Bob Braun, veteran journalist, reports on his blog that Newark Superintendent Cami Anderson has decided that teachers can earn bonuses only by registering at Relay (GSE), a school created by charter teachers for charter teachers.
Relay claims to be a “graduate school of education” but it has no one on its faculty with a doctorate, no researchers, no expectations that students will take courses in child development, cognitive psychology, the history and politics of education, the sociology of education, and will never need to interact with a recognized scholar. Students will learn about how to raise test scores and other secrets of teachers in no-excuses charter schools.
Braun writes:
New Jersey universities and colleges that offer graduate education programs are the next targets of what Gov. Chris Christie and Newark schools superintendent Cami Anderson call educational “reform.” But what they are doing to block Newark teachers from earning credits at these traditional institutions looks–and smells–like insiders using their power to help old friends make money in the good old Christie ExxonMobil sort of way.
According to the Newark Teachers Union (NTU), Anderson–at least for the moment– is insisting that stipends to teachers for taking graduate education programs be limited to those attending courses at an institution known as Relay-GSE, a free-standing operation with roots in Teach for America and the KIPP schools. Relay-GSE announced Anderson’s “approval” of the school in a press release March 3.
Anderson was, of course, an executive with Teach for America–and the KIPP charter people who operate TEAM Academy charter schools are such good friends with Anderson that she sold them a public school at a discount….
It is headquartered–and accredited and licensed–in New York. It is not listed in New Jersey’s official list of colleges and universities offering teacher education programs but, of course, any student can attend an out-of-state school. In any event, Relay-GSE now lists a Newark branch at 10 Washington Place which just happens to be the location of North Star Academy and the Newark Charter School Fund.
Cozy.
This is how the Newark campus of Relay-GSE describes itself:
“Relay Newark is the graduate school for teachers who want to close opportunity gaps and fight for social justice. By combining in-person practice, performance-based assessments and rich online learning, we help teachers become more effective for their students in some of New Jersey’s most challenging urban areas.”
This suggests that any teacher who would rather take graduate education courses at Rutgers, Seton Hall, Montclair State, Kean, or any of the other established schools of education is not a fighter “for social justice” and therefore does not deserve to be subsidized.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Look for clones, aided by billionaires, and not just invading graduate course-work in teacher education. The question is whether any of the other institutions you name saw this coming.
Notice that there is a new pitch… not closing the achievement gap, but closing the “opportunity” gap in tandem with framing all other graduate programs as if unconcerned with social justice.
This is a blatant steering of tax funds to a preferred provider and with a conflict of interest that seems to be easy to document. But then, maybe there are never conflicts of interest with Governor Christie and with charters.
Check this out: http://www.deansforimpact.org
Relay is one of the schools listed here. Does anyone know about this organization- Deans for Impact? It sure seems like astroturf.
“Benjamin Riley is the founder of Deans for Impact. He previously worked as the policy director for a national education nonprofit organization and as a deputy attorney general for the State of California, working primarily on education-related policy issues.”
Here’s that unnamed “national education nonprofit organization”:
http://www.newschools.org/blog/author/benjamin-riley
The newest prototype for this type of graduate student/teacher is featured today on NBC.com http://www.nbcnews.com/watch/now-this-news/meet-a-frighteningly-human-robot-430977603666
I am all for a variety of professional development providers but to grant a MASTER’s DEGREE for what amounts to a seminar in classroom control debases the post secondary educational world.
Another “bold reform” from CHRIS CHRISTIE and his BRAODIE lap doggies (Chris Cerf, Peyer Schulman) in the NEw Jersey Department of Efucation
Do not forget lapdog Anderson.
Debasing education from P-20.
Just when one thinks that education cannot be debased further, along comes things like this. God help us.
Tres bizarre.
Unbelievable.
This awful Relay program is coming to Tennessee. Some rich, white donors (Pitt Hyde, Bill Gates, and other anonymous people who won’t disclose their names) are secretly pushing this through at the University of Memphis, which is a public university that already has a strong college of education program. The UofM doesn’t need a 2nd teacher college on campus competing with it, it will kill the current program, especially with the promise of a free masster’s degree through Relay for only a few years of “teaching” in poor inner-city charter schools. The University of Memphis has a new President who many think was appointed specifically to bring this Relay program there. In a rare public meeting, when asked for proof that Relay works, President Rudd said this Relay program is an “experiment.” He said this Relay program will be a pipeline of teachers for the ASD and charter schools in Memphis. Experimenting on poor children is wrong. Those poor children deserve real teachers.
Yeah, Relay just visited our department yesterday. They admit, they are experimenting. Whenever you confront them with something outrageous (like with their experiment with kids), they just look at you with clear eyes as if not understanding the problem, as if saying “what’s the big deal? We have an emergency situation in this country, and we are willing to deal with it—unlike other people”.
Right now they are pushing for secondary certification, and somehow they can certify undergrads from Sept 1. They claim to play nice, they respect everybody (including the ed department), they want good for all: educators, little black kids, all humanitiy.
I see that their message of “we are helping poor kids to do better” is powerful. People suck it up. They heard the horror stories in Frayser, and anybody who is willing to teach there deserves our support. The message triggers the “support our troops no matter what” reaction in most people.
Here’s one of the things when I mention, reformers just slide over it: I don’t know of any other job training where the trainees are trained in the most difficult environment and are immediately put into the most challenging job environment. But this is exactly what Relay, TFA, TNTP are all selling: “our teachers are trained in the most difficult environment, and hence they will perform well”.
My real fear is that charter schools will be allowed to get preschools. And then what? Will we than have “No excuses” preschools?
Will there be Relay trained individuals who have not studied child development and who will make sure that all three and four year olds walk to their seats with their hands behind their backs and stand at attention until a bell rings so that they can then sit down to eat lunch? I have seen it in Kindergarten and have no illusions that it will not happen in preschools. Will preschoolers be trained to wave their hands, stomp their feet or perform some other hand signal in unison to let another child know they approve of his or her correct answer?
We could take a lesson from Japan in appropriate environments for young children:
http://www.upworthy.com/a-new-kind-of-kindergarten-design-encourages-kids-to-be-their-silly-selves?g=2&c=tkp1
Can some one tell me why parents keep choosing charters?
Argy,
I can tell you why parents choose charters: marketing. Promises and propaganda. Why do people buy inferior products? Marketing.