Re-imagining early education, redefining inclusion, and reclaiming children’s right to learn through play.
Dr. Kristie Pretti-Frontczak
Revolutionary Researcher, Savvy Speaker & Impassioned Play Advocate
Impassioned, forward-thinking and solution-focused, Dr. Kristie Pretti-Frontczak is committed to guiding early educators by carefully nourishing their hearts and minds while strengthening their social-emotional intelligence and leadership skills.
With a keen eye, sharp mind and deep intuition, Kristie brings both integrity and playfulness into educational decision-making and, above all, limitless innovation! Kristie’s core beliefs rest in the power of the emotional investment of educators, the shared understanding between them and their students, and in their abilities to convert problems into solutions and those solutions into opportunities. Her mission is clear:
“I believe in inclusion. I believe in the future of education. I believe that children deserve more than what they’re getting and that the teachers are the key ingredient. Teachers have the most important role in our society and they are undervalued. It’s time for a {r}evolution!”
With over two decades of educational experience and several years of social leadership practice, Kristie cultivates real change within educational organizations through the bold and brave strategies of re-imagining early education, redefining inclusion and reclaiming a child’s right to learn through play!
Bold Leadership from the Beginning
Kristie is the “real deal” of educational leaders – she understands because she’s lived it by spending 16 years in higher education as faculty at Kent State University (KSU) where she also served as an applied researcher, evaluator, and trainer in early childhood intervention. Rounding out her experience at Kent, she also served as the principal investigator on several federally funded research, model demonstration, and personnel preparation training grants.
All of these experiences made Kristie’s wheels start to spin – how could she do more? Chock full of ideas, Kristie made a bold decision to extend her expertise as a trainer and coach to those who serve children with diverse abilities. She went on to present to interdisciplinary audiences all over the globe in countries such as Singapore and Australia, as well as to providers in virtually every state in the U.S. on topics including: social-emotional leadership and learning, tiered instruction, authentic assessment, IFSP/IEP development, and universal design for learning. Bringing it back to the birthplace of her career in Ohio, Kristie is a Past President of the Ohio Division for Early Childhood and continues to serve as a co-advisor for doctoral students at KSU – a fulfilling and gratifying opportunity that brings her work full circle. She also served as President of the Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children.
The Realization that Lead to the {R}Evolution
From early on in her career, Kristie understood the realities and difficulties of being an educator and that so much of the problem is due to the lack of support and lack of wellness among the teaching body. As “brain architects,” teachers can’t spread wellness if they’re not of sound heart and mind themselves. In addition, the “race to readiness” is palpable, meaning, there is so much pressure for students to reach developmental benchmarks, that many get “left behind” – a heartbreaking reality felt by so many teachers. Kristie more than relates, she offers solutions.
“You are not alone in these struggles. Many of us are seeking a paradigm shift…a shift from compliance to compassion, from standardization to personalization, and from segregation to integration. If you are ready to reimagine early care and education, then this is where heartache ends and real change begins.”
Yearning to do more than just admire the problem, she rolled up her sleeves and began creating transformative programs, talks, publications, and hands-on tools to help teachers bring awareness back to teaching and raise themselves up to reach their full potential and influence and inspire their students in the same way.
Now, as the founder and head of B2K Solutions Ltd. and creator of this Pre-K Teach & Play site, she aims to {r}evolutionize early care and education by helping teachers and those who support them, to push against the pressures to “ready” children and, instead, teach through play!
Beyond the Classroom Walls…
Playfulness and joy extends to Kristie’s home life, where she is happily married for 27 years to her rock, best friend and partner-in-crime Mike. Together, they care for their rescue dogs in their beautiful and remote log-house where they find peace in nature. Furthering her own sense of wellness and tapping into her own inner Zen, Kristie loves to practice yoga and meditate… and loves to rehydrate with a great local beer!