Giving is what eventually gave back to Dr. Andre Jackson, in the form of fulfillment.
As a Florida A&M University criminal justice student he spent hours in Tallahassee elementary schools, serving as a mentor.
“That’s what kind of gave me that spark to say, ‘This is what I really want to do,’” Jackson recalls.
Soon he was on a path that would take him into classrooms instead of courtrooms.
Today, he not only wears the title of assistant principal, but Assistant Principal of the Year for Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS).
Lamar Johnson, who was named M-DCPS Principal of the Year, was joined by Jackson at a ceremony sponsored by the Dade Association of School Administrators, announcing the 2026 honorees.
“It’s a testament to the work that’s put in, day in and day out,” says Jackson, of Miami Jackson Senior High School.
Johnson, who has led Liberty City Elementary School for five years, agrees, saying, “Liberty City doesn’t get a lot of positive recognition, so it’s a great, great honor.”
Aside from the prestigious titles, Jackson and Johnson were awarded, respectively, a three-year car lease from Headquarter Toyota and a five-day cruise from Royal Caribbean. Partnership with Headquarter Toyota, Equitable, EdFed, Royal Caribbean, South Florida Youth Foundation, Curriculum Associates, Horace Mann Educators Corp., Overtown Youth Center, CDW Education, BENCOR, Hand2Mind, and Corebridge Financial made the prizes possible.
“I know the challenges that my students face,” Johnson adds, “but I also know how education can
change them.”
Following his academic change of plans at Florida A&M, Jackson was accepted into Teach for America, which placed him in South Florida, despite concerns that he might not receive his “first choice” of possible corps regions. By then he’d already come to realize that teaching would be just one stage in his career as an educator.
“When I was doing my mentoring I knew immediately that I wanted to be in leadership. I knew I wanted to be a principal,” he said.
After working in Chicago for a summer in 2014, Jackson interviewed for several school positions before earning his first as a 10th grade reading instructor at Miami Central High.
Meanwhile, having earned valedictorian honors when he was a student, Johnson was also moving from his local scholarly roots toward a career in which he’d impact Miami-area youth.
“Growing up, I was exposed to a lot of the challenges that my community was facing,” Johnson said, including crime.
“But school was always my safe haven.”
Like Jackson, Johnson once envisioned a career in the legal arena, and attended law school at the University of Florida before working with children in Gainesville. After beginning as a first-grade elementary school instructor through the Miami Teaching Fellows programs he was recognized with the Most Effective Newcomer Award.
Later, at Jesse J. McCrary Jr. Elementary School, he won 2020 Assistant Principal of the Year recognition.
Since taking the helm at Liberty City Elementary he has seen the results of his commitment.
“Throughout my tenure as principal, the school’s grade (as an institution) has gone from a C to an A for the first time since 2009,” Johnson said. “They’ve gone from 28 percent to 72 percent of students performing at grade level in math.”
Additionally, community partnerships have enriched the school in areas ranging from cafeteria support and after-school programming to field trips and sporting events.
“Those relationships have really impacted our kids,” Johnson adds.
Principal of the Year is a title he credits the larger fabric of Liberty City school and residents for helping to make possible. “Although it’s a great honor for me, it’s a greater honor for the entire Liberty City community,” Johnson reflected.
A co-founder of the Teacher Accelerator Program, Jackson, who says he was the product of two teenage parents, also acknowledges the Miami Jackson staff and “everyone who played a role in my journey.”
Though he moved into administration, he fondly acknowledges the place where his journey began.
“The classroom,” says Jackson, “is a special place.”
