The Relay Report July 2025

A note from Relay’s Interim President

Summer is a season of both restoration and recommitment. As educators step back to reflect, recharge, and prepare for the year ahead. It’s also time to ask: What kind of conditions are we creating for growth—our students, our teachers, and ourselves?

This edition of the newsletter centers on that very question.

At Henderson Collegiate in North Carolina, we learn how a shift toward real-time student thinking transformed instructional practice across a rural college-preparatory public school. We also follow Principal Tihesha Henderson in Indianapolis, whose bold investment in teacher wellness sparked a culture shift at Sankofa School of Success. If you’re thinking about how to support your own team this summer, we offer a practical guide to teacher wellness for school leaders.

We continue to highlight the people who fuel this work. In this month’s Employee Spotlight, meet Antwan Allen, a former principal and Harlem native whose journey from student to professor reflects Relay’s mission in motion. In our Alumni Spotlight, we feature Tameka Wingo, another inspiring example of an educator's commitment to continuously supporting students.

Finally, we’re thrilled to share an important milestone: Relay and Teaching Lab are joining forces. Together, we’re building a unified organization with a shared mission: to dramatically improve teaching and learning across the country. With Dr. Sarah Johnson (who joins from Teaching Lab and will lead the combined organization after the integration), we look forward to a future of expanded impact, innovation, and growth.

This moment in the year invites us to look inward and ahead. We hope these stories inspire you to do both—with clarity and care.

Dr. Mayme Hostetter, President

Jessica Smith, Interim President

Putting Teacher Wellness at the Core

Check out this month’s Follow the Leader piece featuring Tihesha Henderson, Principal of Sankofa School of Success in Indianapolis.

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Learn how Principal Henderson made teacher wellness a cornerstone of her leadership to combat burnout and turnover. By building practical systems of care, including a "Zen room," weekly early release, and flexible deadlines, she nurtured a deeply supportive environment. This strategic investment in her team's well-being led directly to increased staff satisfaction, a stronger sense of belonging, better retention and a significantly improved school climate where educators could thrive.

Read the Full Story

"Relay’s Leadership Programs are an excellent way to develop and sharpen your leadership skills. The various offerings encourage continuous learning in areas that help to improve your practice as a leader and implement in real time within your school or organization.”

Lakeesha Ramdhanie

Principal, KIPP Metro Atlanta Schools

Accelerating Student Mastery with Real-Time Teaching and Bold Leadership

Henderson Collegiate, a rural college-preparatory public school in North Carolina, partnered with Relay to deepen student learning through real-time instructional adjustments. By shifting coaching practices to focus on student evidence, aligning planning around key learning goals, and implementing a culture of feedback, the network saw greater clarity and responsiveness in teaching. Early results point to stronger student mastery and deeper understanding across classrooms.

Read the Case Study

Alumni Spotlight: Starr Winburn

Starr Winburn didn’t plan on teaching high school—but the classroom called, and she answered with heart. As a Social Studies Learning Specialist at Rowe-Clark Math & Science Academy in Chicago, Starr leads with empathy, structure, and a deep commitment to her students' growth. Inspired by her mother’s career in education and shaped by her time at Relay, Starr embraces teaching as a human-centered craft.

Meet Starr Winburn

Supporting Teacher Wellness: A Summer Guide for School Leaders

Summer is a time for school leaders to reflect and recharge, and it’s also a key moment to invest in the wellbeing of your team. As teachers take their much-needed break, a little encouragement and thoughtful connection goes a long way in helping them return energized.

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Explore simple yet powerful ways to support teacher wellness during the summer months.

Check Out These Tips

Supporting Teacher Wellness: A Summer Guide for School Leaders

Employee Spotlight: Antwan Allen

In this month’s Employee Spotlight, learn how Antwan’s passion for teaching led him from the Harlem school he once attended to becoming a professor, curriculum designer, and mentor at Relay. A former principal and one of the key architects of Relay’s practice-and feedback-based 2.0 curriculum, Antwan shares what drives his work and why diversifying the teacher workforce is a mission he leads with heart.

The Relay® Report