Priti Johari stepped into the role of Chelsea High School (CHS) Principal this month, officially taking charge after serving in an interim capacity since her selection last March.
The transition began unexpectedly when long-time Principal Joe Mullaney announced his departure during spring vacation last year, citing personal reasons and a desire to devote more attention to his family.
Superintendent Mary Bourque moved quickly to fill the vacancy by appointing Johari, a promising administrator who had recently arrived at CHS but demonstrated considerable potential.
Having worked closely with Mullaney over the past several months to understand the school’s operations, Johari is now ready to lead the institution forward. She reflected on her transition: “fblikebutton_button” “There’s definitely a learning curve for me, but Joe really helped me with the transition. I have taught and grew up in very diverse areas and I think that’s why it’s so exciting working in the community of Chelsea. I think I grew up with a similar background to the students and families in Chelsea. When the job opportunity came up, it just felt right. Now, I’m transitioning from the district redesign role to the principal role. I’m really looking forward to building more relationships with parents and community members this year.”
Her leadership team is already taking shape, with the addition of Assistant Principal Sean Tamarisk and Special Education Coordinator David Zimmer.
At 34 years old, Johari brings an extensive background in education to her new position. She arrived in Chelsea three years ago, though her educational journey began much earlier.
Her parents immigrated from India to Michigan to pursue graduate studies, and education has remained central to her family’s values. “fblikebutton_button” “Both of my parents came here from India, but my Dad came explicitly for graduate school. They are so supportive of the education and opportunity in this country. They have deeply ingrained in me the value of education and how it allows you to control your own destiny.”
Johari was born in Michigan but grew up in the San Jose, CA area, where she later taught English at her own alma mater. Her father’s commitment to public education significantly influenced her career path.
“fblikebutton_button” “My dad always explicitly believed in going to public schools. He thought it was very important to go to your community’s public schools and learn from your peers. He didn’t want to pull me out and put me in a bubble. I think learning from everyone and going to a community’s schools allowed me to learn from a diverse group of people. That was important to my father and to our family – the idea that a village raises a child. I fully believe that it is a village, or a community, that raises a child.”
After attending the University of Chicago, Johari returned to California to pursue a Master’s Degree in Public Policy at the University of Southern California (USC). She then devoted four years to teaching English—first at her former high school in San Jose and later at a high school in East Los Angeles.
Her move to Chelsea came about when she enrolled in Harvard’s Graduate School Leadership program. With her husband, she relocated to the area and spent one year teaching at the Boston Arts Academy.
During her time at Harvard and Boston Arts Academy, Johari kept hearing about Chelsea’s progressive work in urban public education. “fblikebutton_button” “People pointed Chelsea out to me and said a lot of interesting work was happening here.”
Over the past three years as District Redesign Administrator, Johari has worked extensively to prepare CHS and the district for the Common Core program. Her responsibilities have included overseeing preparation for the PARC exam, which will roll out in elementary and middle schools this year and at CHS in 2018.
Much of this work has occurred behind the scenes. Now, as principal, she will assume a more visible role—delivering speeches, engaging with families, connecting with community leaders, and celebrating the school’s achievements.
Johari has already demonstrated her ability to highlight institutional strengths. She noted this week that CHS achieved a notably high pass rate on Advanced Placement (AP) testing, a program for which the school has earned national recognition. “fblikebutton_button” “Nearly 400 AP Exams were administered this past school year and we had an impressive 48 percent pass rate. As the principal, I Iook forward to supporting and deepening the work of our already established AP program.”