Do they teach about Ancient African Empires in High or Jr High schools today?

Like the Ancient Egyptian Empire? Yes. It's impossible to teach about the rise of the Roman Empire without talking about the Egyptian Empire, for example. I bring that example up because there isn't any ancient world history class that doesn't touch on the rise of the Roman Empire, meaning there isn't any that doesn't likewise discuss the Egyptian Empire.

not in my school district ... they had little or no impact on world events -- aside from the Zulu nation's southward migration that resulted in the war with the Boer settlers and later with the English.