Ms. Dickerson
Jumoke Academy Charter School was established in 1997 by our founder Thelma Ellis Dickerson. We are charged with the sacred duty of closing the academic achievement gap that puts urban and minority children behind their more affluent peers and perpetuates historical inequities in our society. We have come remarkably far in this mission.
When Ms. Dickerson laid the foundation for our vision all those years ago, she started a tiny K-3rd Elementary school of 125 children. Today we have grown to an enrollment of 432 students and serve Pre-Kindergarten through 8th grade. Jumoke Academy Charter Schools are currently comprised of a Pre-K program (Steps to Prep Early Education Center), an award winning K-5th elementary school (Thelma Ellis Dickerson's Jumoke Academy), and a high-performing 6th-8th grade middle school (Jumoke Academy Honors Middle School). All three schools are located in the historic Blue Hills neighborhood of Hartford, and have succeeded beyond our wildest expectations.
Jumoke Academy is a warm, open organization that enjoys strong parent, family and community support. It is also a supportive school environment. Our talented and qualified teachers come from incredibly diverse backgrounds and bring a rich variety of personal and professional experience, but they all share key values. Our staff is passionately committed to nurturing both the intellect and character of their pupils, as well as helping them attain measurable success.
We have an average classroom size of 20 students, and each class has a full-time paraprofessional. Our students wear uniforms and are held to high academic and social responsibility standards. Connecticut Mastery Test Scores at Jumoke Academy are on par with those of the wealthiest districts, including New Canaan, Greenwich, Avon, and Glastonbury, with our performance rating amont the top ten schools in the state four years consecutively.
As a state chartered public school, Jumoke Academy is its own schoool district with an independent Board of Trustees. It may be one of the smallest schol districts in the State of Connecticut, but don't let tour size fool you. We are a strong and financially healthy school that is rapidly moving into the top tier of academic excellence.