Cynthia S. Jewell
CEO of Educating Jewels
Cynthia Strickland Jewell is a native of Decatur, Georgia. She is a proud product of the DeKalb County School District, where she attended Kelley Lake Elementary and Henderson High School. After high school, she attended Mercer University where she received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Early Childhood Education. She also earned advanced degrees from Central Michigan University and Lincoln Memorial University.
Mrs. Jewell began her career in education as a fourth-grade teacher at her alma mater, Kelley Lake Elementary. This is one of her most rewarding experiences; being able to give back to the community that helped raise her. After teaching for six years, she was promoted to assistant principal at Chapel Hill Elementary. She served as an assistant principal for five years before securing a position as a principal in Atlanta Public Schools. She focused on building relationships with the parents, school, and community. She focused on this same principle when she took the helm as principal of Stockbridge Elementary in 2016.
This school had one of the highest free and reduced lunch populations as well as the highest percentage of ESOL students in the district. Mrs. Jewell had high expectations for all students and staff, and she constantly reminded the staff that free and reduced is how the students eat and not how they learn. Mrs. Jewell was promoted to Senior Director of School Support in the fall of 2019 after having the highest increase on the College and Career Performance Readiness Index (CCRPI). Through a partnership among students, staff, and community members, Stockbridge Elementary school’s rating improved from an F to a C in one school year. In addition, the overall climate and culture improved from a two star to a four star CCRPI rating. The number of gifted students doubled within a two year period. ESOL students increased by 15% on progress towards English-Language proficiency. In the position of Senior Director, Cynthia had the opportunity to work with 14 principals using the coaching and development model to build teacher capacity and improve student outcomes. 79% of the elementary schools showed growth in reading as measured by the Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) during the 2020-2021 school year.
The experiences she gained during her educational trajectory helped prepare her for the position as Executive Officer of School Support in Griffin-Spalding Schools. Mrs. Jewell was responsible for the education of 3,500 students and supervision of 700 employees. During her time in Griffin, Georgia, she implemented innovative programs and initiatives including a monthly phonics data cycle for students in grades K-2, formalized the MTSS block in all elementary schools, and implemented daily reading of lexile passages in all schools. In addition, she was instrumental in supporting principals with observation and feedback cycles resulting in immediate feedback to staff and improving teachers’ ability to implement effective tier one instruction. Her focus on rigorous classroom instruction, student data, and professional development yielded positive student learning outcomes. Students in grades K-2 increased mastery of phonics and phonemic awareness skills by 50%. In addition, according to the preliminary 2023 GMAS results, seven out of eleven elementary schools (64%) increased in content mastery in ELA and Math. In addition, students in grades 3-5 reading within the stretch lexile band increased by 18% from the previous school year.
In 2020, Cynthia established Educating Jewels LLC. This consulting firm specializes in leadership coaching, instructional leadership, building authentic relationships, organizational management, strategic planning, and data analysis. Based on her own experience and the experiences of several mentees, she saw a need for individual leadership coaching and professional development on a more personal level. Mrs. Jewell prides herself in being able to relate to leaders on an individual level.
In 2014, Cynthia received a resolution from the State of Georgia’s House of Representatives for her outstanding work in support of the students in the state of Georgia. In 2019 she was featured in the book Passionate Leadership for her ability to transform the school environment resulting in improved teacher instructional capacity and increased student outcomes. In 2021, she was featured in the SchoolHouse302 Blog as one of the African American Educational Leaders to Know. Also, in 2021 she was the winner of GLISI’s Hidden Hero Contest. She is a 2018 graduate of Leadership Henry and a 2022 graduate of The School Superintendents Association (AASA) National Principal Supervisor Academy. Cynthia currently serves as the national Vice President of Black Women Education Leaders (BWEL).
While she has received countless awards and commendations, she considers her greatest gift as being able to serve. Because Mrs. Jewell touches the lives of hundreds of leaders, teachers, students and their families daily, she views her career in education as a ministry instead of a job.
She is not only a transformational school leader and leadership coach, but also a wife to Jasper E. Jewell and a mother to two children. Her husband is the District Athletic Director for Atlanta Public Schools and her son is an educator serving as an Instructional Mentor in Tulsa Public Schools. She is an avid Falcons fan, has a passion for gardening, and strives to ensure her physical and mental health are always intact.
