Beth Gafford

Beth Gafford serves as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Education at Randolph College, teaching Special Education Law, Educational Psychology and Human Development, Survey of Special Education, Curriculum and Instruction for preK-12, and Student Teaching. A Randolph College M.A.T. graduate (2015), she holds an Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) in Educational Leadership (2017).

Her educational background:

• Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) from Randolph College (2015)
• Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) in Educational Leadership (2017)

Gafford's research focuses on phonics-based reading interventions for struggling learners, analyzing phoneme-level spelling patterns to develop individualized instructional plans. Her work stems from K-12 classroom observations where she identified gaps in traditional reading assessments, particularly for students with and without diagnosed disabilities. She emphasizes practical, collaborative teaching methods that foster growth mindsets and professional relationships with students.

Prior to her faculty role, Gafford served as Assistant Principal at Appomattox County High School (2019-2020) and Special Education Coordinator at Heritage High School while teaching as a Randolph College adjunct. Her K-12 experience spans elementary, middle, secondary, and alternative education programs in Appomattox County.

Outside academia, Gafford volunteers as varsity volleyball coach at Appomattox County High School, supports her children's year-round lacrosse and gymnastics activities, and plays piano for her church youth choir alongside family deer hunting excursions.