Jared Clodfelter, EdD’22, has been hired as the new academy director at the Roberts Academy and Dyslexia Center at Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development. He will begin his appointment on June 17.
An unprecedented gift from Hal and Marjorie Hollis Roberts, announced in September 2023, will establish the academy for primary students with dyslexia and an innovative center focused on outreach and dyslexia research. The academy will welcome its first class of students in fall 2024.
Clodfelter earned his education doctorate in K-12 Educational Leadership and Policy at Peabody and holds 15 years of experience in education, including his most recent role as the upper school division head at Currey Ingram Academy, a college-preparatory school for students with learning differences. Clodfelter also served as the academy’s dean of studies.
“We are excited to welcome Jared back to Vanderbilt to lead the Roberts Academy,” said Camilla P. Benbow, Patricia and Rodes Hart Dean of Education and Human Development. “He brings a wealth of experience that demonstrates a deep commitment to improving educational opportunities for students with diverse abilities and needs. I look forward to seeing the impact of his educational leadership at the academy.”
As upper school division head at Currey Ingram Academy, Clodfelter supervised more than thirty faculty and staff. During his tenure, enrollment and retention in the upper school increased.
Clodfelter used novel research-based practices to design and refine the academy’s educational program. He completely redesigned the curriculum of the upper school program, implementing an innovative, student-centered instructional approach focused on increasing student engagement.
“It is truly an honor to be the inaugural director at Roberts Academy,” Clodfelter said. “This school will be a tremendous resource for the Nashville community, providing students with not only the highest quality reading instruction and intervention but a complete and well-rounded school experience. I’m grateful to Vanderbilt and Peabody for providing me the opportunity to lead this important endeavor and to the Roberts family for their generosity that made this possible. I’m excited for what is to come at Roberts Academy and can’t wait to welcome our first students this fall.”
In addition to his leadership experience as a school administrator, Clodfelter has taught internationally and domestically, and in special and general education classrooms. He served as a learning specialist and English language learner teacher at the Vision International School in Doha, Quatar, teaching reading to six-year-old native Arabic speakers. He also taught English at the Marian Baker School in San Jose, Costa Rica. Prior to these roles, Clodfelter was a Metro Nashville Public Schools English teacher and instructor at Fort Wayne Center for Learning in Indiana.
In addition to his Vanderbilt Ed.D., Clodfelter holds a master of education in educational leadership from Carson Newman University and a bachelor of science in language arts education and exceptional needs from the University of Saint Francis.