Find Your Teacher Career Path

Department chairs empower the teachers in the entire academic department, typically by same grade level or subject area. Serving as a leader to fellow teachers, you will: 

• Help teachers in the department establish effective teaching strategies and create new curricula. 
• Serve as a liaison between the teachers and school administration 
• Create a positive team environment to support fellow teachers 
• Host regular meetings to review current policies, upcoming assessments and curriculum

National Board Certification is the most advanced certification available for teachers. Many districts offer higher pay if you get National Board Certified!

National Board Certified teachers show skills like:

• Excellent instruction. 
• Expert classroom management.
• High-quality support for students with diverse needs.
• Strong community-building, both in the classroom and with student families. 

Mentor Teachers are accomplished educators with at least three years of teaching experience. They help early-career and student teachers learn their teaching style and develop effective teaching skills. Many school districts offer stipends to cooperating teachers. 

As a Mentor Teacher, you will: 

• Co-plan and co-teach with early-career teachers 

• Observe and provide teachers with feedback on how to improve their classroom instruction 

• Share the best teaching practices and strategies

We learn best from our peers. As a peer observer, you will support fellow teachers through classroom observation and provide them feedback on how to improve their teaching. Typically, peer observers are requested by a teacher or a school administrator. 

As a peer observer, you will: 

• Connect with your colleagues to discuss teaching goals 
• Sit in the classroom and observe your colleagues in action 
• Provide detailed and supportive feedback to help your fellow teachers grow.

A principal creates a strong and supportive school environment by building genuine connections with students, staff and families alike. Principals and assistant principals work closely together to make that happen. 

As a principal, you will: 

• Establish academic goals and clear strategies for your staff to accomplish them 
• Work closely with the school staff to build a healthy environment in the classrooms 
• Create and lead professional development plans to help teachers grow

Instructional Specialists assist teachers of a specific area of academic needs, like reading or math. 

As an instructional specialist, you will: 

• Coach fellow educators 
• Work closely with teachers to build teaching plans 
• Host skill-building workshops with teachers

Student Support Specialists are dedicated to empowering students and families in academic, social and professional development. The great thing about Student Support Specialists is that they can take on different roles based on their teaching experience and any additional training. Here are some Student Support Specialist jobs: 

• School Counselor 
• School Social Worker 
• Speech and Language Pathologist 
• School Marriage and Family Therapist

The dean of students is responsible for school culture. Deans lead by example and work with almost everyone in the school community, from teachers to counselors to nurses and parents, to create a positive atmosphere. 

Here are some of the responsibilities you can expect as a dean of students:  

• Build relationships with staff and student families to create a strong, supportive community. 
• Help staff manage classrooms in a way that supports student learning. 
• Make sure student policies are implemented fairly.
• Track data on school culture metrics.

School superintendents work closely with districts to create new initiatives and achieve major goals. They’re usually experienced educators who know how to communicate well, manage large teams and understand the big picture. 

Here are just a few of the tasks you might take on as a superintendent:

• Serve as the liaison between school district staff and the school board.
• Work with the school board to develop goals and long-term plans for the district, based on student needs.
• Communicate with the media about events or policies that affect the larger district community.
• Oversee the district’s finances, budget and spending.
• Track student achievement and implement program changes.

Chief Operations Officers play a major role in keeping schools running across multiple departments. If you have outstanding organizational skills, this position will be ideal for you. 

Chief Operational Officers generally oversee departments like: 

• Facilities & Buildings Maintenance
• Food & Nutrition Services
• Student Registration
• School Safety
• School Transportation

District coordinators work closely with students, teachers and staff from different schools. They help develop programs and services for the school district.

Based on your teaching experience and interests, you can serve a position as a: 

• College and Career Readiness Coordinator
• Counseling Coordinator
• Postsecondary Coordinator 
• Student Outreach Coordinator
• Technology Coordinator

Teachers are amazing communicators. People in the communications field are always in high demand. You can work with your district’s communications team and empower your community by: 

• Promoting the district’s mission and goals 
• Keeping district staff, families and community members up-to-date on the district’s effort

With your teacher experience, you can transition from teaching kids and teens to teaching adults at a college or university. Most professor positions require a PhD, so you have the option of working towards your advanced degree while still teaching. 

You could also apply to your school district for a sabbatical to begin your doctorate! As a college professor, you’d be able to: 

• Train new teachers in effective lesson planning, instruction and classroom management.
• Teach in your content area and create engaging lessons.
• Train administrators on how to build a strong school culture and support student achievement.

Interested in education policy? You could help research and inform decisions at the local, state or even federal level! 

Here are a few places you might work as a policy staff member:

• Your local mayor’s office
• Your county office of education
• Your state department of education
• Legislative branches at the state or federal level
• The U.S. Department of Education

You might also consider a policy fellowship! Fellowships let you deepen your knowledge in a particular area, such as educational policy or practice, over a fixed period. You might qualify for policy fellowships through organizations like TeachPlus. You can also search for policy fellowships through our national database, or use this list as a place to start.

If you have a knack for learning, consider a career in education research. Education researchers generally work with universities or policy institutions to conduct studies and develop research plans to improve the teaching experience for educators and students. 

As an Education Researcher, you’ll be able to answer big questions like: 

• What’s the best class size for learning 
• How do young children respond to digital learning tools? 
• What’s the best way to support English language learning? 
• What’s the best learning environment for students?

Numerous networks and organizations are dedicated to improving the school environment for students and staff alike. With your teaching experience, you can help these organizations empower schools through an educator’s perspective. 

You can serve a teacher advocate and tackle topics such as:

• Public health and wellness for students 
• High-needs content areas, such as early childhood or science 
• Providing high-quality education and support to underserved students

Teachers get a comprehensive look at the needs of their students, their colleagues and their school. This allows them to tap into their teaching experience and leadership skills to create an organization that addresses an unmet need. 

There are so many products and services education startups to offer, including:

• Online teacher training
• Online courses, study resources and tutoring for students 
• Community-building opportunities for teachers and families 
• Content area lesson plan and support materials for teaching and families
• Software and tech tools that support classrooms and administration

Educators often lead businesses for the greater good—not just for profit. As a teacher, you’ll encounter all kinds of societal issues that need attention. Your expertise could help you work for an organization that works toward change.

Nonprofit Leaders can help address societal concerns by working for organizations that: 

• Help students build social and emotional regulation skills.
• Close the achievement gap between high- and low-income students.
• Bring resources and educational experiences to underserved schools.
• Support early-career teachers, especially those from underrepresented groups.

Teachers know how to build strong relationships in the classroom. Those skills can easily be transferred out of the classroom. Account Managers work with numerous clients, from nonprofit organizations to private sectors, across various industries. Rather than sales, account managers focus on ensuring that the client is happy. 

As an account manager, you will:

• Manage 1:1 client relationships
• Serve as an advocate for clients to ensure their needs are met 
• Help clients reach their developmental goals
• Negotiate contracts and monitor account performance

Teachers are quick on their feet and able to solve problems creatively and effectively. Those skills can help you tackle challenges for businesses and organizations. 

As a data analyst, you can expect to: 

• Audit and analyze company and customer data to recommend improvements
• Analyze a company’s systems and processes 
• Provide recommendations based on expert observations to help a company improve and grow