Our Staff

Valerie is the Director of the Centers of Early Childhood Education on campus: the Jeanne M. Canelli Child Development Lab and Early Childhood Center. Valerie has extensive experience working in the early childhood field developing and supporting educational opportunities for young children and for adults learning to teach and care for children and their families. Valerie earned her M.Ed in Literacy and Language from Framingham State University as well as completing the University’s Post Baccalaureate Teacher Education Program in Early Childhood Education. She holds the Initial teaching license in Early Childhood Education (PreK-2) from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. She also holds Lead Teacher and Director certifications from the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in economics from the University of California, Davis and a California secondary teaching license in the social sciences.

Cara is the lead teacher of the AM class and the PM class. She earned a B.S. in early American history from Suffolk University in Boston and later completed Framingham State University's Post Baccalaureate Teacher Education Program in Early Childhood Education. Cara holds the Initial teaching license in Early Childhood Education (PreK-2) from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and she holds Lead Teacher certification from the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care. She served as President of the Alpha Upsilon Alpha Chapter of the Honor Society of the International Literacy Association from 2014-2015 and is currently in the M.Ed program, Teaching English as a Second Language, here at Framingham State.

Julie is the lead teacher of the PM class. She earned a B.S. in Communication Media from Fitchburg State and later completed Framingham State University's Post Baccalaureate Teacher Education Program in Early Childhood Education. Julie holds the Initial teaching license in Early Childhood Education (PreK-2) from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and she holds Lead Teacher certification from the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care. She served as Treasurer of the Alpha Upsilon Alpha Chapter of the Honor Society of the International Literacy Association from 2014-2015.