Biography
Jesús Armas is a 1986 graduate of the University of Miami, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in chemistry and a minor in biology. After graduating from college, he began his teaching career at his alma mater, Christian Day School. There, he served as the Head Varsity Basketball Coach and taught several different subjects, including chemistry, for five years before going to Haines City High School as a science teacher and Head Varsity Basketball Coach in 1992.
After a two-year stint at Haines City, Dr. Armas relocated back to Palm Beach County to work at Suncoast High School in Riviera Beach, Florida, from 1994–1999. There, he taught chemistry and IB Environmental Systems and Societies, served as the Head Varsity Basketball Coach, and was the school's athletic director.
In 1999, Dr. Armas transferred to Jupiter High School in Jupiter, Florida, to become the school's athletic director. In 2001, while at Jupiter High School, Dr. Armas earned his Master of Science degree in Science Education and received his certification in School Leadership, both from Nova Southeastern University. In 2003, he became an assistant principal at Jupiter High School.
In 2004, Dr. Armas began work as the assistant principal in charge of curriculum at the yet-to-be-constructed Seminole Ridge High School. As the school’s first assistant principal, Dr. Armas was instrumental in the creation of the school’s Biotechnology and Construction Academies, along with the creation of the school’s Advanced Placement Accipiter Program.
In 2006, Dr. Armas was appointed as the principal of Lake Worth Middle School in Lake Worth, Florida. There, Dr. Armas led the school to significant academic advancement, including the only two B ratings in the school’s history. During this time, he also spearheaded the creation of the school’s first two Choice Career Academies in Medical Science and Engineering and oversaw a major campus expansion that included the construction of a new 18-classroom wing.
In 2010, Dr. Armas was named principal of Royal Palm Beach High School, a position he held until October of 2021, making him the longest-tenured principal in the history of the school. While there, he helped Royal Palm Beach High
School become an IB World School and introduced several programs and academies, including STEM, Computer Gaming, AICE, AVID, and a Navy JROTC program. Dr. Armas led Royal Palm Beach High School through cultural and systemic changes that delivered historic results, including the first consecutive B ratings in the school's history, the designation of the ‘Happiest High School,’ and a then-record graduation rate of 95%.
Currently the principal of John I. Leonard High School, Dr. Armas has continued his legacy of excellence by leading the school to the highest graduation rate in its history at 98.5% and overseeing a record number of earned AICE diplomas. Throughout his career, he has remained dedicated to developing aspiring leaders; through his mentorship, 29 of his mentees have received administrative promotions, with 11 of them being named school principals. Dr. Armas also serves as President of JTD Educational Consultants, LLC.
Dr. Armas, who earned his Doctor of Education degree in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University in 2017, is a member of the Florida Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (FL-ALAS), the RAND American School Leader Panel, and the National Association of Secondary School Principals. Dr. Armas is a National Society of High School Scholars Educator of Distinction and has been honored as the School District of Palm Beach County 2010 Career and Technical Education Principal of the Year, the 2019 Adult Education Principal of the Year, and the 2020 Central Region Principal of the Year. Dr. Armas is the 2020 School District of Palm Beach County Principal of the Year and the Florida Hispanic American Chamber of Commerce Shining Star Educator of the Year (2023).
The son of Cuban political refugees and a native of Belle Glade, Florida, Dr. Armas and his wife of 38 years, Teresa, reside in Loxahatchee, Florida. They are the proud parents of Daniel, a Royal Palm Beach High School alumnus who recently earned his degree in Computer Science from the University of Central Florida.
After a two-year stint at Haines City, Dr. Armas relocated back to Palm Beach County to work at Suncoast High School in Riviera Beach, Florida, from 1994–1999. There, he taught chemistry and IB Environmental Systems and Societies, served as the Head Varsity Basketball Coach, and was the school's athletic director.
In 1999, Dr. Armas transferred to Jupiter High School in Jupiter, Florida, to become the school's athletic director. In 2001, while at Jupiter High School, Dr. Armas earned his Master of Science degree in Science Education and received his certification in School Leadership, both from Nova Southeastern University. In 2003, he became an assistant principal at Jupiter High School.
In 2004, Dr. Armas began work as the assistant principal in charge of curriculum at the yet-to-be-constructed Seminole Ridge High School. As the school’s first assistant principal, Dr. Armas was instrumental in the creation of the school’s Biotechnology and Construction Academies, along with the creation of the school’s Advanced Placement Accipiter Program.
In 2006, Dr. Armas was appointed as the principal of Lake Worth Middle School in Lake Worth, Florida. There, Dr. Armas led the school to significant academic advancement, including the only two B ratings in the school’s history. During this time, he also spearheaded the creation of the school’s first two Choice Career Academies in Medical Science and Engineering and oversaw a major campus expansion that included the construction of a new 18-classroom wing.
In 2010, Dr. Armas was named principal of Royal Palm Beach High School, a position he held until October of 2021, making him the longest-tenured principal in the history of the school. While there, he helped Royal Palm Beach High
School become an IB World School and introduced several programs and academies, including STEM, Computer Gaming, AICE, AVID, and a Navy JROTC program. Dr. Armas led Royal Palm Beach High School through cultural and systemic changes that delivered historic results, including the first consecutive B ratings in the school's history, the designation of the ‘Happiest High School,’ and a then-record graduation rate of 95%.
Currently the principal of John I. Leonard High School, Dr. Armas has continued his legacy of excellence by leading the school to the highest graduation rate in its history at 98.5% and overseeing a record number of earned AICE diplomas. Throughout his career, he has remained dedicated to developing aspiring leaders; through his mentorship, 29 of his mentees have received administrative promotions, with 11 of them being named school principals. Dr. Armas also serves as President of JTD Educational Consultants, LLC.
Dr. Armas, who earned his Doctor of Education degree in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University in 2017, is a member of the Florida Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (FL-ALAS), the RAND American School Leader Panel, and the National Association of Secondary School Principals. Dr. Armas is a National Society of High School Scholars Educator of Distinction and has been honored as the School District of Palm Beach County 2010 Career and Technical Education Principal of the Year, the 2019 Adult Education Principal of the Year, and the 2020 Central Region Principal of the Year. Dr. Armas is the 2020 School District of Palm Beach County Principal of the Year and the Florida Hispanic American Chamber of Commerce Shining Star Educator of the Year (2023).
The son of Cuban political refugees and a native of Belle Glade, Florida, Dr. Armas and his wife of 38 years, Teresa, reside in Loxahatchee, Florida. They are the proud parents of Daniel, a Royal Palm Beach High School alumnus who recently earned his degree in Computer Science from the University of Central Florida.
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