Norman Atkins, Education Reformer, Founder of Relay Graduate School of Education, Uncommon Schools, and One of the Winners of the 23rd Heinz Awards Honorees

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One of the trappings that our administrators at the Hola Dual Language School in Hoboken, NJ have been receiving over the past few years has been this program by the Relay Graduate School of Education. Both the program and its founder have received national recognition recently. Here is a story many might find interesting concerning Norman Atkins and his recognition as a recipient of the 2018 Heinz Award. -Dr. Petrosino 

Established by Teresa Heinz to honor the memory of her late husband, U.S. Senator John Heinz, the Heinz Awards celebrates his accomplishments and spirit by recognizing the extraordinary achievements of individuals in the areas of greatest importance to him. 

Of special note is an award given to an educational reformer: Norman Atkins, education reformer, is recognized for pioneering new education and teacher training models that are affecting dramatic, positive change in educational achievement among low-income student populations, and for co-founding the Relay Graduate School of Education, the first major redesign of teacher preparation in this country in decades.

After observing public school and small, community school classrooms in New York City in some of the city’s poorest neighborhoods with the Robin Hood Foundation, Mr. Atkins founded Uncommon Schools (Link 1, Link 2, Link 3) an organization that establishes and manages urban schools that prepare low-income children for college.

Seeing a disconnect between how education schools are preparing aspiring teachers, and what teachers need to know to be successful in the classroom, Mr. Atkins went on to co-found the Relay Graduate School of Education, a title that refers to the idea that it takes a relay of highly effective teachers to put a child on a positive academic and life trajectory.

The Relay approach differs from traditional teacher education in that it thoughtfully integrates theory and practice, immersing aspiring and early career teachers in PK-12 classrooms, and providing them with intensive feedback. Graduate students engage in teaching sessions that allow them to deliver lessons, receive guidance on how they can improve their approach, then repeat their session, applying what they have learned from faculty master teachers.

To graduate, Relay students must deliver measurable results in the classroom and prove they’ve helped their students master the year’s academic content.

This past school year, Relay trained 3,000 current and aspiring teachers and 750 school leaders nationwide. On average, the children taught by Relay students average 1.3 years of growth in reading in a single year.

At a time when enrollment in teacher preparatory programs is declining — a factor in teacher shortages nationwide — Mr. Atkins ensures that Relay is marking a 40 percent increase year-over-year in its teacher and principal training programs, and attracts a diverse teacher workforce.