Lane Switch Podcast

I sat down and spoke with Ashia Barnes who was a former teacher turned principal for over 7-years before leaving the classroom. We discuss her journey from being a classroom teacher to then moving into an administration role across 2 different charter school systems. She highlights some tips and tricks teachers can take to make that leap of faith outside the classroom. Ashia now serves as an Educa...

I sat down and spoke with Robyn Lee who was a former high school physics and math turned into a STEAM Educator for over 14-years in the Northeast. She then spoke about how she outgrew that role and finally took the leap of faith and landed a new role as a Partnership Plus-Educational Consultant with an Ed-Tech company. In June of this year, Robyn launched CoLearn Collective. CoLearn Collective is...

I sat down and spoke with Amber Letters who shares her unconventional journey from an English and communications grad who started teaching in a Florida alternative school with no formal pedagogy training, she learned quickly that relationship-building is the core of effective teaching. Her story offers a candid look at the emotional toll of COVID-era teaching, the deep bonds formed by looping with...

Dani Patterson was the teacher who saw an unused SMART Board in the library and asked if she could put it in her classroom. Soon, other teachers were asking how she was using it. Her principal began involving her in professional development, and an interest in classroom technology eventually became a master's in instructional technology and a move into district-level technology leadership. Today,...

Jess and David Maldonado entered teaching together, eventually worked in the same school and department, and supported each other through the challenges of the classroom. But they also knew teaching wasn't necessarily going to be their forever career. David eventually found an opportunity training educators to use curriculum, with Jess making her own transition months later. Roughly a decade after...

Bailey Bray left the classroom early in her teaching career without corporate connections, referrals, or a guaranteed next step. She initially explored curriculum development, but something interesting happened during her job search: her transferable skills kept getting more traction in sales. Bailey took the opportunity and started as a Sales Development Representative in 2024. She later became a...

After 10 years teaching first and second grade, this former educator found her next opportunity somewhere surprisingly familiar: a company behind a math program she had already used in her classroom. That experience helped her transition into an Implementation Manager role, where she learned tools including Jira, ClassLink, Clever, and Salesforce while supporting school districts across 36 states....

I sat down and spoke with Kyle Stern who discussed how he moved from New York to North Carolina to begin his 9-year teaching career as a Social Studies and History Teacher. We discussed how the lack of state support, resources, and pay for educators was a major factor in him stepping away from the classroom. Kyle took a leap of faith into a sales role in his first job outside of education. He now...

After years as a teacher, principal, and state-level education leader, Edmund Mitzel began exploring what could come next in his career—but figuring out the right direction wasn't automatic. Instead of forcing himself to answer, “What do I want to do?” Ed started identifying what he didn't want. That process helped him recognize how professional learning, relationship building, coaching, and suppo...

I sat down and spoke with Derek Sarver who explains his 5-year teaching journey across the country. Moving to Texas helped provide him some growth and experience to explore more opportunities outside the classroom. Also highlighting the need to do what's best for yourself as an educator. He was able to pivot into a Professional Development Specialist role. Derek now finds himself as the Profession...

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 learn...

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...

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 s...

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...

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. Man...

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...

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 an...

After six years as an elementary school teacher, Erin knew she was ready to explore new opportunities outside the classroom. As a former Lane Switch Consulting client, she leveraged focused resume updates, targeted job alignment, and consistent networking to successfully translate her teaching experience into the corporate world. Erin landed a role as an Executive Administrator at a government con...

After serving 20 years in the Air Force, Maureen stepped away from military life to focus on her family. While helping in her son’s kindergarten classroom, she discovered a passion for literacy and student learning that led her back to school and into education. Maureen went on to teach for 15 years across K–12 schools in multiple states, primarily in high school science and AVID. She was named No...

After more than a decade in the classroom, Kristen knew it was time for a change. She began teaching in 2008, spending six years in middle school and four years teaching high school English. As her family grew and her husband’s schedule became more demanding, the traditional classroom no longer supported the life she wanted for her children. Kristen chose flexibility by leaving the classroom to ho...

Sam’s story is proof that you don’t need decades in the classroom to build a powerful career outside of education. After six years in education, a defining moment with limited administrative support and compassion made her realize it was time to pivot. She stepped into recruiting, learned on the fly, and climbed from Talent Acquisition to Lead Recruiter and then Talent Acquisition Manager in under...

After eight years in education, she knew something had to change. Long nights, low pay, and missed time with her son made teaching unsustainable, so she took a leap into something new. With support from a community of teachers making the same transition, she navigated the challenges, stayed patient, and built a new career that offers both flexibility and growth. Today, she’s been promoted to Enter...