If you have attended a Tremont Elementary School event or spotted a friendly face at the Fourth of July parade, chances are you have seen Tremont Elementary’s newest principal, Jacki Prati.
Prati has a devotion for both education and the community. Whether she is helping families get resources they need or organizing community events, Prati uses her leadership to help others and build strong community connections.
From teacher to leader
Jacki Prati
After graduating with her bachelor’s degree in education from Wheeling College in 2000, Prati was a teacher for 11 years. She began at South Western City Schools, where she taught for five years before moving to Hilliard City Schools. Over the course of her teaching career, she taught kindergarten, second grade and sixth grade and went on to get her master’s degree in teaching.
During her time at both districts, she was also an instructional coach. As an instructional coach, she provided aid to teachers, analyzed data, facilitated professional development and assisted with classroom management. That role sparked her passion for leadership.
“It is really where I learned how to be a leader and the importance of serving others, and how one person could be the leader and can just lift everyone else up and make a place so much better,” says Prati.
Prati received her administrative licensure in 2011, and became principal of J.W. Reason Elementary School at Hilliard City Schools in 2012, where she went on to win multiple grants and awards that greatly benefited the school.
During that time, she was awarded the 21st Century Community Learning Center Grant from the Ohio Department of Education, which funded before- and after-school intervention and enrichment programs.
She was also awarded the Teachers of Critical Languages Program Grant from the U.S. Department of State, which brought a teacher from Egypt to the U.S. for a year to teach Arabic at the school. Prati was invited to travel to Egypt with the Department of State to interview potential teachers to be selected for the program.
She was also awarded the 2023 Principal of the Year award from the Ohio Association of Elementary School Administrators.
At the beginning of the 2023-2024 school year, Prati became Tremont Elementary’s principal.
Since starting at Tremont Elementary, Prati has worked hard to set a strong foundation with her students.
“My goal as the principal isn’t to be the bad guy that gets kids in trouble, but instead somebody who’s the safety net, who’s there to help you learn lessons and grow,” says Prati.
Throughout her career as a teacher and a principal, Prati has become appreciative of being a part of early education for students.
“Elementary schools are the center of families' worlds for a really long time. You are there for six years. That's where you make your first friends. That's where parents meet each other,” Prati says. “I want the school to be a welcoming place and somewhere kids can become independent, and parents can feel safe sending them.”
Jacki Prati
Jacki Prati
Jacki Prati
Jacki Prati
Connections that matter
As Prati continues to grow into her role as Tremont’s newest principal, another priority for her is building strong relationships with families. She believes by forming meaningful connections, she can create an environment where everyone feels supported and connected.
“It's really important that I get to know the kids and the families on a personal level,” says Prati. “I really try to be a part of the community, to be at events in the community and just get to know families on an outside-of-school level.”
She also strengthens her connections with the students by upholding traditions such as the Tremont Marathon.
These connections allow her to better understand students’ needs and identify where some may need additional resources.
“What I see myself as in the role of a principal is being able to connect families to things outside of schools so that they can gain access to resources or things that they might need,” Prati says.
Through these strong relationships, Prati has helped families connect to resources such as dental care, medical care and support with food and job opportunities. Prati works closely with Vicki Zust at Saint Marks Church to help them receive those resources.
“You can't learn if you don't have your basic needs met,” says Prati. “So, being able to notice that, recognize it and then gracefully, humbly and respectfully reach out to parents in a way that they know we're there if they need us (is important).”
Jacki Prati
Jacki Prati
Jacki Prati
Jacki Prati
Beyond the classroom
Prati has also been highly involved in Upper Arlington through the Upper Arlington Civic Association (UACA) for the past three years, helping organize community events such as Party in the Park and Neighbors Night Out.
“I think that it's really exciting to get to be a part of something with a legacy and something that is a part of the memories that people have of growing up in Upper Arlington,” says Prati.
She was previously the director of the Junior Director Program at UACA for two years. She loved being able to connect with the high school students, which was a change of pace since she primarily interacts with her elementary students.
Currently, she is the vice president of the UACA and is set to take on the role of president next year.
“I really just think at the end of the day, it's about giving back. Not being in a leadership position for yourself, but to support others and to help make the community a better place,” says Prati.
Korrigan Craddock is a contributing writer at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
