Support Staff

Meet Support Staff at Toki

Our staff wrote some mini biographies about themselves as a way for you to get to know them better.

Sheba Mays - Principal

Welcome from Principal Sheba Mays

Greetings to our Akira Toki community, and welcome to the 2023-2024 school year!

I am Sheba Mays, Principal of Akira Toki Middle School. I attended Tennessee State University and Concordia University-Wisconsin, and I have 25 years of experience as an educator and administrator in the state of Wisconsin.

Toki is a thriving school in which every scholar and adult is recognized for their strengths, challenged to do better and supported to succeed. Organized around collaborative work and mutual accountability, we are clearly focused on preparing all scholars to be college, career and community-ready.

Our environment at Toki Middle School is one that is safe and welcoming. Among ninety-five percent (95%) of our scholars surveyed in Spring of 2023:

92% of scholars believe there is an adult in the building who wants them to do well.
83% of scholars feel safe and comfortable with staff at school.
82% of scholars feel that others are friendly to them at school.
87% of scholars shared that they want to learn as much as they can in school.
These percentages are very similar when sorted by racial & ethnic demographics.
Latinx scholars rated all the above categories at a rate of 5%-7% higher.

Additionally, Toki’s MSCR after-school program has been recognized for its high percentage of scholar enrollment and participation, with 85% of our student population enrolled in after school MSCR clubs/activities.

Academically and Social-Emotionally, our intentional focus this year includes Universal Design for Learning (UDL), schoolwide AVID critical reading strategies, anti-racist teaching practices, advanced learning, and developmentally designed supports.

The work ahead of us promises to be rewarding.

The Madison community and Toki parents, guardians and caregivers are our partners in education. We are committed to continuous collaboration and growth with you, and we look forward to our 2023-2024 journey together!!

Randi Kubek - Interim Assistant Principal

Keona Farris-Stovall - Program Support Teacher

Hi! My name is Keona Farris-Stovall & I will be proudly be serving as Toki's Program Support Teacher (PST). Before I became a PST, I worked as a Cross-Categorical Teacher at the elementary and the middle school level. I earned my Bachelor's Degree from UW-Madison, and my Master's Degree in Special Education from Edgewood College. I have three children, one who has already graduated from MMSD and two who still currently attend. I'm very passionate about building strong relationships between families, communities, and schools which I plan to continue to build on this coming year. In my spare time I love to hang out with my family/friends, read books and travel.

Mark Siegel - Instructional Coach

For the past 15 years, I have had the pleasure and honor of being part of the Toki community! I have been able to meet and learn from so many wonderful staff, students, and families. As I look forward to so many more great interactions, it is always my goal for students and families to feel a sense of belonging here at Toki, as we work towards a more equitable future. Outside of school, I like being in the outdoors, running, and biking with my wife and our 3 kids - Cole (8 - 3st grader at Orchard Ridge), Theo (6 - 1st grade at Orchard Ridge), and Jude (3).

Ben Serwe - AVID & ACP Coordinator

I am the AVID and ACP (Academic & Career Planning) Coordinator at Toki Middle School. My wife Dana also teaches 6th grade ELA at Toki, and we live in the Toki community with our three year old son, Charles (who also goes by Charlie or Chuckles) and our seven year old dog, Ruby. We are also expecting a baby girl in June or 2020! Some of my hobbies include spending time outdoors hiking, biking or canoeing. I also enjoy watching Wisconsin sports teams and working on new projects around our house. Dana and I both love to garden, and we help to maintain and expand the Toki Community Garden.

Tanya Gruter - School Social Worker

This will be my 5th year at Toki, but my 2nd year as a School Social Worker. I am very excited to continue my learning with the Toki community. Toki is truly a special place and I am so happy to be apart of this community.

Darrieal Montgomery Sr. - Village Builder

Hi! My name is Mr. Darrieal and i will be the Village builder at Toki this year. This will be my second year here. I grew up in Madison, Wi. My goal is to provide the best support for all students, staff and families I can. I will be open for any and everyone! A little bit about myself is i love spending time with family, watching sports, playing video games, playing basketball, spending time with friends and traveling. If you ever need someone to talk to, do not hesitate to reach out.

Sarah Kose - School Social Worker

Hi everyone! My name is Mrs. Kose. I grew up in Racine, WI and attended college at UW-Madison (Go Badgers!). In my free time I love to spend time with my family and friends and be outdoors. I love to hike, bike and kayak! I am very passionate about making sure that students feel welcome, included and safe at school. I look forward to getting to know you all and supporting you this year!

Maggie Field - Advanced Learning Specialist

Hello everyone! I’m very excited to meet you all and figure out how I can be of best support at Toki Middle School. I am .6 Toki and .4 Gillespie Middle School. In my free time, I love to travel (especially to Mexico
where my husband is from!), I’ve always got an artsy project going on, and in the summers you can find me running a coffee stand at the Monroe Street Farmers’ Market. Looking forward to connecting with everyone!

Fred Martinez - MSCR Director/ Schools of Hope Coordinator

Hi! This is my first year at Toki, I will be working as the Schools of Hope & MSCR Coordinator. I grew up in Beloit, WI and attended college at UW-Madison where I received two bachelors degrees in Political Science and Legal Studies. My goal is to help provide our students with the tools necessary for them to be successful in their lives. I think it is equally important for us to create an environment that fosters creativity and that empowers students. In my free time I enjoy exploring Madison and watching sports with friends.

Karen Dominguez - School Counselor

Hello! My name is Ms. Dominguez (pronouns: she/her(s)), and I'll be one of the school counselors here at Toki Middle School. I am very excited to meet and work with everyone in the Toki family. My goal is to provide the best support for all students, staff, and families and make Toki a second home for everyone. A bit of myself. I love spending time with family and friends, going on hikes, online shopping, eating food, watching anime, and reading books! If you ever want to talk, feel free to reach out to me.

Todd Hillmer - Library Media Technology Specialist

This is my 9th year at Toki and lucky 13 as a middle school librarian. I love sharing my passion for good books with students, staff, and parents. In my role as LMTS, I also am the primary go-to person for Chromebook issues, or help with most technology. As a librarian, I don't know all the answers, but I'll do my best to learn and help. I live in Delafield with my wife, Lisa. We have two adult children, and live with our two Dachshunds, and a cat.

Barb Mulcahy - School Nurse

As your school nurse, my goal is to provide a holistic health perspective related to the physical, mental and social emotional health of students. With the partnership of families, staff and community, I strive to promote the health and safety for all students. I work to promote an environment of inclusiveness and address health disparities that exist as the result of racism.

June Patterson - Nurse Assistant

My name is June Patterson. I am the nursing assistant at Toki. I have 2 daughters. I have a 23 year old daughter named Italia and a 13 year old daughter named Preslie. I have a husband named Preston. I have worked for the school district for 24 years. I am happy to be at Toki to work alongside staff and families :)

Joan Farrell - Occupational Therapist

As an Occupational Therapist, my goal is to help students become independent in their roles as students, peers, artists, athletes, and family members. I love to watch students make progress when they are engaged in activities that are meaningful to them!! I love to work at Toki because it is a diverse group of students and staff that bring enthusiasm and joy to their occupations. Go Dragons!!

Shojonae Jones - PBS Coach/Instructional Coach

Diane Lea - Speech and Language Therapist

I strive to help every student find their voice, feel heard and truly a part of a community that values their background, thoughts, ideas and opinions. I love to spend time outdoors hiking, biking, canoeing and traveling. I love reading books of all kinds and spending time with family and friends. I am also passionate about animal rescue and have had the privilege of being able to foster numerous dogs and puppies over the years.

Anna Troia - Administrative Clerk

Almudena Lopez-Valbuena - Bilingual Resource Specialist

I am from Spain and came to live in Madison 8 years ago. I was working as a kindergarten teacher for 4 years and as a BRS is Toki for another 4 years. My favorite part of working in Toki is the opportunity to connect with many families and being part of their arrival to Toki, the community, the country.
I have 2 children, a 7th grader boy and a 5th grader girl. We love to live here and enjoy all the outdoor activities that this beautiful city offers. It doesn’t matter if it is cold or hot, we love to play outside.

Radha Sijapati - Bilingual Resource Specialist

I feel privileged to work with some of the most vulnerable students who are new to the USA. In addition to the regular school work, they are also learning English, new culture, and ways of American life. I am grateful that I can be a part of their learning and growth and help them feel supported, valued, heard, and a part of the school community.

Dangelo Jenkins - School Security Assistant

Hi, I'm Mr. Dangelo or Mr. DJ. I love music, and having fun with friends! I'm really excited to be working with you all!

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