As the summer draws to a close, Milford Public Schools are getting ready for the start of the new academic year. Students and teachers in grades K-12 start on Wednesday, Aug. 27.
According to the Milford School District, there will be 25 new teachers in 2025-26. The Daily News recently spoke with four of them, with each voicing excitement about being part of the Milford community.
Jennifer Ferrucci, Brookside Elementary
A Milford native, Ferrucci knew she wanted to be a teacher as early as second grade. It's a dream that almost didn't come to fruition. She said she initially lacked confidence and was nervous about the level of dedication required to be a teacher, which led her to pursue a degree in psychology when she entered college.
During her undergraduate years at Framingham State, Ferrucci began working in the field of applied behavior analysis therapy in home settings. When the pandemic hit, she shifted to doing similar work in a school setting, which reignited her passion for education.
"I fell in love with it," Ferrucci said. "I was put into one of the special ed classrooms and since then I was like 'Yes, I need to be a teacher'. This is what I really wanted to do, I don't know why it took me so long for me to realize that this is what I really wanted to do."
Ferrucci joins Brookside Elementary School as a special education teacher in the Milestones Program, where she will primarily work with kindergarten and first graders, with the possibility of second grade, she said. She has worked at Brookside since 2021, completing her student teacher program there last year while earning a master's degree in education from Lasell University. She holds a bachelor's degree in psychology from Framingham State and a master of science degree in child and adolescent psychology from Capella University, a Minneapolis-based online university.
At Brookside, Ferrucci will be one of four teachers in the Milestones program, working with students who have intellectual and developmental disabilities such as autism. Ferrucci said she will have seven students, with four in her classroom full time. She said the goal is to have all seven students integrated into inclusion classes by the end of the school year.
Ferrucci said that one of the most rewarding parts of her job is witnessing the progress her students.
"The progress, especially in the sub-separate special education part of the school, we get to see so much progress socially, academically, executive function wise," she said. "A lot of our students are non-verbal and have talking devices and just seeing these kids throughout the years, they can start talking and they have play skills developing throughout the years.
"It's just amazing to see that progress."
Alison McMahon, Memorial Elementary School
Hopedale native Alison McMahon said she was inspired to pursue a career in education by the many teachers who shaped her learning experience.
"I had so many amazing role models and people that just made me excited to come to school," she said. "Even as I went into high school, I continued to have a passion for being at school, as nerdy as that may sound, I really loved the learning environment."
McMahon is a new second grade teacher at Memorial Elementary School. She was previously a long-term substitute at Brookside Elementary School after graduating from UMass Amherst.
Growing up in neighboring Hopedale influenced McMahon to want to work in Milford. Since joining the school community, she has been impressed with the strong support system among teachers and the town's close-knit community, despite its larger population.
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"We really try to find a way to involve families into the school and making sure that everyone is able to build connection, so I really love the sense of communtiy and camaraderie that Milford has," McMahon said.
She admitted the process has been overwhelming, but is grateful to her friends and family, as well the support she has received from fellow teachers.
Alexis Enderle, Stacy Middle School
Alexis Enderle has always had a love for books, reading and writing, and hopes to pass that on to the next generation as an eighth grade ELA teacher at Stacy Middle School.
Originally from Nashville, Tennessee, Enderle came to Massachusetts for college at Tufts University. She earned a bachelor's degree in 2024 and her master's in teaching this spring.
To prepare for the upcoming school year, Enderele has been reviewing curriculum materials and getting to know other teachers at Stacy Middle School. She is looking forward to sharing her love for reading with her students and introducing them to new texts throughout the year.
"I love introducing students to new texts and helping them improve their writing and grow," she said.
Nara Mitchell, Milford High School
Nara Mitchell will be a new English Language Learners (ELL) teacher at Milford High School. Originally from Brazil, she moved to the United States when she was 18 and completed her bachelor's degree at Southern New Hampshire University. She is currently working toward her master's at Worcester State University.
Mitchell previously taught Portuguese at Shrewsbury High School.
This will be Mitchell's third year teaching. She wanted to do ELL because of how beneficial these services were for her when she came to the United States.
"Because I still remember my teachers from being in ESL and the impact they had in my lifen — not just for learning English, but to have some kind of support and stability and mentoring through life," Mitchell said. "When I teach, I don't just teach the kids to learn another language, but I kind of try to guide them through life as well if they don't have the guidance at home."
Mitchell said that she typically works with about 20 students. She said she was drawn to Milford Public Schools because she recognized a high need for ELL services in the area. She will co-teach classes such as algebra, where she will help students with the language barrier, as well as teach her own class for English as a second language.
Mitchell looks forward to building connections with students, seeing them progress as they move through high school.
"Especially at this age where they are going from being teenagers to becoming adults and you just like giving them that extra support and help that they need," Mitchell said.