A former teacher, librarian, principal, and assistant superintendent for instruction in a suburban Chicago school district, she is the author of over two dozen books including titles for parents and teachers (Attention Deficit Disorder, When Kids Say No To School), and guides for administrators (Seven Steps To Effective Instructional Leadership; How To Deal With Parent Who Are Angry, Troubled, Afraid, Or Just Plain Crazy; The Principal's Guide To Raising Reading Achievement; Raising Reading Achievement In Middle And High Schools: Five Simple-To-Follow Steps For Principals; Ten Traits Of Highly Effective Teachers; And Teach Them All To Read: Catching The Kids Who Fall Through The Cracks).

Elaine was honored by the Illinois Principals Association as an outstanding instructional leader, by the Illinois State Board of Education with an Award of Excellence in the Those Who Excel Program, and by the National Association of Elementary School Principals as the National Distinguished Principal from Illinois for 1991. She received her undergraduate degree in education from Wheaton College and a masters degree in library science and a doctorate in educational administration from Northern Illinois University. McEwan lives with her husband and business partner, E. Raymond Adkins, in Oro Valley, Arizona. She is the mother of two, Emily McEwan-Fujita and Patrick McEwan, step-mother of three and has thirteen grandchildren.