“Good morning, Roberts Academy students, teachers and staff, and how are you today on Magnificent Monday?” asks Joy Wood, head of school at Roberts Academy.
“I am extra, super grateful,” the school responds in unison.
That daily call-and-response sets the tone at Roberts Academy, where gratitude and belonging are intentionally woven into its culture.
For Wood, serving as the Academy’s founding head of school represents the culmination of those values, along with decades of preparation.
Roberts Academy at Mercer University, a transitional school for students with dyslexia, opened in 2024 and serves students in grades 2 through 6. Located two blocks from Mercer’s Macon campus, it is the state’s only school for dyslexic students outside of Metro Atlanta.
Wood began her career in Jackson, Mississippi, as a fourth-grade teacher. After moving to Atlanta, she taught at Christ the King School, where she was first introduced to students with dyslexia. When some transferred to a transitional school for students with dyslexia and later returned to her classroom, she noticed a striking difference.
“When they came back, their work ethic was strong. Their self-advocacy skills were impressive, and they could explain how they learned,” she said. “That changed how I thought about instruction and what was possible for these students.”
Her growing interest in dyslexia and structured literacy shaped the next phase of her career. After nearly a decade in the classroom, she became a curriculum director and later served as elementary school principal at Atlanta’s Wesleyan School.
Then, she transitioned to a school for dyslexic students in Marietta called GRACEPOINT School. She took over leadership as head of school in the school’s second year, where she helped strengthen its academic program and culture.
In March of 2023, Wood joined Mercer and became the Academy’s first employee as its founding head of school. From the ground up, she recruited students, hired and trained faculty and staff, developed programming, and established a school culture rooted in gratitude and community.
The impact of Wood’s work is already measurable. In its first two years, Roberts Academy has enrolled 66 students from 11 counties across Middle Georgia and beyond. By its third year, enrollment is projected to reach 100 students, prompting the build out of the school’s second floor.
Trey Lyon is the parent of a fourth grader at Roberts Academy and serves as the instructional technologist in Mercer’s Tift College of Education. He said his daughter has grown leaps and bounds under Wood’s direction.
“From our daughter’s very first day at Roberts Academy, Joy Wood was there to open the door, give her a true Mercer Bear hug, and say, ‘We are so glad you are here!’ On that day and every day since, we’ve seen Taylor and her classmates flourish under Mrs. Wood’s kindness, leadership and encouragement, teaching students that difference isn’t a hindrance — it’s the untapped source of resilience, strength and character,” Lyon said.
Wood said the most rewarding part of her work is the shared mission among faculty and staff.
“I enjoy the community in this environment because we all believe deeply in the same work,” she said.
However, that work can also be emotionally demanding since many students arrive with academic anxiety and past school trauma.
“Our students often come to us after difficult experiences,” Wood said. “Dyslexic children frequently carry a great deal of anxiety about learning. Our responsibility, in addition to teaching them how to read, is to rebuild confidence and teach self-advocacy.”
This, she said, is the most challenging part of her work.
“Because we are a transitional school, we have a limited window of time to remediate reading and also support social and emotional growth,” she said. “That is a real challenge, but it is essential for their success in middle and high school.”
Wood approaches leadership with humility and intentionality. Her advice to future women leaders is grounded in one simple directive:
“Do not be afraid to say ‘yes’ before you feel completely ready,” she said. “You will learn as you go. Strong leaders are not the smartest people in the room, but they build teams that make everyone better. Be a good listener. Be available. And once you commit to a mission, commit fully.”
Caroline Grove, the Academy’s student services administrator, said Wood’s leadership has created the school’s warm and welcoming culture.
“Joy leads with a true servant’s heart. She always places others first, stepping alongside her staff and students with genuine care and support,” Grove said. “Her selfless leadership creates a culture where every person feels valued, encouraged and supported.”
Through Wood’s leadership, Roberts Academy has become more than a school. It has become a place where students who once associated their dyslexia with failure are learning to associate it with growth, possibility and confidence.
“I’m most passionate about changing a student’s trajectory,” she said. “Watching students with dyslexia become aware of their gifts, be proud of who they are and overcome obstacles is powerful. We tell them this every day, and it’s true.”
