NATIONAL EDUCATION NONPROFITS TEACHING LAB AND RELAY GRADUATE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION ANNOUNCE PLANS TO JOIN TOGETHER 

New York, NY – National education nonprofits Teaching Lab and Relay Graduate School of Education (Relay) today announce plans to join together as one organization. This integration, pending regulatory approvals, is a proactive, strategic step taken to strengthen how both organizations invest in and support educators nationwide. As a first step, Dr. Sarah Johnson, current CEO of Teaching Lab, will become the next president and CEO of Relay on August 4, 2025. 

Relay, one of the nation’s largest independent, fully accredited nonprofit graduate schools of education, serves more than 4,000 students, teachers, and leaders across more than 250 school systems. The nonprofits will form a unified organization grounded in a shared mission: to dramatically improve teaching and learning across the country. Teaching Lab, a national organization whose mission is to fundamentally shift the paradigm of teacher professional learning in pursuit of excellent educational outcomes for every child,  serves more than 10,000 teachers each year across more than 50 school systems. 

“Bringing together Relay and Teaching Lab marks a powerful step forward at a critical moment for public education,” said Johnson. “We will create a force greater than the sum of our parts—combining our talent, infrastructure and institutional knowledge to deliver outsized impact for educators across the country. Together, we will expand and strengthen how educators are supported at every point in their career ultimately leading to better outcomes for students nationwide.”

In a rapidly evolving world, the work of Relay and Teaching Lab holds great promise for bringing innovation into the teaching profession. Teaching Lab Studio and Relay’s AI-enabled teaching simulator project both offer bold, practical AI-supported tools to transform teacher learning—and together, this work can go further, faster. By enhancing educator practice, this work will make teaching more effective, efficient, and joyful, and make teacher preparation more affordable and flexible.

“As a former teacher and school leader, I know how powerful it is for educators to have a strong foundation and ongoing opportunities for learning and growth—both inside and outside of the classroom. Combining the critical work, innovative solutions, and incredible talent of Relay and Teaching Lab is a game changer for educators across the country,” said John B. King Jr., chancellor of the State University of New York and the former U.S. Secretary of Education. “Joining these two nationally recognized organizations together means better support for educators and, most importantly, for the students they serve.” 

About Teaching Lab

Teaching Lab is a national nonprofit organization with a mission to fundamentally shift the paradigm of teacher professional learning. The organization specializes in curriculum-based professional learning, using its evidence-based “Head, Heart, and Habits” model to support instructional improvement. In partnership with educators, Teaching Lab transforms professional learning from the ground up to improve student outcomes and collaborates with school, district, and state leaders to build the instructional systems needed to sustain change. Since its founding, Teaching Lab has supported more than 200 school and district partners in 30 states.

About Relay Graduate School of Education

Relay Graduate School of Education is an accredited not-for-profit institution of higher education serving 4,000 teachers and 1,200 school leaders across the U.S. Relay offers degree programs, professional development, and unique learning experiences for teachers, principals, college students, and members of the public. For more information, visit www.relay.edu.