Colleen K. O'Neil, Ed.D.

Dr. Colleen O'Neil brings more than 30 years of experience in education leadership, spanning the classroom, the district office, the state capitol, and the graduate classroom, to her work preparing the next generation of school and system leaders. She currently serves as Founder and Principal Designer of CKID Consulting, where she partners with K-12, higher education, government, and corporate clients to design end-to-end learning strategies. 

From 2013 to 2025, Dr. O'Neil served as Colorado's Associate Commissioner for Educator Talent, where she led statewide strategy for educator preparation, licensing, effectiveness, recruitment, and retention. Under her leadership, the Educator Talent Division grew from $3.2 million to $42 million, and she launched Colorado's first Educator Research and Impact unit and the statewide TEACH Colorado recruitment initiative. That work sits on top of a career that includes serving as a Chief Human Resource Officer, a district Director of Planning and Accountability, an assistant principal, and an English teacher, giving her a first-hand understanding of the finance, human resources, and legal challenges, that principals and superintendents navigate every day.

Dr. O'Neil is also an experienced graduate-level instructor, previous teaching includes the University of Virginia's Graduate School of Education, where she has taught courses such as Performance Improvement, Online and Blended Learning, Educational Technology, and Introduction to Instructional Design, as well as in the University of New Mexico's Organization, Information and Learning Sciences program. She previously served as Program Manager for Colorado State University Global's Master of Science in Teaching and Learning, overseeing curriculum and accreditation for a CDE approved principal preparation program.

She holds an Ed.D. in Educational Administration and Policy Studies from Bethel University, an Ed.S. in Administrative Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Colorado Denver, an M.A. in Educational Technology and Instructional Design from the University of Northern Colorado, and a B.A. in English Education from Colorado State University Pueblo. She holds active Colorado Professional Administrator (Superintendent), Principal, and Teaching licenses, and belongs to professional organizations including CASPA, AACTE, NASDTEC, AASPA, and ISTE.

Dr. O'Neil is passionate about connecting theory to practice through varied pedagogical approaches, including online and blended course design, and about expanding access and opportunity for future principals and superintendents across Colorado's diverse school communities.

LEAD 6140 Supervision and Evaluation of Instruction