From the Classroom to Corporate:
A Journey

Amber James

After 20 years serving in education in positions from teacher to assistant principal to district-level administrator, I—like so many teachers out there—am ready for a new path.

Despite my deep commitment to the calling of education, I am excited to find a new context. I am ready to grow and change in new ways and in new environments. I am not sure what exactly that looks like, yet, but I am thrilled about the chance to explore.

As a district- and campus-level educator and PhD student in Teaching, Learning, and Culture, I have

applied and contributed to qualitative and quantitative research used to develop and implement federal- and state-policy compliant programs in Dual Language, World Languages, and ESL
developed and executed comprehensive curriculum and professional development across stakeholder groups
utilized data analysis to inform research and practice related to diversity, literature, learning, and equitable policy and to drive goal achievement, often surpassing key performance indicators by up to 300%.
driven and managed change initiatives across large organizations, including three of the largest school districts in Texas with up to 25,000 direct stakeholders.
propelled educator growth through individualized coaching and professional development implementation and creation

I am passionate about creating environments that facilitate goal attainment, and excited to apply these principles to my own professional growth.

A few goals that I will share about:

teaching myself how to code in Python and SQL
furthering my knowledge in PowerBI and other data analysis tools
developing healthy habits that help with teacher burn-out

As I embark on this journey, I know there are others in a similar position—teachers uncertain about their next move, administrators looking to develop new skills, and educators struggling with burnout. My goal is to deepen my expertise in teacher transitions and the integration of business strategies and tools into education and to share that exploration here. I believe my experiences can provide valuable insights to others who attempt to make similar moves. At the very least, it’s always reassuring to know you’re not alone.

So! Welcome to the journey!