Education/Background
Cindy Zurchin holds a doctorate degree in Educational Leadership from Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA. She received certifications in the “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” from the Covey Institute and in “Leading Change” from John Kotter. She holds certificates in Mindfulness, Chair Yoga and Yoga for Children.
Cindy has over 30 years of leadership experience in education working at the elementary, middle, and high school levels as a Teacher, Dean of Students, Assistant Principal, Principal, Staff Development Specialist, Assistant Superintendent and Superintendent of Schools.
While serving as a principal Dr. Zurchin transformed a failing school by building trust, giving attention to what their students do right, and redirecting negative behaviors to positive outcomes. Her model became a nationwide model for student success. The story of the transformation can be found in Dr. Zurchin’s book, The Whale Done! School. She is a co-author of the book with the foreword by Ken Blanchard. This work also led to Dr. Zurchin’s registered trademark as an educator and consultant:
Helping create schools where students love to learn, teachers love to teach, and parents are proud!®
Dr. Zurchin worked as a consultant at the Blanchard Institute, the non-profit division of The Ken Blanchard Company, training educators and parents in strategies to restore trust and build resilience. The schools and communities she worked with in California immediately implemented the strategies she modeled and found remarkable success. Dr. Zurchin also published articles in the Principal Magazine and on Triblive.com.
In 1988, Dr. Zurchin founded Cynthia’s School of Dance & Music, LLC, using dance and music to build confidence in students ages two to adult. Her studio has been named the Favorite Arts Educator in Pittsburgh and recognized as one the Best of the Best Business in Pittsburgh. Dr. Zurchin’s first children’s book, Ballerina on Wheels – Amazing Ava’s First Dance Recital is about one of her dance students who uses a wheelchair for mobility and is non-verbal.
Dr. Zurchin is currently an Assistant Professor at Point Park University in the School of Education. She lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with her husband, John. She is also the mother of two grown sons. As a family they practice the contents of her books and presentations and prove they really do work! Dr. Zurchin is a motivational speaker, trainer, and author who uplifts her audiences with insightful, empowering workshops and presentations.
