Companies That Hire Former Teachers
Explore companies that hire former teachers and discover flexible careers in education beyond the classroom. You don’t have to leave education to find something new!
Leaving the classroom can feel like stepping into the unknown… but you don’t have to walk away from education entirely.
If you’ve been thinking about what’s next, many exciting places are hiring former teachers for roles like curriculum design, instructional coaching, content development, customer success, education consulting, and more.
These pathways offer more flexibility, more creativity, and a more sustainable way to use your skills, expertise, and passion.
Whether you’re looking for a part-time job or a full-time remote role, there are countless remote education jobs for former teachers. (These include both remote jobs for teachers leaving the classroom and remote jobs for retired teachers.)
You don’t have to start over to start a new career. You can make an impact in education in exciting new ways. In this blog, let’s explore companies hiring former teachers so you can land opportunities and thrive.
Why Former Teachers Are In Demand
Before we dive into specific companies, it’s important to understand why teachers are in demand.
Many educators underestimate how valuable their experience is outside the classroom. You have a competitive advantage in many ways. Companies value educators’ ability to communicate, problem-solve, and adapt.
Former educators bring valuable experience and skills to new roles, including:
The ability to explain complex ideas clearly
Strong organizational and planning skills
Experience with relationship-building, leadership, mentoring, coaching, etc.
Adaptability in fast-changing environments
Emotional intelligence and communication expertise
These qualities and transferable skills make teachers ideal for remote education jobs in learning design, training, product development, content creation, customer success, and more.
Companies That Hire Former Teachers
Rather than focusing on one job title or one company during your job search, it helps to expand your thinking in terms of sectors within education.
Here are some of the most common (and most aligned) paths for teachers and former teachers.
1. EdTech Companies Hiring Former Teachers
EdTech (Education Technology) is one of the fastest-growing paths for former teachers and teachers looking to stay in education.
Companies like IXL Learning, Nearpod, and BrainPOP rely on educators to ensure their products actually work in real classrooms. Other popular companies that hire former teachers (remote) include Newsela, Cambium Learning Group, and GoGuardian.
Within these remote EdTech jobs, you might:
Design lessons and interactive content
Work in customer success supporting educators, schools, and districts (through training, onboarding, and providing ongoing customer service/support)
Help shape product development
Former teachers play a critical role in shaping products to ensure they actually work in real classrooms.
So if you’ve ever adapted a lesson on the fly, found a better way to explain something, or advised/mentored other educators, this is that, just at scale. Your work can impact thousands (or even millions) of students.
2. Education Nonprofits That Hire Former Teachers
Nonprofits play a huge role in shaping what education looks like, especially when it comes to innovation, equity, and access.
Nonprofit organizations like Khan Academy, Discovery Education, and The New Teacher Project hire former teachers to design curriculum, develop programs, and create learning experiences that reach students far beyond a single classroom.
In these kinds of roles, you might:
Design curriculum or educational programs
Support educators, schools, and districts
Create resources focused on accessibility and inclusion
If you’re drawn to mission-driven work and want to make a broader impact, this could be the right path for you.
3. Education Publishers & Curriculum Development Companies Hiring Former Teachers
If you love lesson planning or creating resources, curriculum development and education publishing is where your passion and skill set can really shine.
Companies like Pearson, McGraw Hill, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, and Amplify hire former teachers to build comprehensive learning materials.
This can include:
Writing, editing, and designing lessons, units, and assessments
Designing culturally responsive curriculum
Aligning content with standards
Applying frameworks like Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
Creating both print and digital resources
In many ways, the work you’ve been doing in your classroom mirrors what these teams are hired to create. So if you love lesson planning and curriculum design, this is a strong pathway for you.
Explore curriculum development opportunities further in our guide: Exciting Curriculum Development Careers (Beyond the Classroom)
4. Online Learning Platforms with Jobs for Former Teachers
For teachers who want to keep teaching with more flexibility, online platforms open new possibilities.
Platforms like K12,Preply, and Outschool hire teachers to create courses, teach remotely, or design learning experiences for digital environments.
These companies often offer:
Flexible schedules
The ability to specialize in subjects or niches you love
Creative freedom
Small group and one-on-one teaching
These remote teaching jobs are especially appealing for former teachers who love teaching but prefer to work remotely and flexibly.
5. Education-Focused Startups Hiring Former Teachers
Startups often seek teachers because they need real-world classroom insight.
Emerging companies like Brisk Teaching, MagicSchool, and Diffit are building tools specifically designed with educators (and students) in mind.
These companies value educators’ expertise, and it’s an exciting way to be part of innovation in education.
6. Children’s Media & Educational Content
Children often learn through media, storytelling, and digital content.
Organizations like Sesame Workshop and PBS Kids hire educators to ensure their content is both engaging and developmentally appropriate.
In these roles, you might:
Write scripts or lesson extensions
Design activities tied to media content
Collaborate with creative teams to align learning goals
This sector is a unique blend of education and creativity, and teachers are essential to getting it right.
7. Museums & Cultural Institutions
If you love experiential learning, museums and cultural institutions are a natural fit for educators.
National organizations, such as the Smithsonian Institution (including Smithsonian Education, Smithsonian Learning Lab, Smithsonian Science Education Center, National Museum of American History, and National Air and Space Museum), and local organizations develop educational programs, digital resources, and interactive experiences for students and the public.
Former teachers are often hired to:
Design experiences and exhibits with PreK-12 learning in mind
Create lesson plans tied to collections
Build programs that connect history, science, and culture to real-world learning
It’s still education, but in a more exploratory and creative environment.
8. School Districts & Education Agencies (Beyond the Classroom)
Many school districts and education agencies hire teachers into roles outside the classroom, such as:
Curriculum specialists
Instructional coaches
Professional development leaders
These roles allow you to:
Support other educators
Influence curriculum at a systems level
Stay closely connected to schools and students
Advise, train, and offer professional development
For many former teachers, this feels like a great way to stay rooted in education.
Best Remote Jobs for Former Teachers – Common Roles
Across all of these sectors, you’ll see some recurring roles:
Curriculum Developer
Instructional Designer
Learning Experience Designer
Academic or Instructional Coach
Educational Consultant
Content Writer or Learning Strategist
Project Manager
Trainer or Implementation Specialist
Learning & Development Specialist
Customer Success Manager
These remote careers for former teachers allow you to leverage your experience without starting from scratch.
Keep in mind, you don’t need to have had that title before to be qualified. You’ve already been doing this work in many ways, just with a different title.
When you step back and look at all of these paths and possibilities, know that you have so many ways to expand your impact (and income) beyond the classroom!
Find out more and tips for getting started in our guide: Remote Jobs for Former Teachers (and How to Start Now)
Ready to Explore What’s Next?
At Educator Forever, we’ve helped thousands of teachers recognize their skills and transition into flexible, fulfilling careers without leaving education.
Whether you’re just starting to explore what’s possible or you’re ready to make a move, you don’t have to figure it out on your own.
Through the Educator Forever Network, you’ll get:
Access to remote education job leads posted daily (hundreds are posted every month!)
Career clarity and personalized guidance
Skill-building sessions designed specifically for transitioning teachers
A supportive community of educators on similar paths, plus expert guidance every step of the way
The guidance, support, and connections are what truly make all the difference in your job search.
If you’re ready to take the next step, we’d love to support you. Join the Educator Forever Network and get ready to explore what’s possible.
FAQ: Companies That Hire Former Teachers
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Many companies within the education space actively hire former teachers. These include: EdTech companies (like IXL Learning and Nearpod), education nonprofits (like Khan Academy and The New Teacher Project), education publishers (like Pearson and Amplify), and more.
These organizations value teachers for their ability to design instruction, communicate clearly, and understand how students learn.
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Former teachers often transition into roles that still center around education and learning, but in a different format. Some of the most common roles include:
Instructional Designer
Curriculum Developer
Learning Experience Designer
Instructional Coach
Educational Consultant
Customer Success Manager (in EdTech)
Many of these roles build directly on what you’ve already done in the classroom, and they just use different titles.
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Yes, many companies that hire former teachers offer fully remote or hybrid roles.
Remote opportunities are especially common in EdTech companies, curriculum and education publishing companies, online learning platforms, and more.
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Start by:
Identifying which path interests you (EdTech, education nonprofits, curriculum, etc.)
Translating your teaching experience into relevant skills on your resume
Exploring job descriptions
Get everything you need and all the support (including career clarity, job search guidance, job leads, and more) in the Educator Forever Network.