The Family Cooperative benefits from a creative and experienced group of teachers, many who hold a Master's Degree in our field. We recognize that we are all teachers and learners as we collaborate, form strong connections, and reflect on our interactions with each child. 
Looking to further your career at TFC?  We are always growing! 
Click on "Faculty Openings" to learn more about our career options.

School Support Teachers

Inaya Dia     joined TFC in 2018


Inaya is a passionate member of TFC, and a mother and grandmother dedicated to working with children.  Originally from Lebanon, Inaya lives with her family in Foxborough MA.  She holds an Associate's degree in Early Childhood Education and serves as an all school support teacher at TFC, where she works hard to embody the Reggio Emilia approach through her work. Committed to fostering an inclusive atmosphere, she aligns her professional practices with her personal values of dedication and hard work in every aspect of her teaching.  Inaya joined TFC in 2018, and has been working and supporting the TFC community since.

Kate Laude     joined TFC in 2021


Kate graduated from Wheelock College and holds a degree in Human Development with a certificate in Community Based Human Services.  Early in her career, she was a Behavior Specialist in inclusive classroom settings for children ranging from 15 months - 4 years.  As she continued her career working with young children she was introduced to the Reggio Emilia approach.  She has spent the past six years teaching in Reggio-inspired preschools.  Through these experiences, Kate has learned how capable children are, and that their innate curiosity for the world around them is astounding.  In her spare time, Kate loves going to the beach, spending time with friends/family, and adventuring to new places. ​

Dawn Messer    joined TFC in 2026

Dawn Messer brings many years of experience in early childhood classrooms. Creativity is a big part of who Dawn is as an educator - she loves art, following children’s interests, listening to their ideas, and seeing the world through their eyes.

​Sequoia Room Teachers

​Erin Sheehan    joined TFC in 2022

Erin graduated from Salem State University with a Bachelor's degree in Psychology, and a focus in Early Childhood Education.  Over her years of experience in a variety of school and home settings, she earned a lead teacher certification and has worked with children aging from infancy to school age, as well as children with special needs.  After coming to TFC, Erin fell in love with the child-focused atmosphere and community of teacher-learners in a Reggio Emilia-inspired school.  This is also where she found her true home in a classroom with infants and young toddlers.

In her free time, Erin can always be found with a book in her hand, spending time with her nephews, and traveling with her friends!

Sarah Brandao    joined TFC in 2021
Sequoia Teacher & Associate Director of Development

Sarah graduated from Lesley University and holds both lead teacher and director certifications. In her work with children, she aims to create an environment based on respect through exploration, discovery, and play. She sees her job as helping to guide and facilitate learning through a co-construction of knowledge based on children's curiosity and interests. Sarah's teaching philosophy and pedagogy is deeply rooted in the Reggio Emilia approach and during her graduate student work at the University of Colorado, where she earned a M.A. in Innovative Early Education in 2022, she studied in depth about the home and school connection for the youngest learners. She loves working at a family co-op and deepening the relationship between the home culture and school setting.  Outside of the classroom, Sarah is a passionate volleyball player and former collegiate coach. ​

Samantha Madden    joined TFC in 2022
Samantha (Sam) has always had a passion for working with young children. Growing up, adults referred to her as a “natural” and a “baby whisperer”. This gave her the confidence to eventually pursue a career working with young children. Sam went to a technical high school with an early education and care program. This allowed her to start her teaching journey in a hands-on manner at the age of 14. Sam graduated with infant/toddler/preschool certification. After six years of teaching at one center, Sam decided it was time to branch out and explore different approaches to teaching. Then Sam found TFC! Exploring the Reggio Emilia approach through experiential learning opportunities and seeing just how children change has made Sam feel right at home as she grows as a teacher alongside the children. ​

Magnolia Room Teachers

Kelly Shedd     joined TFC in 2022

Kelly holds a Master's in Early Education and has worked in the field for 30 years. Kelly joined TFC in 2022 and hasn't looked back. She believes that individualism should be celebrated and is committed to creating a nurturing and supportive environment, where children can learn, grow, and thrive. Every day with children brings something different, silly moments, surprises and discovery. Kelly is the proud parent of a grown daughter and shares her life's journey with her partner. She finds joy in the unexpected, spontaneous and quirky adventures, and little moments.

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Emily Patturelli     joined TFC in 2026

Emily earned her undergraduate degree in elementary education and psychology from Stonehill College. She then pursued a master’s degree in special education. Immediately after her undergraduate studies, she began working at a center in the infant classroom and developed a deep passion for early childhood education. She dedicated eight years to this role before joining TFC. Emily has always been an advocate for the Reggio-Emilia approach, believing in the inherent capabilities of children and the crucial role of educators in fostering a nurturing environment that encourages exploration and play. In her free time, Emily enjoys crafting, particularly painting ceramics and banners. Additionally, she loves spending quality time with her two nephews.

Milo Evans    joined TFC in 2026
Milo has worked in Early Education for over fifteen years, starting in a Teen-Parent program where they first obtained their CDA. They discovered Reggio Emilia-Inspired teaching ten years ago and haven't looked back. They participated in a Reggio Emilia Study Tour in Italy in 2016 where their image of the child and understanding of the importance of providing children with the opportunity to guide their own learning deepened. They have since worked with all ages from infants to Pre-K before becoming a Pedagogista of a small center in Somerville where they have been supporting and mentoring staff in Reggio-Inspired practices for the past five years. Milo has long hoped to return to the classroom to work with infants and toddlers once again, and they are thrilled to do so at The Family Cooperative. Milo is currently enrolled at Lesley University where they are finishing their Bachelors Degree in Early Childhood Education with a minor in Art Therapy. In their free time, Milo enjoys strength training, participating in obedience training with their dog Lewis, baking treats for their friends and family, and exploring the city. 

Willow Room Teachers

Kimberly Cosky     joined TFC in 2022
Kim has been in the Early Childhood field for over twelve years. She graduated from Westfield State College and holds both teacher and director certifications. Before coming to TFC, Kim taught Pre-K and was a principal at a private school. In the classroom, Kim finds inspiration in the Reggio Emilia philosophy. She enjoys creating a classroom environment that supports each child’s growth and development. Outside of the classroom, Kim enjoys traveling with her husband and exploring the architecture of different cultures.

Luda Zaitsev    joined TFC in 2026

Luda earned her EEC Preschool Practitioner licensure from Newton South High School in 2022 prior to attending college. During her time at UMass Amherst, she engaged in student teaching elementary-aged students while studying abroad in Hong Kong in the spring of 2025. After graduating from college in 2026, Luda found TFC and is thrilled to return to her first passion of early childhood education! Outside of school, she enjoys spending time with family and friends and learning languages.

Alexia Cuellar​     joined TFC in 2026
Alexia was born in Panama and had lived in different countries before becoming an American citizen and making Boston her home. She also speaks Spanish and Portuguese. Alexia is an artist and had the privilege to work and learn from great artists in the Dominican Republic, where she lived for many years and studied Art and Design. She has 23 years of experience working with children, 14 years of work at Boston Public Schools, and 9 years with a Montessori school in Boston, where she taught Art and Art History. She’s an EEC Certified Teacher, and this is her first year at TFC.

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Maple Room Teachers

Patrick Shea     joined TFC in 2026

Patrick earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Fairleigh Dickinson University. He earned his master’s degree with a focus on teaching and learning from Drew University. He spends his time caring for his twins, garden, and dog. He also enjoys cooking, playing, and watching sports. Patrick believes play is the work of the child and the cornerstone of learning for young children. He loves the excitement, curiosity, and joy of a classroom community and its individuals

A. R.     Joined TFC in 2024

Chestnut Room Teachers

Amy Kao     joined TFC in 2024


Amy was born and raised in Taipei, Taiwan and earned her M.Ed. in Art Education (PreK-8) from Lesley University in 2021.  After teaching art in Taiwan for two years, she moved to the Boston area in 2018 and has loved working with young children ever since.  Amy is excited to bring her art experience to the TFC community and continue her studies in early childhood education.  She’s dedicated to creating a warm and respectful environment where kids feel loved, supported, and free to explore their curiosity.  Amy loves finding creative ways to help each child discover their strengths!  For her personal practice in art, she loves doing pottery and printmaking.

Antonia (Tonie) Grisanti    joined TFC in 2026
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Tonie (full name Antonia, but that's a bit fancy!) is an elementary and early-childhood educator who loves Reggio Emilia, french toast, and TFC! From a young age, Tonie loved learning and thought teachers were like rockstars. At college, she studied educational and developmental psychology and ended up completing a master's of education in NYC. Tonie then decided to go exploring and moved to icy cold northern Canada, where she received further certification in elementary mathematics instruction and teaching French Immersion. Seeing children engage with the world at their own pace and using their own entry points is why she loves education so much. Working at TFC has made that sort of engagement a daily experience! When Tonie isn't at work, she enjoys sleeping, reading books, and finding kooky vintage treasures on Ebay.

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Administrative Team

Caitlin Maddix     joined TFC in 2017
​Executive Director


​Caitlin grew up in the suburbs of Boston and now lives in Watertown with her wife and four children, one of whom is a TFC kid.  Her interest in teaching young children began when she was a kindergartener herself and has grown into a passion and a fulfilling career over the course of her life.  Her first teaching job was at a Reggio Emilia inspired early childhood center.  Here she realized that she had found her home, working to empower children through facilitation of their own self-directed interests and play.  After nine years, she decided to take a break from teaching full time to return to school to complete her degree.  While in school she had the opportunity to conduct research in a laboratory preschool, focusing on how children learn through play and how pedagogical documentation can be a comprehensive assessment tool for children's learning and development.  After completing her degree, she found her way to TFC in 2017, joining a wonderful community of teachers and families.  Her teaching and research experiences have deepened her belief that children's learning is most significant when they are encouraged to engage in self-initiated play experiences and TFC embodies the educational values she feels so passionate about.  After five years as a teacher at TFC, Caitlin joined the administrative team in 2022.  Her love and commitment to this community has grown with each year and she is constantly energized by her colleagues as well as the children and families within TFC’s community.

Sisse Harder Delff   joined TFC in 2026
Director of Operations and Finance

Sisse has been part of the TFC community for the past six years, first as a parent and later as a member of TFC’s Board, serving as both Co-President and Treasurer. Over the years, she has come to deeply value TFC’s approach to children — following their interests, asking questions alongside them, and creating thoughtful opportunities for exploration and discovery. Many of the ideas she has encountered at TFC have even found their way into life at home with her own family.
As a Board member, Sisse helped guide TFC through its relocation and a period of significant growth and change, developing a deep understanding of the school’s finances, operations, and community.
Before joining TFC as Director of Operations and Finance, Sisse spent her career as a journalist and senior creative producer, leading large and complex media projects around the world. She later earned a master’s degree focused on international management and social and nonprofit organizations.
Sisse is excited to bring these experiences together in her role at TFC — helping build strong systems and a sustainable future while protecting the relationships, values, and sense of community that make TFC such a special place.

Sarah Brandao  ​joined TFC in 2021
Associate Director of Development & Sequoia Teacher
Sarah graduated from Lesley University and holds both lead teacher and director certifications. In her work with children, she aims to create an environment based on respect through exploration, discovery, and play. She sees her job as helping to guide and facilitate learning through a co-construction of knowledge based on children's curiosity and interests. Sarah's teaching philosophy and pedagogy is deeply rooted in the Reggio Emilia approach and during her graduate student work at the University of Colorado, where she earned a M.A. in Innovative Early Education in 2022, she studied in depth about the home and school connection for the youngest learners. She loves working at a family co-op and deepening the relationship between the home culture and school setting.  Outside of the classroom, Sarah is a passionate volleyball player and former collegiate coach. 

Ripple  
Welcoming Committee
Ripple is a Painted Turtle, and a cherished member of our TFC community. He came to TFC with one of our founding teachers.  He is estimated to be over ten years old.  Ripple has spent time in many classrooms at TFC throughout the years.  When TFC moved to a new building on Kondazian Street, Ripple moved to a much larger (75 Gallon!) tank where he enjoys showing off his swimming skills. His tank is cared for by a team of teachers affectionately dubbed "The Turtle Team." 
Throughout his years at TFC, he has provided opportunities for inquiry as students wonder how reptiles live, how turtles grow, and what foods are safe for them to eat.  His daily feedings are provided by the students at TFC.  Ripple has a snack menu, and we often feed him safe leftovers from our classroom snacks as a supplement to his turtle diet.  
Ripple absolutely loves saying good morning to children as they arrive at TFC. If you are visiting TFC, please stop at Ripple's tank and say "hello!" 

Interns/Student Teachers & Substitute Teachers

TFC partners with area schools, colleges, and universities to provide internship opportunities to students interested in a career in the field of Early Childhood Education.  We also hire Substitute teachers, some of whom have a community connection to TFC and return year after year as familiar faces to our students.