An accomplished Illinois educational leader, Tara Kristoff holds a master of arts in education from Dominican University in River Forest, Illinois as well as a master of arts in educational leadership from Aurora University in Aurora, Illinois. She also earned a juris doctorate from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law in Columbus and possesses multiple State of Illinois certifications in both teaching and administration. Tara Kristoff is currently pursuing a doctorate in educational leadership at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

After teaching in elementary and middle-school classrooms for a number of years, Tara Kristoff expanded into the fields of curricula development and administrative oversight for numerous schools and school districts in the greater Chicago area. For the past four years, Ms. Kristoff has served as area foundational coordinator for science for the South Cook Intermediate Service Center (ISC4). In this position, she helps South Cook County educators meet Next Generation Science Standards, with a special focus on the inclusion of both special education and ESL students.