Marla McGhee worked in the public schools of Texas for over two decades serving as a teacher, an elementary principal, a secondary principal, a curriculum area director, and a district-wide director of professional development. She was selected to represent Texas as the National Distinguished Principal and was one of three finalists in the nation for the Principal in Residence position at the U.S. Department of Education.

Prior to joining the TCU faculty, she taught at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon and at Texas State University where she was also the co-director of the National Center for School Improvement. In the 2008-2009 academic year, on leave from her university teaching post, she returned to PK-12 public education to serve as Interim Director of Professional Development for the Austin Independent School District in Austin, Texas.

In addition to her work promoting the educational and instructional value of school librarians, library media centers, and information literacy, Marla's research and publishing interests include instructional leadership, action research as a school improvement tool, campus leadership for literacy learning, and the role of the contemporary assistant principal. She holds two degrees in education from Texas Tech University and a Ph.D. in Educational Administration from the University of Texas at Austin.