Prospective teachers may participate in Relay’s degree and certification/licensure programs through the Relay Teaching Residency or New York Relay Teacher Pathway, which offers structured support for aspiring teachers. Not only will students learn from seasoned professionals as they complete their graduate degree coursework, but they will also earn a teaching certification/licensure and have an apprentice year where they will get hands-on classroom experience. This gradual on-ramp toward teaching and managing a classroom will give them the knowledge, skills, and confidence they need to excel as a teacher of record. The Relay Teaching Residency and NY Relay Teacher Pathway are offered through partnerships with select partner schools, districts, and networks. Coursework and clinical experiences for students in the Residency or NY Teacher Pathway will differ in some respects from coursework and clinical experiences for students not participating in these programs.
Relay students enrolled in the Relay Teaching Residency or NY Teacher Pathway will have Gateway assessments, which serve as checkpoints to identify and communicate whether they are on track to becoming full-time teachers and identify areas in which they may need additional support. Residents and NY Teacher Pathway students receive feedback from Relay faculty and their school-based mentors on Gateway rubrics, with Relay faculty determining the final score. If a Resident or NY Teacher Pathway student does not yet show the foundational knowledge, skills, and mindsets to be on track to becoming a full-time teacher via a Gateway, they will have the opportunity to receive additional coaching and support and then resubmit the Gateway. Residents or NY Teacher Pathway students who do not meet this foundational bar multiple times, therefore demonstrating they are not ready to take on further instructional responsibilities and move on with their cohort, may be dismissed from the Relay Teaching Residency or NY Teacher Pathway program.
Residents and NY Teacher Pathway students must secure a lead teaching/teacher of record position by the summer census date immediately preceding the second fall term in order to continue in the Residency or NY Teacher Pathway program. In some states, students’ lead teaching experience in the second year of the program counts as their qualifying clinical experience for educator preparation program completion, and students must ensure that their teaching positions are aligned with their certification/endorsement areas and meet state- and/or program-specific requirements for qualifying clinical experiences.