Biography

Dr. Christopher McGinley has been an activist educator from the earliest days of his tenure when he worked tirelessly to advocate on behalf of children with disabilities. His involvement in leadership activities in the School District of Philadelphia lead him to become an elementary school principal at Adaire School at the age of 30. While working in Philadelphia, he was promoted to the positions of middle school principal at Austin Meehan, cluster leader, and executive director of leadership development. He was responsible for planning professional development and for preparing new principals. In 1999, Dr. McGinley became the assistant superintendent and then became superintendent in the School District of Cheltenham Township in 2003. He worked with the University of Pennsylvania to establish the Delaware Valley Minority Student Achievement Consortium (Delaware Valley Center for Equity and Excellence), an organization dedicated to closing the achievement gap. In 2008, Dr. McGinley became the superintendent of Lower Merion School District, a district routinely recognized as one of the top school districts in the nation. Much of Dr. McGinley’s work has focused on issues of advocacy. He concluded his service in Lower Merion in 2014. His work on the achievement gap in Cheltenham and in Lower Merion is a notable example of how he is driven by principle and personal conviction to support access and equity. Dr. McGinley has also been a strong advocate for inclusive practices in special education.