Jalilah Muhammad Dukes

Jalilah Muhammad Dukes, PhD
Dr. Jalilah M. Dukes is a transformational educational leader, executive coach, and international education consultant with more than 30 years of experience advancing school improvement, leadership development, and instructional excellence across the United States and internationally. She is the founder and CEO of JMD Consulting, LLC, an educational consulting firm that partners with school districts and international schools to strengthen leadership systems, improve teaching and learning, and implement sustainable school reform.
Throughout her career, Dr. Dukes has served in a wide range of leadership roles including teacher, instructional specialist, assistant principal, principal, assistant superintendent, and senior educational consultant. She also served as the Midwest Regional Lead and Senior Educational Consultant for Cambridge Education, where she guided large-scale school and district improvement initiatives across multiple states. In this role, she worked directly with superintendents, principals, teachers, and district leadership teams to design strategic plans, conduct school quality reviews, and strengthen instructional leadership systems that improve student achievement.
Dr. Dukes has extensive experience supporting schools in turnaround and transformation efforts. She served as a project director and senior consultant in Fayette County, Kentucky, where six of seven schools successfully exited Comprehensive School Improvement status under her leadership. Over the course of her career, she has supported districts and organizations in securing and implementing more than $37 million in federal and state grant funding to advance school improvement, leadership development, and instructional innovation.
In addition to her work in the United States, Dr. Dukes has contributed to international education initiatives. She played a key role in establishing and developing the school’s Academic Plan and served as the first female principal of a U.S. high school in Dubai. She continues to contribute to the institution’s strategic direction as a member of the school’s Executive Board and Board of Governors. In this capacity, she has helped guide the development of academic programs and strategic initiatives designed to prepare students for success in a global learning environment.
A highly respected facilitator and leadership coach, Dr. Dukes has designed and delivered professional learning for educators and school leaders across the country. Her areas of expertise include school improvement, strategic planning, instructional leadership, Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), professional learning communities, and leadership coaching. She has served as a coach for the National Principals Leadership Institute at Fordham University, supporting the development of aspiring and practicing school leaders.
Dr. Dukes earned her Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Administration from Jackson State University. Her research focused on the relationship between professional learning communities and academic achievement for economically disadvantaged students. She also holds a Master of Science in Education Administration and Supervision from Jackson State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from Millsaps College.
A committed advocate for educational equity and leadership development, Dr. Dukes continues to support school systems in building strong leadership pipelines, strengthening instructional practices, and ensuring that all students have access to high-quality learning opportunities.