A Year of Growth and Change

We’re now well into a school year unlike any other. At Relay, we are proud to be supporting 3,700 current and aspiring teachers and 1,200 leaders across the country. Together with our 8,000 alumni, we see how educators are keeping learning alive for kids each and every day. Their heroic acts are making a profound difference in the lives of so many at such a challenging time.

And, the need for more great, diverse, and passionate teachers is more acute than ever. It is difficult to imagine a harder time to enter the profession. At Relay, we are privileged to work with those who are choosing to become teachers in 2020, when that might not look anything like what they had imagined. Likewise, our leaders are navigating these same complex realities as they find new ways to create safe, welcoming learning environments for teachers and students.

What does this mean for Relay’s work? How can we best support educators in this moment?

Relay has always been an institution focused on learning and growth. This summer, we began the work of revising our core purpose, mission, and values with working drafts to better reflect Relay in 2020 and beyond. We’ve continued the curricular revisions we began two years ago to incorporate the most recent research and best practices around culturally-responsive teaching and subject-matter knowledge. We’ve also conducted an audit of our video library to remove videos that do not reflect the practices we truly believe to be best for all children. These are some examples of the work we’ve begun -- and, we know there is much more work to be done.

This is a time of unprecedented challenges. It’s also a time for Relay to embrace our values, to innovate and grow to best meet the needs of educators -- not just in this moment, but for years to come.

And, in the spirit of thinking about the future, remember to take time to vote in the coming weeks. Whether you’re able to vote in person or this is the first time you’ll be mailing in your ballot, voting is an important action that impacts all of our lives. Your vote is your voice and your voice needs to be heard.

Thank you for the hard work you’re doing every day.

Mayme
President, Relay Graduate School of Education

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