamed up with instructional coaches to establish data protocols for monitoring student progress in reading, writing, and math. Keith also worked with colleagues across APS and a myriad of outside stakeholders to launch several sustainability initiatives and secure numerous awards for Discovery, including the U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School award. Keith is an action-oriented school leader who has demonstrated skillful leadership. ( excerpt)
Never have I worked alongside a more passionate, more visionary educator. His appetite for knowledge is astounding, but … what sets Keith apart is his constant desire to find a better way. He never tires of seeking the most efficient way to capitalize on instructional time, and to do so in a way that integrates technology and the very latest in pedagogical research. Keith made sure we never felt that way with a new approach he’d proposed to us. He knew how to break down the instructions, ensure we knew the objective of every step we took, and make it abundantly clear to each of us why this new approach was a more efficient, more engaging way to present the material to our learners and make it stick. Keith makes me want to be a better educator. He raises the bar for our profession. He leads by example and he never shies away from the hard work. He rolls up his sleeves and he dives in, and he inspires others to follow his lead. ( excerpt)
What made Mr. Reeves stand out as an exceptional leader was his ability to collaborate with teachers across all academic disciplines. All teachers in the building knew that if they wanted to implement a creative methodology with technology integration, Mr. Reeves could bring it to fruition. What most impressed his peers was that his lessons were always forward-thinking and often involved emerging and creative technologies. He possesses an intuitive ability to know how to suggest technological solutions even when teachers aren’t specifically seeking his assistance. I experienced this firsthand in 2009 when I was frustrated that my Pre-AP Spanish 4 classes failed to master a concept. Through a casual conversation with Mr. Reeves about this problem, he suggested a way to utilize student video projects to help reinforce the standard, increase language usage, incorporate technology, and ultimately improve student mastery. I was truly petrified to step outside of my technological comfort zone, but Mr. Reeves’ patience, focus, and confidence helped me to see that it was a chance I needed to take. In the end, the project proved to be one of my biggest professional successes that improved student mastery by twenty-four percentage points, and was the impetus for me completely changing the way I utilize technology in my classroom. ( excerpt)
I cannot think of a more supportive, collaborative, and innovative colleague than he was to me. He maintained an “open mind, open door” policy that encouraged all of us to think outside of the box with our instruction and regularly met with those interested in implementing the plans. He was quite helpful when a group of colleagues and I wanted to change our grading policy, as well as when we revamped the biology curriculum. Beyond just suggesting resources as many in his position simply do, Keith invests his time, energy, and talents to making a lesson, unit, or project better than it’s ever been. Keith is a student-focused educator, one that balances a no-nonsense approach with abundant adaptability and flexibility. On a personal note, he’s been a model of inspiration to me for his work both in and out of the classroom. ( excerpt)
Mr. Reeves contributes to our school way outside the scope of Technology Coach. Mr. Reeves has a penchant for contributing to school-wide operations. He consistently makes decisions based on what is best for children. He uses this laser focused lens for all he does. Mr. Reeves is a strong instructional leader. He frequently co-teaches with teachers. He has been instrumental in helping staff develop our standards-based instructional program. He has designed and carried out various professional development opportunities, scaffolding for a variety of different teacher learners. He is a reflective leader who consistently wants to improve his skills. Something that sets Mr. Reeves apart from other candidates is that he is eager to be involved in all aspects of leading a school. He is passionate about contributing to a greater cause and is always willing to offer help in any way possible. His superior written communication has earned our school several awards. ( excerpt)
Keith is a highly talented professional educator. His enthusiasm for technology and his passion for student and faculty success stands out as one of his greatest strengths. He is creative, collaborative, resourceful and is committed to finding innovative ways to enhancing the teaching and learning environment. Keith is a wonderful team player and is an asset to any organization he works with. ( excerpt)
Mr. Reeves is a talented educator whose multifaceted skill set and leadership style have tremendous impact on culture, climate and student achievement. Mr. Reeves has been instrumental in moving Discovery Elementary forward on numerous fronts; standards-based learning and instruction, our use of technology in the building, our efficacy as coaches and most importantly understanding data and creating a data pipeline that helps all teachers and students. Mr. Reeves is first and foremost a student advocate. Mr. Reeves is a distinguished author, blogger, webmaster, and grant writer. He uses his skills to support student advocacy and improve programs and learning that benefit all students. He improved, trained, and implemented our progress based report card system. He is a team player [and] understands that relationships are key to student success. He knows how to build relationships with both teachers and students. He truly enjoys being around students and participating in the culture of a school. Examples of his relationship building are his daily greeting of both parents and students at the arrival door and his dressing up in costumes to support spirit days. Mr. Reeves would be an asset to any school. ( excerpt)
If you search Google Images for the world educator and a picture of Keith Reeves doesn’t come up, an error must have occurred in the search process. In his time at Port Byron, Keith managed to take a music program to a level that many thought wasn’t achievable. He had a way of connecting and challenging students that was unparalleled to other teachers in the district. In a small, conservative town, Keith’s forward thinking and determination was exactly what was needed. ( excerpt)
Keith Reeves is a visionary educational leader. He holds the foundational belief that students should always be the primary focus of school decision making and has an in depth understanding of innovative, student centered pedagogy. Keith’s leadership and collaboration skills are clearly demonstrated in his work with [VSTE’s] Board of Directors as he guides them to make decisions that will allow our work to reach more educators and, thus, their students. In particular, he encourages the Board to dream the big dreams and then work towards them. ( excerpt)
To say Keith is a committed educator is an understatement! Be it through his collaborative approach to both educating staff and students on technology within the classroom, technical support for every departments varied levels/needs for instruction on a daily basis, individually manning the helm of professional development for both new and veteran teachers, efficiently and effectively managing the buildings grading system, or advocating for positive educational change at the individual, department, building, school or community level-Keith professionally handles himself with a confidence in his educational practice and respect for each relationship he builds. Keith truly exemplifies teaching and learning, not only as an educator within our district, but as leader within our local community of professionals. ( excerpt)
In my twenty seven years as an educator I have rarely encountered individuals that are as informed and well researched as. Mr. Reeves. His efforts to ensure his professional growth by participating in countless professional learning communities, including face to face, digital and virtual make visible again his collaborative nature and commitment to excellence. It has become evident to me that Mr. reeves has a well renowned knowledge of traditional pedagogy as well as grounded understanding regarding the benefits of emerging educational technology and instructional trends. He has stimulated, nurtured and supported dynamic, engaging, and rigorous learning experiences for both the educators he coaches as well as the students they serve. ( excerpt)
Keith’s outspoken and passionate voice for authentic assessment makes him one of my favorites in the educational field. His professional position regarding how learning should happen is way ahead of its time and may in fact be the basis for future educational policy. He is an eloquent and engaging speaker who has an incredibly large knowledge base for all things considered instructional technology and pedagogy. ( excerpt)
Keith continues to astound. In collaborating with Keith on the cross curricular opportunities of using the design and function of Discovery Elementary as a live, 3D text book, Keith connects the school’s designs with the students in a way that inspires, challenges and engages. It has been a great experience and our team at CMTA Engineers enjoys seeing what Keith will come up with next. ( excerpt)
Whether in the boardroom, in a staff meeting, or in front of a classroom, Keith Reeves continues to lead no matter the situation he’s put in. Never have I met a more passionate and energetic teacher and leader in education. Keith brings not only years worth of experience and knowledge but the drive to put it to use. He is someone I will continue to look up to for inspiration in my own work for years to come. ( excerpt)
