Who is Kirven?
Kirven Tillis has more than 20 years of experience in education working with K–12 students. As a teacher and administrator he has helped at-risk children achieve success in the classroom by using his unique life experiences to highlight how resilience can be used to overcome adverse situations and lead to success. Kirven has been instrumental in creating discipline and alternative education scenarios and programs that focus on learning and character rather than punitive consequences.
Kirven’s credentials
Degrees
- Master of Science, Educational Administration, University of Houston–Clear Lake, Texas
- Bachelor of Science, Social Sciences, University of Houston–Downtown, Texas
- Associate of Applied Science, Lee College, Texas
Work history
- Creator and Principal of Barbers Hill Discipline and Alternative Education Program
- Principal, Barbers Hill Primary, Texas
- Assistant Principal, Barbers Hill High School, Texas
- Assistant Principal, Goose Creek CISD, Texas
- Discipline and Alternative Education Program Teacher, Goose Creek CISD, Texas
Kirven’s aha! moment
“My aha! moment came after I attended a Framework workshop. The training put so much of my life into perspective. It allowed me to see how my communities’ close association with poverty affected my worldview and subsequent interactions throughout my public school experiences as both a student and teacher.”
Kirven’s passions?
“My passions include music and relationship building. I believe that relationships are key to having successful educational experiences. My calling has been to be a positive influence in the lives of others; relationships are key. Through mentoring and creating support systems, young people have the ability to be successful via those relationships.”
Kirven’s best training
Kirven facilitates Emotional Poverty, A Framework for Understanding Poverty: 10 Actions, How the African-American Experience Affects the Classroom and Strategies for Success, Research-Based Strategies, and he is available for strategic content coaching.
What does Kirven do for fun?
“I believe music is the great unifier. It’s a great feeling to bring joy to people by playing songs for them to vibe and/or dance to.”