Lane Switch Podcast

I sat down and spoke with Lydia Davidoff who discusses her time as a Bilingual educator before moving into a Literacy Coach role within the district.

She explains how a district reorganization was a major impact on her deciding to leave.

Lydia discusses the EdTech industry and what led her into her new role as a Bilingual Professional Learning Specialist with Imagine Learning.

I sat down and spoke with Lauren Rowland who discuss her 10-year journey in the classroom all over the United States before finally leaving.

She explains how she focused on the curriculum companies she used and trusted while using the product within the classroom to help her job search.

Lauren was able to pivot into a Curriculum Specialist role with Savvas Learning for a few years as a great learning experience in her first corporate role outside the classroom. She is now an Implementation Coach with Imagine Learning.

I sat down and spoke with Dr. Amanda Mudlock who discusses her unique journey from being a radio broadcast host to then moving down south to teach in Florida for over 10-years before pivoting.

We talk about how she wanted more of a leadership role, which helped her become Administrator within the county while earning multiple degrees. Work-life balance and providing an income were huge drivers in Amanda looking at new roles outside of education.

She left the classroom and became a senior specialist for Savvas Learning Company, where she now has been with them over 10+ years and is their National Strategy Manager for Professional Learning.

I sat down and spoke with Jeff Pelzel, a former successful Superintendent in California, about why he decided to step into a new role outside the classroom walls.

Jeff helped launched a rollout for an instructional framework and Professional Learning Communities at 40 schools during his time when he was a Director of Professional Learning. His background in classroom teaching and coaching helped shaped the policies to provide best practices and resources for his teachers.

He had a vision to help/assist more students which led him in stepping away from his Superintendent role.

Jeff is now a Senior Director, Education Leadership Strategy for PowerSchool.

I sat down and spoke with Amanda Jenkins who discusses teaching in her hometown city for a low-income school for over 9-years before moving to a fully remote teaching role.

She had a passion for using technology in her classroom which helped propel her to search for a career she could use that skillset.

She landed as a professional development specialist role before working her way up to a Product Manager role with Imagine Learning.

I sat down with Erin Smilkstein who discusses her unique journey from classroom educator to business-owner, to now, a Sr. Manager for an EdTech company.

We discuss reasons why she left the classroom and how her current company has provided for her both personally and professionally. She even highlights some of the transferrable skills teachers dominate in new industries.

She is currently a Sr. Manager at PowerSchool.

I sat down and spoke with Cassandra Barreda who has over 8-years of experience within Talent Acquisition, hiring, and recruitment across various industries.

Cassandra highlights what makes a good candidate, how to standout in a competitive market, and other ways for transitioning teachers to find new roles outside of teaching.

In this episode, I sat down with Carly Cant, who discusses her journey teaching in Canada and then Australia.

We dive into the qualified skillsets that teachers possess, why she always looks to interview teachers, and how she got into what she's doing now.

Carly currently is a Director of Talent Acquisition of Palm Paradise Realty Group.

I sat down and spoke with Mark Picardo, who has over 11-years of education experience both as a teacher and administrator. Passionate about science education and student growth, he transitioned into educational leadership and professional development to support teachers across North Carolina.

Today, he serves as a Science Education Leader for Stile Education and recently stepped into a new role as a Sales Manager for Curriculum Associates, where he continues helping schools, educators, and students succeed on a larger scale.

In this episode, we discuss transferable leadership skills, educational impact beyond the classroom, and how former educators can thrive in education-focused corporate roles.

Sarah Blank grew up surrounded by education. With a mother who was an educator, teaching always felt like her calling. She was even offered a second-grade position during student teaching, stepping into the classroom before graduating college.

Sarah spent 10 years in education; four years in second grade and nearly six years teaching fourth-grade math. Over time, she began to see how leadership and administrative decisions directly impacted teacher growth, morale, and classroom effectiveness. The disconnect between district expectations and the realities of teaching, especially balancing in-person Special Education students with asynchronous learners, ultimately led her to reconsider her path.

Taking a leap of faith, Sarah left the classroom and moved to a new state in search of new opportunities. Today, she works as a Training Specialist for Deutsche Windtechnik, a global wind turbine manufacturing company.

In this episode, Sarah shares honest insights about leadership, burnout, risk-taking, and advice for teachers still deciding whether to stay or leave the classroom.