Fayth Jenkins advances equity and student-centered learning at Innovation Academy SRQ

Fayth Jenkins, head of school at Innovation Academy SRQ in Sarasota, is being highlighted for more than 20 years of leadership focused on whole-child development, community partnerships, and equitable learning. Her work spans classroom teaching, school leadership, and advocacy for underserved students and women in education.

Why it matters: - Fayth Jenkins leads a Sarasota school with a focus on access, innovation, and student support. - Her work centers on underserved students, whole-child development, and stronger community ties. - Jenkins also represents the continued push for more women, including women of color, in education leadership.

What happened: - Influential Women highlighted Fayth Jenkins, the head of school at Innovation Academy SRQ in Sarasota, Florida. - Jenkins has more than 20 years of experience in education. - Her career has included roles as a classroom teacher, project-based learning coordinator, dean of students, elementary school principal, and head of school. - She now oversees daily operations at Innovation Academy SRQ, including staffing, compliance, safety, instructional support, and strategic planning. - More information is available through her Influential Women profile.

The details: - Jenkins began her career in early childhood learning and later worked in elementary and middle school settings, including K–8 charter schools. - Her leadership at Innovation Academy SRQ emphasizes project-based learning, student voice, and whole-child development. - The school has expanded its focus on health and wellness, the arts, and innovative learning environments. - Jenkins has supported outdoor and experiential learning spaces that connect classroom lessons to real-world experiences. - She works to strengthen relationships between the school and the surrounding community. - Her board service includes AMIkids, the National Math Foundation, and Suncoast Women of Action. - Jenkins holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from the University of South Florida and a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Concordia University Nebraska. - Her leadership development has included Leadership Florida and the Chancellor’s Leadership Academy with the Florida Department of Education. - In 2024, the Florida Consortium of Public Charter Schools recognized her as a Champion Charter School Leader.

Between the lines: - Jenkins frames setbacks as a source of growth, mentorship, and resilience rather than failure. - A key early lesson from a principal shaped her leadership style: collaboration matters more than operating alone. - That perspective fits her emphasis on teachers, families, community members, and other stakeholders working toward shared goals. - Her comments point to a broader challenge in education: limited resources and budget pressure can slow innovation and equity efforts. - Her focus on mathematics pathways suggests she sees subject-specific support as one lever for expanding opportunity.

What's next: - Jenkins says stronger community partnerships can expand what students experience and support. - She is focused on building pathways that improve student outcomes, especially in mathematics. - Her leadership agenda appears aimed at keeping Innovation Academy SRQ centered on creativity, equity, and practical learning opportunities. - For young women entering education leadership, Jenkins encourages setting an independent path and challenging outdated practices.

The bottom line: - Jenkins is positioning school leadership as both operational work and community-building work, with student equity at the center.