Relay receives approval of teacher preparation program in Connecticut

Today, the Connecticut campus of the Relay Graduate School of Education, one of the nation’s largest and most diverse teacher residency programs, was re-approved by the State Department of Education to continue operating its alternative route certification (ARC) program for aspiring teachers in the state.

“At Relay Connecticut, we are dedicated to providing pathways for more individuals from diverse backgrounds to be excellent teachers,” said Dean of Relay Connecticut Rebecca Good. “We are grateful to the Connecticut State Department of Education for their support and for a vote that will help make the state’s commitment to increasing the number of high-quality, diverse teachers a reality.”

Relay Connecticut offers the Relay ARC program, an alternative certification program for aspiring teachers who are working full-time in a non-certified role within a school. Residents work full-time and complete their part-time coursework in the summer, evenings, weekends and online.

In addition to providing a high-quality educator preparation program, Relay is committed to prioritizing aspiring of color to become highly effective classroom teachers. Today, just 8.3 percent of Connecticut’s teachers identify as educators of color compared to 44 percent of students. In last year’s Connecticut cohort, more than 60 percent of Relay students self-identified as people of color.

Relay Connecticut received a three-year approval from the State Department of Education to continue operating its Alternative Route Certification program.

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