Joseph McQueen

K-12 academic and program leader with 20+ years of experience translating student-performance, engagement, behavioral, implementation, and accountability data into practical strategy across schools and districts. Led multi-site portfolios serving approximately 250 students across 12 districts and four counties; supervised and developed 50-60 professionals; designed two therapeutic schools; and built planning, professional-learning, observation, and continuous-improvement systems that moved strategy into consistent practice. Deep experience aligning instruction, assessment, MTSS, student supports, compliance, staffing, and stakeholder priorities in complex environments.

Published

Routledge author, national presenter, and U.S. Navy veteran.

Principal - The Baby Fold, Hammitt School - Willow Campus - Normal, IL

(2025-01)

Lead a multidisciplinary therapeutic K-12 school serving students with complex behavioral, mental-health, neurological, and academic needs; align instruction, assessment, MTSS, clinical services, operations, compliance, and district expectations around coherent student outcomes.

• Use attendance, academic, behavior, assessment, implementation, observation, compliance, and stakeholder data to identify patterns, establish priorities, address risk, and guide school-improvement decisions.
• Develop planning tools, quality expectations, communication systems, observation routines, and professional learning that translate organizational priorities into consistent school and classroom practice.
• Partner across curriculum, literacy, clinical services, special programs, staffing, family engagement, and executive leadership to resolve implementation barriers and coordinate practical support.

Director of Alternative Education and Programming - Regional Office of Education 33 - West Central Illinois

(2015-01 - 2024-12)

Directed academic strategy and operations for a multi-site regional portfolio serving approximately 250 students from 12 districts across four counties, with accountability for program quality, staffing, partnerships, budgets, implementation, and outcomes.

• Established planning and progress-monitoring routines using attendance, credit attainment, behavior, performance, implementation, and stakeholder data to identify systemic gaps, evaluate interventions, and adjust strategy across programs.
• Led the shift from fully online delivery to a stronger hybrid instructional model, aligning curriculum, student supports, technology-enabled learning, staff practice, and district priorities to improve engagement and progress toward graduation.
• Supervised and developed 50-60 teachers, administrators, specialists, and support professionals through coaching, feedback, observation, professional learning, and clear performance expectations.
• Built durable partnerships with superintendents, principals, district teams, families, agencies, and community organizations; translated competing needs into scalable programs and school-facing supports.

Director of Education - Mingus Mountain Academy and Sequel Youth and Family Services - Arizona

(2008-01 - 2015-12)

Led academic programming and multidisciplinary teams in a therapeutic residential setting, integrating instructional, behavioral-health, workforce, compliance, and partner priorities for students with significant support needs.

• Designed and opened two therapeutic day schools and expanded operations from one campus to three, establishing launch plans, staffing models, instructional frameworks, training systems, documentation, and continuous quality controls.
• Led a year-long accreditation recovery and improvement process, aligning evidence, expectations, team practice, and external-review requirements to achieve successful Cognia outcomes.
• Served as a multi-state organizational trainer and consultant supporting leadership teams with school climate, trauma-responsive practice, de-escalation, communication, implementation, and systems change.

Special Education and Student Support Leadership - Public Schools and Residential Programs - Illinois and Arizona

(1999-01 - 2008-12)

Advanced through special-education teaching, behavior-intervention, student-support, and residential-treatment roles, building deep expertise in IEPs, transition planning, student engagement, family collaboration, and frontline implementation.

M.S. - School Administration - University of Phoenix

B.S. - Special Education - Illinois State University