Amani Reed has joined University School of Nashville as its 11th Director and the first person of color to lead the K-12 educational institution founded as Peabody Demonstration School in 1915.
He formally assumes the 107-year-old Director’s Office at 2000 Edgehill on July 1, 2022. In a full circle moment, he comes to USN after serving as Head of The School at Columbia University and studying at Teachers College, where
Peabody Demonstration School Founder Thomas Alexander created a progressive undergraduate experience to shape future educators. Columbia blue is the surviving tie of PDS/USN to the old University of Nashville.
Reed brings to Nashville strong experience, having worked in academic and administrative roles at highly regarded independent schools across the country. During his decade at The School at Columbia University, he expanded the school’s student enrollment, recruited and supported teachers, led curricular change and innovation, managed the renovation of facilities, and stewarded its relationship with Columbia University. In his career as an educator, Reed taught history to middle and high school students, led in several administrative capacities, drove equity and justice initiatives, served on accreditation teams, worked as a facilitator at national conferences, and managed an academic enrichment program for middle school students facing limited opportunities.
He earned a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership at Teachers College, Columbia University and a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education at University of Portland.
A former Division I athlete, Reed has coached high school varsity soccer and was named Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League Coach of the Year. He also served on the board of the New York State Association of Independent Schools, the International Association of Laboratory Schools, and two independent schools in the northeast.
Originally from Portland, Oregon, Reed is married to Jules, and they share a son, Taye. The Reed family enjoys cooking and baking together as well as the arts, including music, fashion, photography, and film.