Relay Announces Leadership Transition

​Hi, Friends —

I write today with wonderful news about Relay Graduate School of Education.  This summer, Dr. Mayme Hostetter – one of our nation’s very best teachers of PK-12 students and their teachers – will take the leadership baton from me as President of our institution. 

Mayme helped shape Relay from its founding a decade ago, when we began as an innovative teacher prep program serving a few dozen teachers as Teacher U at Hunter College.  With her help, first as New York City Dean and then as our National Dean, we’ve become an independent, accredited institution of higher education, reaching more than 7,500 talented, diverse, mission-driven district and charter public school teachers and leaders. We will work with 5,000 more in 18 campuses nationwide next year, two-thirds of whom are educators of color. 

Since its founding, Relay GSE launched the nation’s premier instructional leadership training program; designed the Relay Teaching Residency to be one of the biggest and best on-ramps into the world’s greatest profession; and developed certification and master’s degree programs serving teachers of all subjects, pre-K to grade 12, as well as for teachers and leaders supporting students with exceptional needs.

With our partners at Character Lab, Mayme created and continues to lead the Educator Summit each year, which emphasizes the power of teachers – with the right mindset – to help their students grow the character strengths they need to lead happy, choice-filled lives.  This work is at the core of Mayme’s own research agenda. Her leadership bridges the practical, leading edge PK-12 teacher experience and tools with a deep understanding of the latest research on the science of learning and development.  In particular, Mayme is committed to forging relationships within the higher education community, including Deans for Impact, where she serves on the board.

Mayme has a clear, exciting vision for what’s next for Relay, which she’s eager to share with you in the coming months. Under her leadership in the years ahead, I expect Relay will continue to grow, learn, and improve – always in the service of greater equity, opportunities and outcomes for all children. 

The Board has appointed Mayme to this role as of July 1, asked me to work alongside Mayme through the end of the year, and asked me to serve as Chair starting on January 1. 

In addition to this responsibility, I’ll become the CEO of Together Education, a nonprofit organization that will undertake and support several related, mission-driven initiatives.  In the coming year, I’ll focus on Relay Lab Schools, which grows out of Relay GSE, and aims to partner initially with districts to create a reliably strong, research-based instructional model and a network of schools.  It has been an incredible privilege to co-found and lead Relay over the last decade.  In my new role, I look forward to being a part of Relay’s next chapter and supporting Mayme’s leadership.

I know you’ll join me in congratulating, welcoming and supporting Dr. Mayme Hostetter as the President of Relay GSE.   

Cheers,

​

Norman

Co-Founder & President, Relay GSE

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