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May 27, 2025 / 7:23 PM CDT / CBS Chicago
A career has come full circle for a teacher in the west Chicago suburb of La Grange.
Third-grade teacher Ms. Nancy Tusek is retiring next week, and it turns out her last days on the job are just as newsworthy as her first.
Summer break is around the corner at Ogden Avenue School, a public elementary school at 501 Ogden Ave. in La Grange. But Ms. Tusek has teaching left to do — as the kids in her class get out their research packets and work together on a world cultures project.
"She's super-kind, super-passionate, and always teaching us new things," said third-grader Ava Saveb.
"I would describe her as one of the kindest teachers ever," said third-grader Charlie Pollard.
As any school kid would, the kids in Ms. Tusek's class all look forward to summer. But they don't look forward to saying goodbye.
"Well, I am retiring after numerous years of teaching," said Tusek.
Ms. Tusek's career is ending much like it started. The local newspaper is visiting, as it did in 1985.
"First day of school, the Suburban Life came and did an article on me," said Tusek.
Ms. Tusek started out at Highlands Elementary School in La Grange and sent seven and a half years there. She took time off afterward to raise her kids and did some substitute teaching, then returned to teaching full-time at Ogden Avenue School in 2010.
As a parting gift, Ogden Avenue School principal Regina Leeburg invited the paper back to interview the once-rookie teacher as she calls it a career 40 years later.
"It's really sort of just a tribute to a teacher that has dedicated her life to this field," said Leeburg.
The one constant in a teacher's career has been her connection with students. That connection is still intact for a kid who's now all grown up — Tony Musillami was in Ms. Tusek's first class at Highlands Elementary.
"I was able to find him on Facebook. We have him coming to visit her," said Leeburg. "So we're so excited for him to meet her 40 years later."
Musillami was in second grade back then. He made the paper too — captured on camera getting help with his cursive from Ms. Tusek.
"I probably was struggling because I probably wasn't paying attention," Musillami said.
In September, it will be exactly 40 years since that first day of school.
"I just remember standing in front of this line of little faces going, 'Oh my God — they're depending on me,'" said Ms. Tusek.
The mark the veteran teacher leaves behind is more permanent than ink.