We are pleased to announce Jhaneil Thompson as our ICUE 2024 Urban Educator of the Year recipient.  

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Born in St. James, Jamaica, and raised in Fort. Lauderdale, Florida, Jhaneil Thompson’s cultural background and village largely influenced her career path and accomplishments today. Realizing the importance of achieving a beneficial education from an early age, fueled Thompson’s desire to work closely in the field and make meaningful changes there.

Thompson began her professional career at Crossroad Academy Charter School of Business in Gadsden County, Florida. During the 2021- 2022 school year, Thompson’s 3rd-grade scholars were recognized as the district's leading scorers on Florida’s State Assessment (FSA- ELA) in the reading subject area. Still witnessing the lack of reading skills and resources that children in specific zip codes possessed, this encouraged Thompson to intervene. With the leadership of one of her past professors and remarkable mentor, Dr. Cheron Hunter Davis, Thompson co-created an online bedtime literacy program targeted toward kids who reside in book deserts. Thompson believes that children can change their world through the interaction of culturally relevant books. Thompson’s contribution to the literacy field led her to be acknowledged as one of the International Literacy Association’s (ILA) 2023 30 under 30 literacy recipients. Thompson currently serves in the role of a fifth-grade reading and social studies teacher in Leon County, Florida. In the 2023-2024 academic school year, 59% of learners under Thompson’s classroom instruction displayed academic growth by reading on or above grade level. Additionally, 78% of her students demonstrated literacy growth, and 75% of her bottom quartile students exceeded growth expectations. Thompson’s dedication to the field of urban education is evident through her continuous work and unwavering dedication to her students.