National teacher residency program to launch in Indianapolis
INDIANAPOLIS — (April 10, 2019) — Today, the Indiana State Board of Education approved Relay Graduate School of Education, a nonprofit accredited institution of higher education, to prepare aspiring teachers for Indiana certification through its Teaching Residency program in Indianapolis. The Relay Teaching Residency is one of the largest and most diverse educator residency programs in the country. The Mind Trust, an Indianapolis-based nonprofit, has raised an initial $3.5 million to support the expansion of Relay Graduate School of Education to Indiana and the launch of the Relay Teaching Residency program in Indianapolis.
The Relay Teaching Residency caters to college graduates and career changers who are seeking a path into the teaching profession. The two-year residency program provides a gradual on-ramp into teaching. During the first year, residency participants engage in graduate coursework while working towards Indiana certification alongside a Resident Advisor. In their second year, they continue their coursework and advance to leading a classroom of their own. Graduates earn a Master of Arts in Teaching degree. Last year, about 90 percent of students who completed the residency year were hired by the same school or network and/or stayed on as staff in that same school.
“Today’s Board action enables The Mind Trust to expand the Relay program into Indiana, providing an additional opportunity for Hoosiers to transition to teaching through a solid, reputable curriculum,” said Dr. Lee Ann Kwiatkowski, executive director of the Indiana State Board of Education. “Programs such as Relay are another way Indiana is working to attract more teachers to the profession and ensure strong educational outcomes for Indiana students.”
“Indiana provides an opportunity for us to further our work helping ensure all students have a relay of high-quality, diverse teachers throughout their academic career,” says Dr. Mayme Hostetter, President of Relay Graduate School of Education. “We’re eager to partner with PK-12 schools in Indianapolis to prepare and develop even more excellent educators for kids.”
The Mind Trust identified the Relay Graduate School of Education in 2015 as an organization with unique potential to contribute to local efforts to give Indianapolis students access to high-quality, racially diverse educators at both the teacher and school leader levels. Since then, 38 Indianapolis school leaders have attended Relay’s National Principal Academy Fellowship, a program that trains and supports school leaders to lead their schools to academic excellence. Building off of this success, Relay’s Teaching Residency program will expand the pipeline of high-quality teachers, especially teachers of color, who teach in district and charter schools in Indianapolis.
“As a former school leader in Indianapolis, I understand the challenges facing our schools,” says Dr. Carlotta Cooprider, Dean of Relay Indianapolis. “Through strategic coaching, ample practice, and a curriculum built to match classroom experiences, our residents are prepared to join the most important profession in the world.”
“We are tremendously excited to welcome one of the nation’s top teacher preparation programs to Indianapolis,” says Brandon Brown, CEO of The Mind Trust. “Relay’s hands-on residency model is a critically important step toward ensuring that every school in our city has access to high-quality teachers who reflect the rich diversity of our students.”
More than two-thirds of Relay’s graduate student body self-identify as people of color. With 18 other campuses in 10 states and Washington, D.C., nearly 75 percent of Relay’s residents identify themselves as Black or Latinx. In addition, of those who have completed a Relay preparation program over the past six years, more than three-quarters remain working as teachers and teacher leaders in PK-12 classrooms. Across Relay’s teacher and leadership program graduates, nearly 90 percent continue to work in education.
Relay expects that its Indianapolis campus will enroll 20 to 30 teacher residents for its Fall 2019 cohort and expects the program will grow over time. Interested candidates can apply at relay.edu/apply.
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About Relay Graduate School of Education
The Relay Graduate School of Education is a national, accredited, nonprofit institution of higher education whose mission is to teach teachers and school leaders to develop in all students the academic skills and strength of character needed to succeed in college and life. Now serving over 3,500 teachers in 18 cities and more than 1,200 leaders nationwide, Relay is eager to bring about transformational change in educator preparation. Relay is committed to using practice and feedback to become the place where a new generation of continuously improving, results-focused individuals can fulfill their destiny in the world’s greatest profession. For more information, please visit the Relay website (www.relay.edu/indianapolis) or follow Relay on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (@RelayGSE).
About The Mind Trust
The Mind Trust is a nonprofit striving to give every Indianapolis student access to an excellent, high-quality public school. The Mind Trust does this by recruiting and empowering top talent; launching and supporting new, innovative and high-quality public schools in Indianapolis; and engaging community stakeholders in conversations about innovation in public education. Since 2006, The Mind Trust has supported the launch of 24 schools and attracted and placed more than 1400 teachers and school leaders into Indianapolis classrooms. More information can be found at themindtrust.org.