Tricia Surinak, ED.D

Making her way from Milwaukee to Fort Lauderdale to Germany, Tricia Surinak has been committed to education and serving her community wherever she lands. Whether she is teaching dance to preschoolers, English as a Second Language to adults, classroom management to beginning teachers, scuba classes to divers, or mathematics and social studies to high school students, she is passionate about the subject matter and her students.

Dr. Surinak is an active member of her community and school. She has served on many boards, such as, the City of Oakland Park’s School Board, Junior League of Fort Lauderdale, and the Council for Exceptional Children. As a high school teacher, she has coached sports teams and continuously sponsors student clubs, interacting with students outside of the classroom. She regularly reaches out to parents, involving them in their child’s educational program.

Dr. Surinak believes in empowering students to take ownership and pride in their work by maintaining a rigorous curriculum, high expectations, engaging lessons, and cheering each student onto success. Meeting her students with a smile, she creates a welcoming environment where students feel safe and encouraged to take academic risks, promoting growth and maturation.

Not only does Dr. Surinak enjoy working with students, she creates opportunities to collaborate with colleagues, changing the culture of the school to one that fosters professionalism and relationship building. Administration, district staff, and teachers often turn to Dr. Surinak for her input and professional opinion. Dr. Surinak embodies the spirit of the District Teacher of the Year.