Sioux City, IA -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/09/2012 -- School Administrators of Iowa recognized Dr. Richard McGrath as one of the leading elementary school principals in Iowa in 2011. Dr. McGrath’s passion is to ensure that all children are reading at grade level or better. McGrath has served as principal in a diverse school district in Iowa for nearly a decade.

Dr. Rich McGrath (http://www.drrichmcgrath.com) is an expert in all phases of education, particularly versed in school-wide reform of inner city schools; with experience leading a school of students with over 90% poverty and over 60% English Language Learners.

The third episode of Dr. McGrath’s Edu-Chat focuses on Principals as Lead Learners. In the conversation, Dr. Rich McGrath spoke with elementary school principal, Dawn Stansbury about the importance of principals to model and fully demonstrate competency and strategy understanding. Dr. McGrath explained, “We wanted to capture conversations among leading education experts on a wide variety of subjects, so these brief, three-minute chats, will allow other education thought leaders to engage in an ongoing dialog about what is new and what is news in the education environment. It is part of a passionate commitment to bringing the conversation of learning into the mainstream.”

Dr. McGrath has served as principal since 2004. Before his career as a principal, he was a reading consultant for Northwest Area Education Agency for five years; a classroom teacher for fifteen years for Sioux City Community Schools, Iowa and Aurora Public Schools, Colorado.

A graduate of University of Denver, Colorado, Dr. McGrath studied education under Ellin Oliver Keene, noted education author. Dr. McGrath received his Master’s in School Administration from University of Northern Iowa and then earned his doctorate from The University of South Dakota in Curriculum and Instruction.

From No Child Left Behind to new data and strategy trends in Education, thousands of followers are receiving this important information via the tweets of this leading academic thought leader. Follow Dr. Rich McGrath on Twitter @drrichmcgrath.