Wilma Turchik

Wilma-Turchik-tnPrinicipal
44 Years of Service

“Principal of 9 schools, 3 at one time … ”

 

 

Bio

A lifelong educator, Wilma Turchik may be the only person in Ventura County to have served as principal of three schools at one time. In her long educational career, she also was the principal of nine schools. Turchik’s career spanned over 44 years from 1946 to 1991.

Turchik began her teaching career at Mill School in Ventura in 1948. She went on to become a teaching vice principal, teaching principal, and then full-time principal. At Mill School she was given recognition as a life member of the PTA and as a demonstration teacher for the Ventura County Schools.

While at Hueneme School, her next assignment, Turchik completed her master’s degree in gifted education at the University of Southern California where she also completed some doctoral studies. Besides being honored for several years as a demonstration teacher, she was also the principal for the demonstration program for the county at Hueneme School.

Temporarily leaving education to get married, Turchik resumed her educational career with employment at Barbara Webster School in Santa Paula as a teaching vice principal. This was followed with a two-school assignment two years later. Two years later, she was given a three-school assignment. Turchik was the principal of McKevett school until 1972 when she returned to the classroom because of a change of administration and a cancer operation.

In 1981, she returned to administration of both Portal and Grace Thille schools, taking the additional job of Curriculum Director for the district in 1984. During her last years in the district she served as principal of Grace Thille School, Glen City School, and her last three years at Blanchard School.

Included in the many professional organizations she has been associated with are AAUW, Delta Kappa Gamma, ACEI (Early Childhood Education), Chi Alpha Delta (Honorary Elementary Fraternity), and CSSA & CESSA (Administration Organizations). She was also listed by The Academy of
American Educators as an Outstanding Educator in America in their 1973-74 edition.

Wilma and her husband Steve (both retired) live happily in Santa Paula.