Head of School
Virginia "Ginny" Flynn
Originally from Massachusetts, Virginia now lives in South Milwaukee. Virginia graduated from Elms College with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a minor in Art Philosophy. From there, Virginia immediately sought out Montessori education as a career and moved to Ireland to attend the Montessori College at Mount St. Mary’s in Dublin. It is there she found her love for Montessori and earned her AMI Primary Certification. This certificate now hangs in her office, proudly displaying the actual signature of Maria Montessori’s son, Mario.
She began her Montessori teaching career in 1967 at U.M.O.S., on the south side of Milwaukee, working with migrant children and families. She then acquired another teaching position at Waukesha Montessori Head Start. After taking some time off to spend with her children, she returned as a teacher at A.P.L. School in South Milwaukee. In 1986, Virginia was hired at Downtown Montessori Academy as a Primary Montessori teacher. During her teaching career at Downtown Montessori she completed several courses in Child Care Administration and was able to earn her Director’s Certification. She finally took the reins as Downtown Montessori’s Program Director in 1989.
Virginia earned her Administrators Certificate from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Business in 1999 and is about to begin her 21st year as Head of School at Downtown Montessori Academy. Virginia has achieved great success as Head of School, taking DMA’s student population from 65 Preschoolers in 1989, to an unprecedented 127 students ranging from K3 to 8th Grade in the Fall of 2010. Virginia continues her graduate work in Special Education Administration at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Virginia enjoys spending time with her 7 grandchildren, 4 of whom are currently attending Downtown Montessori. When she finally has a moment to herself, she loves nothing more than to settle down with a hot cup of tea and a good book.
Admissions/Billing
Jessica Rodriguez
Technology Coordinator/Administrative Assistant
Liz Becerra
Liz Becerra is the Technology Coordinator at Downtown Montessori Academy, where she has worked for 10 years. She began her career at DMA while attending school, working part-time between her classes or after school with the child care students. After graduating, Liz was able to work full time and complete her certification and training. Liz now works enthusiastically with teachers, helping to integrate technology into the curriculum and has provided training sessions to teachers and students to transform their learning experiences using technology as an educational enhancement tool. Liz earned her Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Speech and Language Coordinator
Becky Murray
Special Education
Amy Goodenough
Kim Fowler
Kim has been working with Children's House students at DMA since 2000. Prior to working at DMA she worked in industry as a safety trainer. She has a B.S. in Environmental Science from Indiana State University as well as a Montessori Certificate. Kim is also a parent to two Montessori children.
Saša Sokolović
Saša worked as an art teacher at DMA in 1998. Since 1999, after a brief time as an assistant she has been working with students as a Montessori Directress. She has a B.A. in Fine Arts (Painting) from Olivet Nazarene University, Early Childhood Credential from American Montessori Society, as well as teacher certification from Cardinal Stritch University (early childhood to middle school).
Amy Goodenough
Maribel Sambolin
Erin Sanfilipo
Kerry McNerney
Priyanka Vyas
Sara Vondrachek
Sara Vondrachek is Downtown Montessori Academy’s newest Lower Elementary teacher. Sara graduated from UW-Madison with a Bachelor’s Degree in Zoology. After graduation she worked as a teacher naturalist in upstate New York. Wanting to be closer to family, she returned to her home state of Wisconsin and took a job with the Urban Ecology Center in Milwaukee. Over a span of four years, she worked to develop curriculum and deliver education programs to local school children including the students from DMA. In 2008, Sara completed her AMI Elementary training at the Montessori Institute of Milwaukee. Upon completion of additional coursework at Loyola College in Maryland this summer, she will have a Master’s Degree in Montessori Education. In her free time she enjoys spending time with friends and family, reading, exercising, and virtually any activity that takes place outdoors.
Beth Milhans
Beth Milhans is the Upper Elementary teacher at Downtown Montessori. She is married and the mother of three grown children, and now a grandmother. Beth completed her Montessori training in 1998, and has taught at Downtown Montessori since 1999. Before that time, Beth worked at DMA as an assistant and music teacher. Beth’s undergraduate degree is in Theater Arts, earned her Post-Baccalaureate State Teacher’s Certification from Cardinal Stritch University, and has taken courses at Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design in graphic design. Beth was drawn to the Montessori philosophy when she enrolled her son in a Milwaukee Public Schools Montessori school. She has core beliefs about the treatment of children, having been influenced by the passage in Kahil Gibran’s The Prophet that speaks of children, and by Fred Rogers. Each morning Beth sets herself to the loving task of serving each child, liking each child just the way he or she is, and trying to meet each child where he or she is at, with his or her special set of personal circumstances. Beth also feels it is her responsibility to help the children learn how to forge a society in which all members are treated with consideration, grace and courtesy. She believes her attitude sets the tone of the class, and so feels responsible for the good or bad day these children may have. They deserve a good day.
Mary McOlash
Mary Host
Mary Host attended Marquette University and graduated with a Liberal Arts Degree. She has a Master's in Educational Psychology from the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee. Her Montessori background includes Children's House AMI Certification from the Midwest Montessori Institute under Hildegaard Solzbacher. She subsequently taught for Ms. Solzbacher as well as Gateway Montessori in San Francisco. She worked at the Washington Montessori Institute under Kay Baker for her AMI 6-12 certificate. She has taught lower elementary students at Milwaukee Montessori and upper elementary students at Waukesha Montessori. She has AMI 6-12 elementary training. She trained with Betsy Coe in Houston on the Montessori Secondary Course and has established the Adolescent Program at Downtown Montessori. She attended the Schools Attuned Program of Mel Levine in Chicago. Presently, she is on the Milwaukee Public Schools Proficiency Based Certification Program.