By: Sabrina Miller, Content Strategy Director
BALTIMORE, Md. – When Cheryl Fracassi M’17 heard her name announced as Kent County Teacher of the Year, the moment felt almost unreal.
“It was surreal,” she said. “I am very proud of the work I do, but it is for such a specific population of students that it often gets overlooked. To have that work recognized and awarded on a larger stage was very humbling.”
The Notre Dame of Maryland University (NDMU) alumna, who teaches at Kent County Middle School, leads the Pathways program, an alternative classroom designated to support students facing significant behavioral challenges in general classroom settings. Through a combination of academic instruction, social-emotional learning, and restorative practices, the program helps students build the skills needed to succeed both in and out of the classroom.
The Pathways program serves general and special education students who struggle in traditional classroom environments. In the smaller, more supportive setting, students learn to regulate their emotions, develop social skills, and continue their academic progress.
“As students are successful in the program, they are slowly reintegrated into the general education setting with continued support,” Fracassi explained.
Central to her work is creating a safe environment where students feel supported and understood, regardless of their past experiences.
“Regardless of why they are placed in Pathways, all students are met with a blank slate,” she said. “We start now and move forward together.”
That philosophy has helped students achieve remarkable turnarounds. Fracassi recalled one student who had struggled for years with self-regulation and academic success. After she revamped the program to incorporate restorative practices and clear expectations, the student began to thrive—maintaining top behavioral status for more than 60 days, improving attendance, and successfully rejoining general education classes.
“He is truly a success story and makes me proud,” she said.
Fracassi has also been instrumental in implementing restorative practices, an approach that focuses on building relationships, repairing harm, and fostering accountability.
“Restorative practice at its core is building community and helping students understand their impact on their community, both positively and negatively,” she said.
Each day begins with a community circle, where students connect and reflect. When conflicts arise, restorative conversations help students understand the consequences of their actions and take responsibility.
“I explicitly teach students that all emotions are valid but all behaviors are not,” she said. “Accountability and directly facing the people you impact teaches students pretty quickly that choosing positive behaviors is better.”
The approach is already making a difference across the school, where discipline referrals have decreased, and students are increasingly resolving conflicts through conversation rather than confrontation. “I have heard students actually ask for a restorative circle to discuss issues,” she said. “That shows real growth.”
Fracassi emphasizes that behavioral challenges often reflect unmet needs rather than defiance. “Every behavior is communication,” she said. “Students do not necessarily have the vocabulary to express their emotions appropriately.”
By identifying academic gaps, addressing sensory needs, and teaching self-advocacy, she helps students build confidence and skills that extend far beyond the classroom. Middle school, she said, is a critical time for this development.
“School is practice for employment,” she tells her students. “You need to show up on time. You need to get along with people. Self-regulation is the key.” Her students practice these skills through hands-on activities, volunteer work, and real-world experiences designed to build responsibility and empathy.
Fracassi credits her colleagues and school leadership for supporting her growth and vision. “I have always been given the autonomy and support to set my own path,” she said. “This confidence and leadership growth helps me better advocate and support my students.”
She also credits her time in NDMU's Leadership in Special Education with shaping her philosophy as an educator. “My professors at NDMU believed in my potential as an educator,” Fracassi said. “The support, high expectations, and encouragement I received there continue to guide my teaching philosophy. I carry those lessons into my classroom each day, hoping to provide my students with the same sense of possibility that was given to me.”
Her motivation is also deeply personal. Reflecting on her own son’s challenges in school, she strives to be the teacher every student deserves. “I want to be that teacher he didn’t always have,” she said.
For Fracassi, the ultimate measure of success is not awards, but the relationships she builds and the confidence her students carry forward. “When students leave my classroom, I want them to remember that Mrs. Fracassi loves them,” she said. “I want them to always strive to be the best version of themselves.”
It is that commitment to seeing potential where others may see problems that make her work life-changing for the students she serves and worthy of recognition across Kent County and beyond.
Established in 1895, Notre Dame of Maryland University (NDMU) is a private, Catholic institution in Baltimore, Maryland, with the mission to educate leaders to transform the world. Notre Dame has been named one of the best "Regional Universities North" by U.S. News & World Report.