Mr. Zurko has spent the past 13 years in a similar administration role: serving as an elementary principal and district administrator in Rochelle Elementary School District 231 since 2011, and as an elementary principal in Meridian District  223 from 2006 to 2011. In both districts, Mr. Zurko was responsible for teacher evaluations, state assessment compliance, school improvement, and budget oversight. In Rochelle District 231, Mr. Zurko also provided visionary leadership and oversight of its state and federal grant operations, coordinated Early Childhood/Preschool for All programming, and collaborated with colleagues to lead many other curriculum and instruction initiatives and programs.

Prior to advancing to an administrator position, Mr. Zurko served as an elementary teacher in Kaneland District  302 and Cherry Creek School District in Greenwood Village in Colorado from 2001 to 2006. In that role, he planned, developed, taught, and assessed all academic lessons in a 2nd  and 5th grade classroom.