Rebecca A. Knighton

Rebecca A. Knighton

Rebecca Knighton is a life-long learner passionate about understanding humanity’s common needs, the barriers we face, and what motivates us. As a senior consultant with the Colorado Department of Education, she helps district and school leaders build capacity for humanistic leadership and navigate complex system-wide change efforts—including improving professional development, school culture and climate, and the ways staff and students are understood and supported.

Dr. Knighton began her career as a middle school behavioral interventionist, gifted and talented specialist, and leading member of her school’s multi-tiered system of supports and individual student problem-solving teams. She also created and taught a social-emotional intervention class for sixth graders struggling with behavior and low school engagement.

As an advisor and contributor to multiple development teams at the department, Dr. Knighton co-developed a dropout prevention framework and a guide for systemic improvement in social-emotional wellness and mental health. She has led professional development at the school, district, and state levels and has presented at state, national, and international conferences. Dr. Knighton supports educators in gaining deeper self-awareness and leadership capacity to better serve struggling youth and change life trajectories.

Dr. Knighton holds a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Boise State University, a master’s degree in teaching literacy across content areas to underserved populations from the University of Southern California, and a doctorate in population studies in health from the University of Lethbridge in Alberta, Canada. Her dissertation focused on how highly effective teachers connect with disengaged youth.