Relay Graduate School of Education

🎓 The countdown to commencement is on!

We’re excited to celebrate the remarkable achievements of the Relay’s Class of 2026 and welcome our commencement keynote speaker, Shavar Jeffries, CEO of the KIPP Foundation.

Join us as we honor the educators and leaders who are transforming schools and creating brighter futures for students across the country.

📅 Commencement Ceremony: Saturday, June 27, 2026, at 1:00 PM ET

Make the celebration even more meaningful by visiting our Commencement Engagement Hub to:
✨ Share congratulatory messages
📸 Submit photos
🎉 Celebrate graduates on social media
💙 Connect with the Relay community

Explore the Commencement Hub: https://244241177.hs-sites-na2.com/commencement-2026
We can't wait to celebrate with you. Be sure to share your photos and messages using

🎓 Commencement 2026 is almost here!

As we prepare to celebrate the Relay Class of 2026 on June 27th, we've created a dedicated Commencement hub with everything graduates, families, friends, and supporters need leading up to the big day.

Visit the Commencement page to:

✨ Leave a message on the Celebration Wall

✨ Download commencement social media assets

✨ RSVP to watch the ceremony

✨ Get important updates and reminders

Graduates: We want to celebrate with you! Share your journey, your accomplishments, and your commencement excitement using the hashtags below and be sure to tag for a chance to be featured on our channels.

🔗 Visit the Commencement 2026 page: https://244241177.hs-sites-na2.com/commencement-2026

📍 Headed to New Orleans for the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools Conference?

Relay is excited to join educators, school leaders, and charter network teams from across the country at the 2026 National Charter Schools Conference, taking place June 24–26 in New Orleans. The conference brings together leaders to share ideas, build connections, and explore what's next for teaching and learning.

If you're attending, stop by our table (Booth #960), connect with our fantastic team, and learn how Relay partners with schools, districts, and charter networks to strengthen teacher preparation, develop instructional leaders, and support educator growth at every stage of the career continuum.

Whether you're thinking about teacher pipelines, leadership development, instructional coaching, or system-wide educator support, we'd love to connect.

Research on how students learn should not live on the sidelines of educator preparation.

The latest edition of The Science of Learning from Deans for Impact (DFI) offers a powerful reminder that learning science isn't just academic knowledge—it's practical knowledge that can help educators make stronger instructional decisions every day.

Many of these ideas surfaced recently in a conversation with Relay President and CEO Dr. Sarah J. Johnson about preparing educators for today's classrooms. The challenge isn't simply helping educators understand the research. It's creating opportunities to apply that knowledge through practice, feedback, reflection, and continuous improvement.

That's a core belief at Relay. Effective educator preparation sits at the intersection of research and practice, helping teachers and leaders connect what we know about learning with what students experience every day in classrooms.

We're grateful to Deans for Impact for continuing to advance this important conversation and encourage educators, preparation providers, and system leaders to explore the report.

Read more below: https://www.deansforimpact.org/tools-and-resources/the-science-of-learning

The Science of Learning | Deans for Impact (DFI) Cognitive science research on student learning, applied to teaching practices.

Last week, we shared insights from the REACH report (https://www.itsallsystemsgo.org/reach), which highlights a critical lesson for districts: curriculum alone does not drive student outcomes. Sustained improvement happens when strong instructional materials are paired with the systems, leadership, and educator development needed to bring them to life.

So what does that look like in practice?

At Henderson Collegiate, one of North Carolina's top-performing schools, instructional excellence is supported by a deliberate investment in educator development. Leaders across the organization—including school and network leaders—are alumni of Relay's Leverage Leadership Institute, creating a shared approach to coaching, leadership, and continuous improvement.

The result is more than strong performance. It's a system where leaders and teachers are equipped to use evidence of student learning, strengthen instructional practice, and sustain excellence over time.

The REACH report asks what it takes to build and maintain instructional consistency. Henderson Collegiate offers one example of what that work can look like in action.

Read more about the partnership and lessons learned: https://www.relay.edu/leaders/re-focused-on-learning-leading-a-shift-in-teacher-coaching-to-deepen-student-understanding

(Re)Focused on Learning: Leading a Shift in Teacher Coaching to Deepen Student Understanding | Relay.edu his profile is part of the Follow the Leaders project, an ongoing series from Relay Graduate School of Education and funded by the Barr Foundation to share insights and inspiration on leading for equity, wellness, and achievement.

Graduation season is here, and for many educators, this time of year is a powerful reminder of why the work matters.

Every lesson, encouraging conversation, extra hour of support, and moment spent helping students believe in themselves adds up over time. By the time students walk across that graduation stage, they carry pieces of every educator who helped guide them there.

Teachers may not always see the full impact they have in the moment, but graduation season offers a glimpse into just how meaningful that influence can be.

To all the educators celebrating students this month: thank you for the care, patience, leadership, and encouragement you bring into your classrooms every day. Your work changes lives in ways that last far beyond graduation. 🎓

🎓 Save the Date 🎓

On June 27, we'll come together to celebrate the achievements, growth, and impact of Relay's graduating class.

This year's commencement will honor educators who have dedicated themselves to strengthening their practice, serving their communities, and creating brighter futures for students.

We can't wait to celebrate this incredible milestone with our graduates, their families, colleagues, and supporters.

More details coming soon. For now, mark your calendars for June 27.

🎉 Please join us in welcoming the 2026–27 Leverage Leadership Institute Fellows!

This year's cohort brings together exceptional school and system leaders from across the country who share a common commitment: building the conditions for excellent teaching and stronger outcomes for students.

Over the coming year, these leaders will engage in rigorous learning, collaborative problem-solving, and practice-based leadership development designed to strengthen their ability to coach educators, develop teams, and drive instructional excellence at scale.

What makes the Leverage Leadership Institute so special isn't just the learning—it's the community. Fellows join a national network of leaders who challenge one another, share openly, and remain connected long after the program ends.

To our newest fellows: we're thrilled to welcome you to this incredible cohort and can't wait to see what you'll accomplish together.

And to our Leverage Leadership Institute alumni: help us welcome the newest members of the community! Share your advice, favorite memories, or words of encouragement in the comments below. 👇