- What is an “instructional role”? Who are Relay’s partners?
- What is placement?
- How do I share with Relay the role in which I’ve secured placement for the 2021-22 school year?
What is an “instructional role”? Who are Relay’s partners?
An instructional role is a role within a school teaching PK-12 students, including but not limited to lead teacher, teacher of record, or teacher-in-residence.
To enroll at Relay, all prospective students must secure a program-aligned position or “instructional role” with one of Relay’s partners. Depending on the partner, you may or may not know the details of the specific school at which you will be teaching at the time of your application. You must secure this role prior to completing the Relay admissions process. Relay collaborates with several educational organizations across the country. These include, but are not limited to:
- School Partners (e.g. Intrepid College Prep, Ashe Charter School)
- Public Charter School Networks (e.g. KIPP Houston Public Schools, Uplift Education)
- Public School Districts (e.g. Atlanta Public Schools, San Antonio Independent School District)
- Teacher Recruitment Organizations (e.g. Teach For America, New York City Teaching Fellows)
*Please note: If you are a member of a Teacher Recruitment Organization, you may move forward in the admissions process prior to knowing your specific school placement.
What is placement?
Securing a full-time position or “instructional role” that is aligned with your Relay program of choice is referred to as “placement”. Engaging in a placement process is an opportunity for you to meet and interview with our school partners, school leaders, and hiring managers. Relay provides varying levels of support to you during your placement process. Remember, you must secure a job placement with our partner schools or apply to Relay through a teaching recruitment organization in order to enroll in Relay.
*Please note: If you are applying to Relay through a Teacher Preparation program like Teach for America, or New York City Fellows or have already been hired through a School District, the placement process does not apply to you.
If you are seeking placement, you should be prepared to (1) interview promptly after hearing from a partner (2) implement feedback given by the interviewer on the spot, and (3) present yourself as if you are already a teacher.
There are two different ways you can secure a teaching placement. If you are seeking placement in the state of Texas, you are eligible to receive Direct Placement support. If you are seeking placement outside the state of Texas, you will pursue Self Placement. Whether you are participating in Direct Placement or Self Placement, we highly encourage you to use all resources provided, including reading this Placement Guide thoroughly and seeking additional support as needed.
PLACEMENTS
Prospective Student in Texas
Direct Placement is available to all prospective students in the state of Texas seeking job placement. The Relay Prospective Advising team will guide you through a set of placement support activities, including polishing resumes and participating in a mock interview in order to receive a direct connection to school partners. In the 2020-2021 school year, the Prospective Student Advising team is providing direct placement support to prospective students seeking to enroll in teacher programs, such as the Master’s of Arts in Teaching, Alternative Certification, and Residency, in Texas. These students are expected to start teaching in the summer of 2021.
Texas School Partner Placement
In order to be connected to local school partners who are currently hiring, prospective students seeking placement in Texas will be required to:
- Sign up for and participate in a mock interview with a member of the Prospective Student Advising team, using this worksheet to prepare.
- Ensure their resume is up-to-date and polished using this resume resource if requested by a Prospective Student Advisor. You will be notified whether or not your resume will need to be resubmitted.
Prospective students in Texas who complete these activities will have an opportunity to interview with and be hired by our school partners before completing the admissions process. See our Prospective Student website for answers to frequently asked questions about the Placement Support process.
Prospective Students in Delaware, Indianapolis, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Washington, DC
Self Placement is available to all prospective students outside the state of Texas. Prospective students are expected to secure a position with a partner school on their own before completing the enrollment process. In order to support all prospective students, we have created universal resources found on the Prospective Student Website. If you are seeking self-placement you should:
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- Apply directly to our school partners. We recommend applying to as many as possible schools to increase the likelihood of securing a placement. This process may include an online application, resume (recommended structure), cover letter (recommended language), and/or other materials. Visit the Relay website to review the school partners for your campus.
- Participate in the school partner’s interviewing process. As noted above, this is likely virtual but could be in person.
- Accept your offer from the school partner. If you have questions about your offer or have received multiple offers, please reach out to the Prospective Student Advising team at support@relay.edu.
- Continue with the Relay admissions process. You will find your specific admissions requirements on your application status page.
While Relay will not be directly coaching candidates in the Self Placement process, we will provide guidance, best practices, and tips. We encourage prospective students to be forthcoming and transparent with any questions or concerns they may have during the process.
The Prospective Student Advising team has created a suite of resources to help all prospective students seeking job placement. These resources include a resume resource and interview tips workshop. If you have any additional questions or need support in finding a Relay partner, please email support@relay.edu.
How do I share with Relay the role in which I’ve secured placement for the 2021-22 school year?
All prospective students will enter their school placement information on the Program & Instructional Role form that populated to their Admissions Checklist on their Status Page. This information, including school, grade level, and subject area, will help determine the aligned Relay major and certification area. At a minimum, you will need to provide Relay with the district or network information of your school affiliation, and you may be also asked to provide the specific details about the specific school at which you will be teaching. Please refer to the guidance text on the Program & Instructional Role form as it will inform you if more information is required before you submit it.
If you are a prospective student receiving placement support in Texas, the school partner will let us know once you are hired and you’ll continue on with the admissions process.
If you were receiving placement support in Texas, but secure a role with a Relay partner outside the placement support process, please contact the Prospective Student Advising team immediately by emailing support@relay.edu. We will then make sure to remove you from the partner database and allow you to move forward with the admissions process.