Having known that she wanted to be a teacher from a young age, Shirley A. Tkachuk taught for nearly 30 years before earning a master’s degree in administration and attaining the role of principal within the Archdiocese of Chicago. She is very grateful to her late husband for persuading her to return to school to pursue a master’s degree. Now celebrating 45 years in her field, she works as the parish school principal for the SS. Cyril & Methodius School.
Ms. Tkachuk holds considerable expertise in instructional peace and instructional leadership and, in her role with SS. Cyril & Methodius, she is responsible for the entire staff. Her duties include finding substitutes for sick teachers, working with the lunch and maintenance staffs to make sure everything is running smoothly, providing teacher evaluations, overseeing student discipline, liaising with the public school district, and keeping up to date with the requirements for their state certification. In addition to this work, Ms. Tkachuk offers her expertise in a part-time capacity as a premier service ambassador for the Chicago Cubs.
In order to keep abreast of developments in her field, Ms. Tkachuk maintains professional affiliation with the National Catholic Education Association, as well as her local principals’ association, where she has spent time as a secretary and been responsible for keeping and distributing the minutes for meetings. She also runs a monthly service project at SS. Cyril & Methodius to support various local, national and international organizations. Outside of her work in education, Ms. Tkachuk volunteers at her church as a reader for Sunday mass.
Attributing much of her success to the support and love she received from her family, Ms. Tkachuk is also incredibly grateful for the good work ethic instilled in her by her parents. Looking toward the future, she is making plans for retirement, though she intends to stay active in her community. Furthermore, she wants to make sure that her school is well-organized and thriving before she passes the reigns to someone else. For her excellence, Ms. Tkachuk was presented with a National Blue Ribbon in 2019.
