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• Visionary investment establishes Roberts Academy at ������Ƶ for children with dyslexia
• First home for Roberts Academy now ‘art in the making’
• Roberts Academy selects inaugural teaching faculty

The Roberts Academy at ������Ƶ, North Carolina’s first and only university-based private school for children with dyslexia, opened its doors to its inaugural class on Tuesday, Aug. 18, marking a milestone in ������Ƶ’s efforts to transform literacy education.

The school, established through the philanthropic vision of Marjorie and Hal Roberts, will serve as a statewide and national model for structured literacy education. The Robertses have witnessed firsthand the transformative power a multisensory approach to reading education can have for children with dyslexia.

“Opening Roberts Academy is more than the start of a new school year — it is the realization of a vision rooted in possibility,” said Alicia Tate, acting director of Roberts Academy at ������Ƶ. “We are honored to welcome our inaugural class and are excited to build a community where every student is known, challenged, encouraged and given the opportunity to thrive. This is only the beginning, and we cannot wait to see where this journey leads our students and their families.”

Students arriving Tuesday were greeted by faculty from the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education, ������Ƶ staff members and members of the university’s dance and cheer teams, creating a celebratory welcome for the academy’s first students.

“I’m most excited to know about my school and the chance to have a brand-new start,” one Roberts Academy student said.

Discover a love of learning

Roberts Academy is initially welcoming students in third and fourth grades at its temporary home on West Trollinger Avenue in ������Ƶ. The academy will eventually expand to serve students in grades one through six in a state-of-the-art facility planned for East Haggard Avenue, scheduled to open in fall 2028.

Designed as a transitional school, Roberts Academy will typically serve students for one to three years before they return to their community schools with the skills and confidence to succeed as scholars, entrepreneurs and civic leaders.

Teachers will use the Orton-Gillingham approach, a structured, multisensory method of literacy instruction designed to help students with dyslexia develop stronger reading and language skills.

For Bella Martino ’26, a Roberts Academy teacher who graduated from ������Ƶ with dual licensure in K-6 general education and special education, the school offers an opportunity to help students develop not only their reading skills but also their enthusiasm for learning.

“I really want to see them enjoy school. I want them to enjoy this as a place. I want them to like learning,” Martino said. “I’m just really looking forward to seeing them grow as learners, especially provided that all of our students are going to have some level of learning difficulties as it relates to reading. I’m really looking forward to helping them rediscover a love of reading.”

That hope is shared by the parents who brought their children to Roberts Academy for the first day.

“The most exciting thing about it is for my son to be excited about school, about learning, about feeling confident, about realizing that it’s OK the way his brain is wired and he’s going to learn how that works, and then he’s going to be able to soar,” one parent said.

Investing in a child’s future

For Donnielle Rome-Martin, finding Roberts Academy followed a long search for the right educational environment for her daughter, whose goal is to become a “bookworm.”

Rome-Martin said she struggled to find the support her daughter needed, with other programs focused on accommodating her dyslexia rather than helping her develop the skills to overcome the challenges she was experiencing.

“My heart breaks when she tells me she’s stupid. She’s not stupid,” Rome-Martin said. “The idea that a young little girl at this small age could think that she’s stupid made me so scared for what the future is going to look like. This cannot happen.”

When Rome-Martin toured Roberts Academy, she said she immediately noticed a different approach, one focused on her daughter’s potential rather than her limitations.

“What I fell in love with was the way the staff spoke about dyslexia and the way they spoke about her future,” Rome-Martin said. “This was a passion, and they were invested in this from day one. That’s all I ever wanted, was someone to invest in my daughter like I do.”

That commitment led Rome-Martin to make a significant commitment of her own. She will travel nearly two hours each way to bring her daughter to Roberts Academy each day, a decision she said was affirmed when she watched her daughter walk into school on the first morning.

“What amazed me is we were walking into the parking lot, and we walked up, and she didn’t look back,” Rome-Martin said. “That made me feel really good that she didn’t look back as she walked off because I think she knows that she is going to be OK.”

University Chaplain and Dean of Multifaith Engagement Rev. Kirstin Boswell opened the event with the invocation, followed by the tradition of the bell ringing by Student Government Association President Michael Swartz ’27. The bell arrived in North Carolina in 1854 on one of the first North Carolina railroad trains. It was later used at Graham College, a predecessor institution to ������Ƶ College.

During the event, three individuals with strong ties to the university were awarded the ������Ƶ Medallion, the university’s most prestigious service honor: Jim Donathan, longtime associate director of academic advising and academic support; Mary Thornton, founder and president of Harvest Table Culinary Group; and Don Grady, associate professor emeritus of cinema and television arts.

Katy Rouse, professor of economics in the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business, was named the Trustee Chair for Excellence. For seventeen years, Rouse has taught ������Ƶ’s Principles of Economics and Intermediate Microeconomics courses, along with a capstone she built herself on educational disparities in the United States, earning student evaluations among the highest in her department for more than a decade.

She has personally mentored more than 30 senior and honors theses, co-authored research with undergraduates, chaired the Love School’s curriculum committee and published her teaching scholarship in the Journal of Economic Education.

“I truly believe that being a teacher scholar mentor at ������Ƶ is one of the best careers I’m going to have,” Rouse said. “Every day we come to work, we have the opportunity to make a lasting impact on students during one of the most pivotal points in their lives.”

Mapping the course

During her annual Opening Day address, Book reflected on ������Ƶ’s progress while looking toward a year that will include the launch of new academic initiatives, continued work surrounding artificial intelligence, the opening of the Roberts Academy and the planned merger with Queens University of Charlotte.

Book centered her remarks around the idea of a map — the markers that show where ������Ƶ has been and the guideposts that will help the university navigate what comes next. The theme was inspired by a visit this summer to ������Ƶ students participating in the Summer Opera Workshop at the Accademia Europea di Firenze. The students came together for a historic production of “The Light in the Piazza” in Florence, Italy, where the musical is set.

As part of their work, students were also tasked with creating a map of the city, something that inspired Book.

“There is something powerful in this mapmaking assignment, and it left me wondering about our collective ������Ƶ map,” Book said. “How would we each draw it?”

At the center of that map, Book said, is ������Ƶ’s mission. She highlighted several markers of progress during the past year, including the Odyssey Program surpassing 300 scholarships, record participation in undergraduate research, strong Fulbright success and new academic programs, including cybersecurity, Clinical Mental Health Counseling and the Charlotte PA program. She also celebrated the upcoming launch of the School of Engineering and Computing under inaugural Dean John Walz and the growth of the university’s nursing program.

Mapping new territory (together)

On Tuesday, Aug. 18, the first students of the Roberts Academy at ������Ƶ will arrive at the school’s temporary home in Trollinger House. The school will be the state’s only university-based private school for children with dyslexia. Book described the academy and the Center for Dyslexia and Engaged Learning as an opportunity that “will change lives from day one.”

Among the most significant new territory is ������Ƶ’s planned merger with Queens University of Charlotte. Book noted that the institutions received accreditation approval this summer to proceed with their merger, with a single Board of Trustees now overseeing both universities. Sixteen administrative units are also becoming shared teams supporting the two campuses, while a federal review of the merger is expected to take 18 to 24 months.

Megan Isaac, professor of English, and Senior Vice President for Advancement and External Affairs Jim Piatt gave brief updates on the merger as part of the SOAR Strategic Planning Committee.

“Our two institutions will be stronger together, will better serve students together, and will have a brighter future together,” Book said. “And now, we are working to build that vision together, to grow opportunity to advance learning — together.”

Mapping a new look

Athletics Director Jennifer Strawley was also invited to the stage to announce a for the university’s athletics program, which had what Book called a “formidable year,” with seven ������Ƶ teams, the most in the university’s history, winning conference titles. A new physical mascot will be unveiled at the first College Coffee of the academic year on Aug. 25.

“The new Phoenix wears a gold sweater with a monogram ‘E,’ paying tribute to our first mascot, the Fighting Christian,” Strawley said. “The focused expression conveys the determination, confidence and purpose that defines our university community. The Phoenix continues to be fueled by the flames, symbolizing our rebuild from the ashes, and capturing the spirit and resilience of the ������Ƶ community.”

Book acknowledged that the changing higher education landscape brings challenges, from enrollment pressures and federal regulations to declining public confidence. But she reminded faculty and staff that adapting to change has long been part of ������Ƶ’s history.

“I understand change can be daunting. Shifting national headwinds are challenging higher education,” Book said. “Fortunately for us, ������Ƶ has never succeeded by standing still. We’ve joined together, developed new strategies and guided by our mission — built the number one institution for engaged learning and student success.”

She closed by returning to the journey ahead, and the role faculty and staff play in shaping the lives of ������Ƶ students.

“It is not simply education; it is a journey of human transformation,” Book said. “Thank you for the everyday commitment, kindness and integrity that are our enduring guideposts.”

Stephen “Steve” Marquis will lead physical education activities, Cammie Berrier will inspire students with art lessons, Heather Pike will introduce students to dance, and Lara Davis will share her lifelong passion for music, expanding the range of learning experiences available to third- and fourth-grade students during the academy’s inaugural year.

The Roberts Academy uses the multisensory Orton-Gillingham approach to reading instruction and welcomes its first students in a temporary location on West Trollinger Avenue for the start of classes on August 18.

The academy will expand to grades 1-6 once a new building opens for the 2028-29 academic year on East Haggard Avenue near the university’s Danieley Neighborhood. Each classroom eventually will be capped at 12 students.

Roberts Academy at ������Ƶ is the most recent of four university-based private schools established through transformational gifts from philanthropists Hal and Marjorie Roberts of Lakeland, Florida. Similar academies exist at Vanderbilt University, Mercer University, and Florida Southern College.

Roberts Academy at ������Ƶ Enrichment Educators for 2026-27

Stephen “Steve” Marquis

With three decades of experience as a physical education teacher and coach, Steve Marquis has focused his career on helping students develop physical fitness while understanding the connections among exercise, nutrition and healthy lifestyles.

A graduate of Springfield College with a bachelor’s degree in physical education, Marquis most recently taught at Kiser Middle School in Greensboro after spending nearly two decades at East Chapel Hill High School.

Marquis also brings extensive coaching experience to Roberts Academy. He served as head varsity cross country coach at East Chapel Hill High School from 2006 to 2020 and head varsity track coach from 2006 to 2017, along with coaching basketball. His work as a coach has been recognized with multiple Coach of the Year honors.

“As a young child, I was fortunate to have many positive role models who taught me the importance of physical activity and maintaining a healthy lifestyle,” Marquis said. “Their influence shaped my belief that physical activity plays a vital role in a child’s growth and development.

“Physical activity improves attention, memory, and muscular development while reducing the risk of many health problems. Most importantly, it supports a child’s mental and emotional well-being. I want my students to understand that overall health includes physical, mental, and emotional wellness, and that caring for each of these areas helps them lead happier, healthier lives.”

Cammie Berrier

Cammie Berrier brings more than two decades of experience teaching art in Guilford County Schools along with extensive experience introducing children to art through museums, galleries and summer programs.

A magna cum laude graduate of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Berrier earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in art education with a minor in English. She spent more than a decade as the art specialist at E.P. Pearce Elementary School in Greensboro following earlier service as an art specialist at 11 Guilford County elementary schools.

During her career in Guilford County Schools, Berrier held leadership roles among elementary art educators and mentored student teachers from UNCG. Student artwork produced under her instruction was selected for exhibitions at the U.S. Department of Education in Washington and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction in Raleigh.

Since 2019, Berrier has continued working with children and the arts through Reynolda House Museum of American Art in Winston-Salem, where she serves as a docent and summer art camp instructor. In that role, she develops curricula for weeklong camps for elementary-aged children and leads museum tours.

“I believe the arts are absolutely vital to the development of children,” Berrier said. “Over the years I have taught visual art, I have seen students grow in confidence, creativity and joy in the art-making process. For many students, it is a rare chance to relax, to try new things without fear of failure, and to process and express their emotions. Through considering the work of other artists, students gain an appreciation of other cultures and discover unique ways of seeing the world.”

Heather Pike

An experienced dance educator whose work has focused extensively on inclusive instruction, Heather Pike brings to Roberts Academy more than two decades of experience teaching dance to children with a wide range of abilities.

Pike earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance education from East Carolina University and a Master of Arts in dance education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where her graduate research focused on inclusive dance education.

She works in various capacities as a teaching artist, designing curricula and teaching dance residencies in the community. This includes her work as lead teaching artist with Arts Together in partnership with Access/VSA in Wake County, where she teaches dance residencies in public pre-kindergarten settings.

In addition, through her role as an artist in residence with The ArtsCenter in Carrboro, Pike has taught dance for students with profound disabilities in Orange County Public Schools. She has also worked through the United Arts Council’s Artists in Schools program to lead dance workshops and residencies that integrate dance with literacy instruction for students with different learning styles in elementary schools.

Pike previously served as a lead teaching artist for Carolina Ballet’s educational outreach programs that brought dance to Title I pre-kindergarten classrooms and elementary students through dance and literature integration. While working as a teaching artist, she has been on faculty at Barriskill Dance Theatre School teaching pre-ballet through advanced ballet for several years.

Pike more recently has served as a guest lecturer in ������Ƶ’s Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education, sharing expertise in dance pedagogy and integration with students studying special education and children’s literature.

“I am passionate about creating inclusive, accessible dance spaces for exploration of artistic expression and communication,” Pike said. “By sharing the joy of movement with my students, I believe integrating dance into everyday learning is a powerful way to strengthen self-awareness and build relationships with others. Dance not only gives students a creative outlet for moving their bodies, but it also provides access to kinesthetic learning and an opportunity to strengthen social-emotional skills.”

Lara Davis

Lara Davis is the owner and founder of Kidstunes Music & Movement program, which serves thousands of children from birth through prekindergarten in dozens of childcare centers throughout central North Carolina.

Davis attended the University of North Florida as a National Merit Scholar and holds a bachelor’s degree in music education, her Level 3 Certification with ECMMA, and has worked as a music educator with young children for over 25 years.

Davis began playing the piano at age 5. She also sings, plays recorder, ukulele, some guitar and percussion. Her background and experience include many years as both performer & accompanist for the renowned UNF Jazz Choir and Chamber Singers, extensive work with music and children in various settings from birth through middle school, varying exceptionalities classrooms, churches, and as director of numerous all-school musical & special event productions.

She has incorporated her experience and research into the very heart of the Kidstunes program, composing original music, continually updating the curriculum & resources, marketing and expanding their services, and personally mentoring each Instructor. Davis is a regular presenter at both national and regional conferences for various organizations in the fields of early childhood and music education, and her in-service training workshops are accredited by the NC Division of Child Development.

“Music has been a passion throughout years of teaching children from infancy through middle school, in public and private schools as well as individual settings,” Davis said. “I have watched countless children who struggle in other academic or behavioral areas truly thrive through music, and I’ve often seen their increased involvement in music translate into growth in other areas such as math, focus, confidence, and self-discipline.

“Most importantly, music gives children a powerful way to express themselves, trust their creativity, experience joy, and find emotional release through listening, moving, playing, and creating. To me, that is the true gift of music. It meets children where they are and gives them another way to discover what they are capable of.”

Expanded academics
School of Engineering and Computing

The new School of Engineering and Computing will open in Fall 2026, anchoring the university’s Innovation Quad in the heart of campus. It will include 20 full-time faculty and three full-time staff positions with more than 300 undergraduate students. The school will include three new majors: , and . ���dz�����²�����, a former president of the Milwaukee School of Engineering and longtime leader in engineering and technology education, will serve as the school’s inaugural dean.

Clinical Mental Health Counseling

������Ƶ’s new Clinical Mental Health Counseling program will welcome its first cohort this fall. The graduate program, at ������Ƶ’s main campus and Charlotte national campus, will work to prepare competent, compassionate and ethical counselors committed to promoting mental wellness and addressing an urgent need for counselors.

Charlotte Physician Assistant Studies

������Ƶ will welcome Charlotte, North Carolina’s first Physician Assistant program with its inaugural class in January 2027, pending achieving Accreditation-Provisional status at the September 2026 ARC-PA meeting. Rooted in ������Ƶ’s pillars of engaged learning, leadership, and global impact, the ������Ƶ PA program in Charlotte is designed who uphold clinical excellence, are community-focused, and equity-driven.

Roberts Academy at ������Ƶ

The Roberts Academy, North Carolina’s only university-based private school for children with dyslexia, officially opens this fall. It will serve as a statewide and national model for structured literacy education. The school was established through the philanthropic vision of Marjorie and Hal Roberts, who have witnessed the transformative power of a multisensory approach to reading education.

The school will initially welcome third- and fourth-grade students in Trollinger House, before expanding its capacity to grades one through six in a state-of-the-art facility planned for East Haggard Avenue, set to open in Fall 2028.

New sights

Several construction projects have been underway this summer, ahead of the 2026-27 academic year. The Slattery Center will be the university’s new health and wellness center, a central component to the university’s broader HealthEU initiative that focuses on six dimensions of health and wellness: community, emotional, purpose, financial, physical and social.

Renovations of the Mooney Building, home to the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education, are underway, including the replacement of windows and HVAC systems, upgrades to electrical and plumbing systems, and the addition of waterproofing.

Slattery Center

The Slattery Center will be the university’s new health and wellness center, a central component to the university’s broader HealthEU initiative that focuses on six dimensions of health and wellness: community, emotional, purpose, financial, physical and social. The three-story center will feature new classrooms, student-faculty research spaces, multiple floors for wellness and fitness activities, and the Mark and Kim Tyson Counseling Center, which will provide individual and group therapy, as well as workshops and outreach programs.

Trollinger House

Trollinger House is now renovated to be the temporary home of the Roberts Academy at ������Ƶ, North Carolina’s only university-based private school for children with dyslexia. The school will initially welcome third and fourth-grade students in Trollinger House for Fall 2026, before expanding capacity to grades one through six in a state-of-the-art facility planned for East Haggard Avenue set to open in Fall 2028.

Mooney Building

Renovations of the Mooney Building, home to the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education, are underway, including the replacement of windows and HVAC systems, upgrades to electrical and plumbing systems, and the addition of waterproofing.

Other projects

Other projects happening on campus include reroofing buildings in Oaks, work on an interior fountain in the Numen Lumen Pavilion, and adding charging ports for electric scooters.

The Roberts Academy will use the multisensory Orton-Gillingham approach to reading instruction once it opens in August for third- and fourth-grade students in a temporary location on West Trollinger Avenue.

The academy will expand to grades 1-6 when a new building opens for the 2028-29 academic year on East Haggard Avenue near the university’s Danieley Neighborhood. Each classroom will be capped at 12 students.

“We are excited to have such well-trained, committed teachers join us at Roberts Academy,” said Ann Bullock, dean of the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education. “Their dedication to children and their ability to provide an engaged environment for learning will lead to a remarkable growth in confidence for young students.”

The Roberts Academy is also finalizing the recruitment of part-time teachers to provide enrichment instruction in art, music and physical education. The school is led by Acting Director Alicia S. Tate and Tracy Roof, director of business and school operations.

Established in 2025 through a gift from philanthropists Hal and Marjorie Roberts of Lakeland, Florida, the Roberts Academy at ������Ƶ will be the fourth in a series of successful university-based private elementary schools the couple established at Vanderbilt University, Mercer University and Florida Southern College.

2026-27 Full-Time Faculty for Roberts Academy at ������Ƶ

Carrie Whitley

With a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s degree in reading education from Appalachian State University, Carrie Whitley brings three years of experience working closely with elementary-aged students in both classroom and tutoring settings.

Throughout her career, Whitley has focused on providing individualized instruction, collecting and analyzing student data, and creating targeted interventions to support diverse learning needs. Her experience in special education at a private school in Raleigh strengthened her ability to collaborate with multidisciplinary teams, to develop meaningful student goals, and to communicate progress with families.

Whitley is Orton-Gillingham trained and has implemented the method with fidelity in both small-group and one-on-one settings. She said she has seen firsthand the impact that explicit, systematic literacy instruction can have on students with dyslexia in developing reading skills, building confidence and instilling a love of learning.

Kaitlyn Leazer ’25

After serving for a year with the Alamance-Burlington School System as teacher of exceptional children, Kaitlyn Leazer brings experience in designing and implementing differentiated instruction, prioritizing strong relationships with families as essential collaborators in each child’s success.

Leazer holds a Bachelor of Arts in elementary and special education and is currently pursuing a Master of Education in innovation from the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education. Leazer said she was drawn to the Roberts Academy for its values and evidence-based practices to meet the individual needs of every learner.

In her year with ABSS, Leazer sought to create classrooms where students felt supported through thoughtful differentiation, intentional data collection and Universal Design for Learning. She developed a system for students to track and chart their own IEP goals, fostering both independence and accountability.

Isabella “Bella” Martino ’26

Isabella “Bella” Martino is a recent ������Ƶ graduate with dual licensure in K-6 general education and special education, allowing her to serve students across all domains of learning.

During her work as a student teacher, Martino created structured, predictable learning environments for students with unique behavioral and academic needs. She integrated technology into students’ daily routines, leading to increased engagement and improved behavioral outcomes. Martino works in partnership with families and other service providers to holistically meet the needs of students.

Passionate about providing students equal access to the general education curriculum, Martino points to her efforts to align lesson content with grade-level standards whenever possible. She describes herself as driven by a belief that holding students who learn differently to the same social and emotional expectations as their peers is essential to fostering independence and autonomy.

Renovations have started on what once was a small residence hall but will soon serve as the temporary location for Roberts Academy at ������Ƶ, an all-day private school for children with dyslexia that opens in August.

The top priority for the designers working on those renovations? Create a space where children will learn, grow, and thrive in their confidence as young readers.

“Our team did a wonderful job of thinking through which spaces will be for which purpose, the furniture we’re selecting, how we’re setting up classrooms, and the technology we’ll use,” said Ann Bullock, dean of the university’s Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education. “All of those things will make for an engaged, active, multisensory school. It’s going to be great.”

Established in 2025 through a gift from philanthropists Hal and Marjorie Roberts of Lakeland, Florida, the Roberts Academy at ������Ƶ will be the fourth in a series of successful university-based private elementary schools the couple also supported at Vanderbilt University, Mercer University and Florida Southern College.

Each academy employs the Orton-Gillingham multisensory approach to reading instruction. The goal is to return students to their community schools as confident readers after 2-3 years of immersive, hands-on instruction in all core subjects.

The Roberts Academy at ������Ƶ will welcome third and fourth graders this fall to Trollinger House as construction begins on a permanent site along East Haggard Avenue. That location will open for to grades 1-6 starting in Fall 2028.

Bullock was joined on April 9, 2026, for a site visit to Trollinger House where several staff members wore hard hats on their stroll through the building on West Trollinger Avenue. Led by Holly Hodge, ������Ƶ’s director of interior design, staff had a chance to see for themselves what, until then, had only been conceptual.

Hodge highlighted some of the features that, once installed, will nurture students who attend the school: flexible furniture for smaller groups in classrooms with no more than 12 students, desks with writable surfaces, and expansive wall space intended to be layered with student work and their art on display.

“To me, it’s a blank canvas,” Hodge said afterward. “Walking through the space and showing that blank canvas helps imagine a piece of art in the making. I can’t wait for students to then come in and have teachers make the space their own.”

Hodge identified another question for her team: How do you “define” or tell the story of dyslexia? How do you celebrate the amazing talents and strengths of students in addition to their classroom learning?

One thing is certain, she concluded: “Every kid deserves to be confident.”

***

 Families interested in learning more can visit the Roberts Academy website at www.elon.edu/robertsacademy.

Tracy Roof, who retired from Guilford County Schools in 2025, said she’s excited about her new opportunity to help start North Carolina’s first university-based, all-day private elementary school for children with dyslexia.

The Roberts Academy at ������Ƶ will use the multisensory Orton-Gillingham approach to reading instruction once it launches in August to third- and fourth-grade students in a temporary location on West Trollinger Avenue.

The academy will expand to grades 1-6 when a new building opens for the 2028-2029 academic year on East Haggard Avenue near the university’s Danieley Neighborhood. Each classroom will be capped at 12 students.

“The Roberts Academy model offers a meaningful opportunity to help students with dyslexia become confident, capable readers so they can truly thrive in school,” Roof said. “I’m excited to welcome our first students and families, build our inaugural classes and establish strong systems that will support both teaching and learning from day one.”

“The Roberts Academy model offers a meaningful opportunity to help students with dyslexia become confident, capable readers so they can truly thrive in school.”

– Tracy Roof, director of business and school operations, Roberts Academy at ������Ƶ

Roof joins Assistant Professor Alicia Tate, acting director of the Roberts Academy at ������Ƶ, as a founding administrator at the school.

“Tracy’s career achievements and her experience working closely with students with a variety of needs made her an ideal candidate for this position,” Tate said. “Having her on the Roberts Academy team will ensure early success for a school with such promise for so many children and their families.”

Over the past 15 years, Roof has served in school leadership roles as both an assistant principal and principal at the elementary and middle school levels, leading efforts to improve student outcomes and overall school performance. Earlier in her career, she spent 12 years teaching math, science, and social studies, followed by six years as a curriculum facilitator, where she supported instructional improvement and teacher development.

Throughout her career, Roof has worked closely with students and families to develop effective Individualized Education Plans, helping ensure each child receives the support needed to succeed.

Beyond her professional roles, Roof has been an active community volunteer supporting individuals with special needs and disabilities.

Her involvement includes supporting the launch of  that employs individuals with special needs, as well as volunteering with Night to Shine, an inclusive prom experience, and the Special Olympics.

Established in 2025 through a gift from philanthropists Hal and Marjorie Roberts of Lakeland, Florida, the Roberts Academy at ������Ƶ will be the fourth in a series of successful university-based private elementary schools the couple established at Vanderbilt University, Mercer University and Florida Southern College.

Families interested in learning more can visit the Roberts Academy website at www.elon.edu/robertsacademy.

A proven approach to teaching children with dyslexia how to read – and how that approach will be the guiding philosophy at a new grade school set to open this fall at ������Ƶ – was the focus on a recent news report by FOX 8 WGHP broadcast across North Carolina’s Piedmont Triad.

Anchor and reporter Madison Forsey spoke with administrative leaders behind the Roberts Academy at ������Ƶ, which will be the only university-based school of its kind in North Carolina when it opens in August for third- and fourth-graders.

The school will open in a temporary location on West Trollinger Avenue in the Town of ������Ƶ while a new elementary school rises across campus with an expected open date of Fall 2028. Once open, the school will enroll up to 200 students in the first through sixth grades.

That report, features an extended interview with Lisa LeBlanc, whose adult son has dyslexia. LeBlanc has been an advocate for Roberts Academy at ������Ƶ.

“If there would have been an opportunity like the Roberts Academy at ������Ƶ for my son when he was in second, third, fourth grade,” she said, “I would’ve crawled on broken glass for him to be there.”

Applications are now being accepted for rising third- and fourth-graders whose families wish to be a part of the charter cohort to attend Roberts Academy at ������Ƶ. 

Led by Assistant Professor and Acting Director Alicia Tate and Ann Bullock, dean of ������Ƶ’s Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education, the online “Exploring Dyslexia” session on Jan. 27, 2026, offered a glimpse of the approach planned for the Roberts Academy at ������Ƶ, the state’s first university-based private school exclusively for children with dyslexia and related conditions.

Roberts Academy will use the Orton-Gillingham approach, an evidence-based method that emphasizes multisensory instruction — engaging sight, sound, touch and movement — to help students build stronger neural connections for reading and language development.

The academy will initially serve students in grades three and four starting in the fall at a temporary campus location. It will expand to grades one through six once a new school opens on East Haggard Avenue in time for the 2028-29 school year.

Leaders said the goal is for students to leave Roberts Academy after two or three years equipped with academic skills and the confidence to succeed when they return to traditional school settings.

The application process for the Roberts Academy at ������Ƶ’s charter class of third and fourth graders is now open.

“What we’re doing is trying to engage more than one sense at a time to strengthen learning,” Tate told attendees. “The Orton-Gillingham approach is not just a helpful strategy. It’s essential.”

The Orton-Gillingham approach is not just a helpful strategy. It’s essential.

– Assistant Professor and Acting Director Alicia S. Tate

Rather than relying heavily on traditional practices such as silent reading or copying from a board, instruction at Roberts Academy will be immersive throughout the day, Tate and Bullock told attendees. Lessons may include students tracing letters in sand, spelling words in the air, tapping syllables on their arms or using movement and rhythm to reinforce phonics and spelling patterns.

That multisensory approach extends across subjects. In mathematics, students will use manipulatives while explaining their thinking aloud or drawing number lines to solve problems. Science lessons will emphasize observing, recording and discussing results simultaneously while using diagrams and physical models.

In social studies, timelines, maps and visuals will be paired with discussion, role-play and simulations. Writing instruction will include planning ideas orally and using visual organizers during drafting.

Class sizes will be capped at 12 students, allowing for individualized instruction and small groups for literacy support. Students will follow North Carolina’s Standard Course of Study and participate in a full elementary experience that includes art, music, physical education and clubs, along with expanded recess time and opportunities to use ������Ƶ’s campus as an extension of the classroom.

Bullock said the academy’s mission extends beyond academics. “A lot of times, children with dyslexia feel defeated,” she said. “We want to boost their confidence and for them to know they’re capable of learning.”