Robert Kelty started his career in Crownpoint, New Mexico on the Navajo Nation with Teach for America, a non-profit dedicated to educational excellence in low-income communities. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from Louisiana State University in Philosophy and Zoology and was on a path to medical school before becoming absorbed with educational inequality. After three exceptional years on the Navajo Reservation, Robert moved to Albuquerque to complete his Masters in Education at the University of New Mexico, focusing on polemics in American Indian education under the No Child Left Behind Act. Subsequently, Mr. Kelty has published in the Journal of American Indian Education; he taught in a Navajo Immersion Program focusing on rigor, culture, and indigenous language acquisition; he has started work on his doctoral dissertation concerning economic theory and the deregulation of education markets; and he was honored to be named the 2008 Arizona Teacher of the Year.
Mr. Kelty was appointed to the Coconino County Superintendent of Schools position in August of 2010. He is focusing on early childhood education; closing the achievement gap; increasing graduation rates and postsecondary access; as well as ensuring technology, sustainability, and internet connectivity are infused throughout rural areas in Coconino County. He is energized about the limitless opportunities found in his new position to advocate for meaningful educational reforms.
