Teacher Shift

Why EdTech Loves Hiring Teachers in Sales

April 19, 2023 Tiffany Eudy Episode 55
Teacher Shift
Why EdTech Loves Hiring Teachers in Sales
Show Notes Transcript

Today, Ali and JoDee are chatting with Tiffany Eudy, a former educator who is now a non-attorney special education advocate and President of In Bloom Advocacy. She also works on the sales team for Branching Minds, an edtech company. Together, they will talk about why edtech companies are hiring teachers specifically, what Tiffany does as president of In Bloom Advocacy, and how an advocate can help students and families navigate the education system to achieve the best outcome.


Connect with Tiffany:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tiffeudy/
Website: https://inbloomadvocacy.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffany-eudy-7a33a3159/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tiffeudy



Connect with Ali and JoDee:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teachershift
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teachershift
Teacher Shift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/teacher-shift
Ali’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisimon/
JoDee’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodeescissors/

Website
https://www.teachershiftpodcast.com/

Episode Transcriptions
https://www.teachershiftpodcast.com/blog

Ali  0:05  
Teachers are natural innovators, entertainers and problem solvers. They dream of growing old into the profession, teaching their kids kids. But sometimes career goals shift or change, and that makes opportunities outside of the classroom seem intangible questioning who am I, if I'm not a teacher? I'm your host, Alexandra Simon.

JoDee  0:31  
And I'm your co host, JoDee Scissors.

Ali  0:34  
This is The Great Teacher Resignation.

Today, our guest is Tiffany Eudy. Tiffany is a non attorney, special education advocate and president of In Bloom Advocacy. She also works on the sales team for Branching Minds, an edtech company. Prior to this adventure, Tiffany was a school administrator, special education teacher coach, and special education teacher. She is a single mom of two boys and resides in North Carolina. Welcome to the show today, Tiffany. 

Tiffany  1:11  
Hi, how are you today?

Ali  1:13  
We are doing great. And we're so looking forward to speaking with you today about your transition. We know that you went from teacher to non attorney special education advocate. We want to know how you transition from one role to the other. How did you get there? 

Tiffany  1:28  
Okay, so I started my career as a special education teacher and initially thought I wanted to climb the ropes in order to make a greater level of systems change within education. So I took the time to go back and get my masters and become a school administrator. Well, then I got to the point in my fourth year of being a school administrator, that I realized I really did not have the power to make some of the system level changes that I was hoping to make within our education system. So that is whenever I decided I needed to figure out what I could do to still make an impact on teachers and students, which is really the core of why I became an educator to begin with. And at the same time, I needed to figure out if I was going to be a really good educator or a really good mom. Because in the season of being a single mom, working 80 hours a week to be really good for my students was not always really good for my children. So I had to go into that. And within that I had numerous challenges as a administrator, that I kind of felt like I was getting red taped where I could not support and serve students in the way I know they needed for various reasons. And I also had situations where I had a ton of personal friends and family reaching out to me, looking for advice on navigating the special education and 504 processes. And a lot of our parents come to meetings and just trust that what's happening in those meetings is what's best for their student. And in some situations, the teacher has been red taped and can't always do what she knows she wants to do. And so I got put into a situation of, okay, what am I going to do next? I know that being a principal isn't going to work for my family any longer. So I need to figure out what's next. And that's when I decided I want to become an advocate for these families, and really figure out a way to better engage and bridge, home and school for our kiddos. Because it's going to be what helps our students in the long run. 

Ali  3:26  
How did you go about becoming an advocate?

Tiffany  3:29  
So I went through starting to think about what that can look, obviously all the Google searches, all those. Knew of a couple advocates in my community, and a lot of those advocates, their goals and their admirations was to like take down school districts. And I knew that wasn't what I wanted to do. My goal was to get the services that are there for students and help families figure out how to make that happen. So I reached out to a couple friends and they said, well just do your own thing. You can do it. You've got the education. I just didn't feel ready. So I started looking at advocacy trainings, and I actually found COPAA, which is the Council for Parents and Advocates and Attorneys, and decided to join that membership. And through our conversation's discussion boards found out that there is a course for advocacy. So I took that course. And took the first course, now there's numerous courses to follow. But took the first course, and honestly I felt it was extremely easy for me as an educator. The course was more built for people outside of education. So I felt really confident at that point in my skills and my knowledge base and collaborated with some local area nonprofits in my community. Honestly, there are search options online where you can just search education nonprofits in your community and started reaching out to some of those leaders and asking for next steps on what I could do. And from there and from those coffee chats with other leaders in the community, I was able to start In Bloom Advocacy. I have a board of directors and everything that helps guide me in the work that I do. At the same time, I was terrified to leave education and not have a core salary and the unknown of money, right? Because I have two boys to provide for. So then I started thinking about what programs that I'm using right now that I would feel comfortable working for outside of the classroom. And that's whenever I decided to join the Branching Minds team. 

Ali  5:33
What is Branching Minds and what lead you to that organization?

Tiffany 5:37
I was a customer before. It's an MTSS solution software. And I knew that I had seen the impact that it made on teachers and students on streamlining that whole MTSS process in schools. And so I reached out to the founder because I knew her because I was a customer. And said, Hey, look into make a change, is this an option? Well, then she didn't respond. And I was like, Okay, I guess not. But I decided to start applying for positions. I've never been in sales. I've known I wanted to be an educator since I was two. So I decided to start just applying and see what happens. And their sales manager called me and actually said, Oh, Maya told me about you. Great, glad you didn't respond, right? But I told him, I said, I don't think I can sell. I don't think I can do it. I appreciate that Mya believes in me. I appreciate that. I know the platform and know all of that, but sales isn't really my thing. Can I do like some professional services? Because I feel like I could teach teachers how to use the platform better than I could sell it. Well, then he got me on a few calls and talk me into it. And so at the same time, he kind of guided me with the fact that my resume looked very teachery. And if I was going to continue in the world of exploring edtech, I had to change my resume. And so that was a whole nother shift to because I've never made a resume that wasn't for teacher position. So he was like, no one cares about all your sub bullets on your resume, where you tell all the things you do in your classroom. Like we know what teachers do for the gist, right? So change those into what they look like in the business world. And I had to get really creative in what that meant. And I did some coaching and some Google searches. Oddly enough, found some Tiktok influencers that helped with resume building. And just kind of also changed my resume through his advice. And then basically, about four weeks later, he came back to me and said, I think you're ready. Are you really ready? And I was like, well, let's try it. Right? So I just started as an entry level salesperson for the company. Simply because I believed in the product, and my safety and security needed a salary. And so then that's where I built. Now I've moved up in the company, and I'm able to have the flexibility to work from home, sell a product I really believe in, and also still provide my advocacy services for families, and be there for IEP meetings, and all of that, and then still be a mom. So that's kind of my story on where I got where I am now.

JoDee  8:02  
I want to go back a little bit, you were having a call with the manager about sales, and he kind of convinced you to go for it. What was it about those conversations that made you actually believe like, I think I can do this?

Tiffany  8:18  
Well, he shared with me that right now in the edtech world, a lot of people are only hiring educators. And they're doing that because all humans sell. So actually, when you think about it, even with my kids, or my students, you're selling them the content. Or you're selling them that it's good for them to learn it. Or you're selling the idea of something. And on social media, there's all this influence right now. You're always selling a new idea or selling a product or this or that. So everyone has a sales bone in them, even if we don't use it all the time. And so that kind of intrigued me. And he said, start thinking about how many times you have to bribe or convince and negotiate with your kids or your students in order to get them to an end result. You're selling something to them. So that kind of started triggering my mind. And I was like, Okay, maybe. And then he told me specifically that so many edtech companies want educators that have used their product that can speak to it. Because a lot of times in the education world trying to sell from a business person, our worlds don't mesh well. And so if I can speak to how I've specifically used the product, as a principal with my teachers and the impact it made directly on students, then I can sell it right there, just by giving my own testimony. So that's where I was like, well, what's the worst that can happen?

Ali  9:43  
You just hit the nail on the head. If I was a school district and I wanted to buy a product, buying it from a typical salesperson would not be as effective as buying it from a former educator who did have that experience using it with their school, with their students. I think that they're so right. And I think along with that, what are some other reasons why teachers might make a good fit in sales for an edtech company? Are there other skills that they have that can make them great at sales, besides having that hands on experience with the tool, perhaps? 

Tiffany  10:18  
Yeah, even if it's not a product you've used, if it's a product you believe can make an impact on students, because all educators, that's where our heart is. And so if it's a product you believe, can either make life easier for fellow teachers, or impact students, then you can sell it. Because that's what we need right now in the education world. And also, most educators are very creative. We're very organized typically. And so we have these traits that naturally help us be good salespeople. Because one thing when you transition to working from home, you have to be organized. Otherwise, you will worry about the laundry, and all the other things that are happening in your home. So you have to be an organized person, you have to think about the next step in the sales process, things of that nature. But then also, you have to be creative. So doing the basic business email blasts doesn't work in education. So when you're going to email out and search for outbound leads, you have to be creative enough to say the right words. Have the right terminology. What's going to gain interest from another teacher? What's going to make them actually open that email? What's going to make them actually call you back whenever you leave a voicemail? So thinking like that, because we have that experience, as educators, we know how to talk to each other in a break room. We can do that via phone. And it can be a lot more authentic than the typical 1970 sleazy salesperson, right? 

Ali  11:43  
Yeah, like, it doesn't feel like a cold call to me, I would imagine, if you're getting a call from another teacher. I mean, that's how JoDee and I met and clicked, because we both said that we were former teachers. And we're like, ahh. We just felt this, this like immediate, like, this is gonna be great. You know, like, I can trust you in a way because you understand my language. You understand my experience. And so you can really understand the struggles of being an educator, the students needs, things like that. Such really great advice for teachers who would consider a job in edtech and specifically in sales.

JoDee  12:16  
And if you think about all the resources or programs that teachers adopt, it's not usually from a salesperson. It's usually from a teacher recommendation, or a PD that was led by another teacher. And so the history of teachers is trusting other teachers to make those recommendations. And it seems like you're bridging that gap for a larger organization when it comes to making partnerships with schools and other teachers. I wanted to take a minute to talk about this president hat that you wear. You wear a lot of hats. You're a mom. You work in sales. You've got all these teachers skills, but you wear this really important hat with In Bloom Advocacy. And we know that lots of teachers advocate for different types of things, whether it's equity access, resources, whatever it might be. How do you wear that hat? What do you do with that hat? And how are you doing wearing that hat as president?

Tiffany  13:12  
So the president hat, I'm also the Executive Navigator. So right now I'm the only one doing the work of advocacy. My board of directors just kind of guiding me on the business side, which I don't even like that side. So I'm glad they're there. But as President, I have to make sure, obviously, that I do get grants and things of that nature to be able to support low income families, all of that. When I'm supporting a family, what that looks like is I do a huge file review. And that's very daunting, because I'm looking at years and years and years of historical plans or supports, whatever that students getting. And then I make recommendations based on experience, policy, law, things to that nature. I also attend IEP meetings with families. So many times our families are just sitting there nodding, because they have no idea what the person in front of them saying to them. Or I've had a lot of situations where the teacher will privately say to me, Look, I know this is what the student really needs. But I'm being told no from people above me. Can you help? You know? And so I know I know board policies. I know state policies. I know federal policies. And so I make sure that I ask the right questions to get us to the right point. And it's not to file all the state complaints and everything. My whole goal at every meeting and every conversation I have with the school or the parent is, where does this child need to go next to become a productive member of society? Because when education was founded, that was the whole point. And so for our students with disabilities or delays, we have to kind of help level the playing field. And so I may provide ideas for accommodations and modifications or just help ask the right questions that aren't always being asked at the table. Because so many times when our problem solving for a student, we just want to fill out the paperwork right. So we don't get in trouble by the county office or this or that. So we're not really thinking about what the paperwork means for the child. And so that's really what my whole work is that I do, between meetings and observations and phone calls with principals. There's also a whole layer of just helping engage families in school that I also do. So I speak at conferences and different things of that nature. Because I really want to help district leaders see that there is a huge connection between home and school. And even for our disadvantaged families and our low income families, if we can help connect them and bridge that gap and meet them where they are. We will see higher levels of student success. The research shows it. So it's helping districts and principals find the creative ways to make that happen, find the funding to make that happened, all of those pieces. But also building trust. Because a lot of cultures in the US don't have the trust in our school system. And so helping families build the trust back in our school system and let them know that that is a safe place for them to be. They are needed in the school. They are wanted in the school for their student to be the most successful student they can have.

JoDee  16:16  
That's amazing. You said you wanted to be a teacher since you were two. So I assume that means you went through college, university on an education degree path. 

Tiffany  16:27  
I did 

JoDee  16:28  
Was your degree specifically in special education?

Tiffany  16:32  
So I started my education career actually in high school. We had a cadet teaching program where our high schoolers could go to the elementary school and teach. And I thought I wanted to be a math teacher. But they require you to do different subjects. So I did math at elementary school. I actually did a stint in special education. And it really intrigued me. And then at the same time, I got asked by family to babysit, and their child had autism. And I was terrified. But I wanted money, I was teenager. I needed gas, right? So I decided to try it. And seeing the lens through Harrison. Harrison is my inspiration for everything now. Seeing my lens through him is what kind of drove me into special education. And so then when I went to college, I was still majored at the time in math, because, you know, I was young and thought that was what I was going to do. And quickly realized after about three college math classes that I was not going to teach math. And so I changed gears to special education, and finished out my undergrad in special education. And then taught for a few years, knew I wanted more went and got my graduate degree in autism. The lens of autism is amazing. And then that's when I started going from a masters and all of that for administration, thinking if I could climb the ladder in my system. I can make the change. And then that's kind of when I started feeling that red tape of no matter how hard I climb, our education system as a whole in America, is built in a way that it's going to take more than a principal or one superintendent to make the change that I'm hoping in my lifetime I make. 

Ali  18:04  
I also want to touch on something that you mentioned. Which is that when everybody who's supporting the family or the student, besides the parent themselves, or the advocate in your case, is connected to that system, that red tape will continue to exist if there's not enough support within that system. Which you've identified that there isn't. And I had to go through something similar with my own child. And I was fortunate that my sister's a school psychologist and she came with me to the meetings. They were able to be virtual. And having that external support is really important. Someone that doesn't have those connections, like their paycheck isn't coming from the school district that's not providing the service for your child. If you can connect with them, right? If you can gain their trust as an advocate, it's a much different relationship. Because I think a lot of times as a parent who had challenges navigating what support my child could receive at school. We're a little bit hesitant. If you say you can't help my child, or you have limitations, or you don't have enough teachers to do more interventions. Well, who am I going to trust then? I've been in situations where I do think the teachers wanted to do more. And they were told no, because, you know, if they do more for this one child, then they need to do the same thing for the other 25 children that need those accommodations, or those extras. And there's only so many hours in the day. So I think what I really heard from you is that having an advocate, if you're a parent going through any type of struggles with your child's education, is really invaluable. And it's a thought partner. Having someone to bounce ideas off of. Because unfortunately, sometimes the system may not be where you can get all of those resources. And so I imagine maybe you help them think outside of that system. So okay, my child receives x in school, but they also need this so Are there other resources that we can tap into? Are there programs outside of the school house? Or their grants or their funds to be able to get them that extra support to make them a productive member of society for when they finish their schooling?

JoDee  20:13  
What I'm also hearing too is just your training and your background not only helps you teach and advocate for those students, but you're also supporting the family.  I really applaud you just for having all of those skills, and being able to not just inform those that need it, but those that need to understand it as well as just community members and people that work alongside with students in their classroom.

Tiffany  20:40  
Absolutely. And that happens, I have families that reach out to me and you know, they really want the level of support that their neighbor gets. And then we get into those conversations, because I'm not going to encourage a family to get the highest level of support that we can provide in our education system when their child is going to be successful with just a little bit of support. And there's so much support out there. A lot of times, they just think of section 504 plans or IEPs. But now in our education system, there is a large gamut of options for supporting students in a very individualized way. And parents honestly aren't aware of those. And sometimes teachers aren't allowed to advertise those. And so we have to have someone like me, to be able to be the voice that knows both sides.

JoDee  21:28  
Just the privacy piece of knowing... coaching someone through their privacy rights, I think is something to equip them with.

Tiffany  21:36  
There's so many layers to it. And every single family I work with, it's different. And what I have to look for is different. And the unique thing is families will ask me questions, and I'll say, Oh, well, that's going to be in the board policy somewhere. They don't know what I'm talking about. So I say, I will go look in the board policy, and I'll email you directly what you're looking for. And just being that person that can understand both sides and can say to a family, this is what they're trying to tell you, and they're not allowed to say. I'm gonna give it to you in layman's terms, and things like that. Or break down all the education jargon for families, and all the alphabet soup that we use as educators. I do all of that work as well, just to inform parents. I actually offer free parents seminars randomly via Facebook and different things that I just inform parents of what their basic rights as a guardian with a student in the education system is. Because that's really where my work is. I want parents to know they even have rights, and they don't just have to bow their head in agreeance at all times.

Ali  22:38  
Well, I really commend you for this work that you're doing with advocating for families and children on top of your full time job working in sales in an edtech company. And just to kind of close this out today, I want to ask you, in the beginning of today's episode, you shared how you weren't really able to balance your administrative role and being a great mom. And just you close this out today by telling us what your life looks like now and do you have more of a balance?

Tiffany  23:05  
I do. I'm still figuring it out because I'm only a year out. But I have a lot more freedom. Everything that I do I get to do from home, unless I'm going to observe a student or an IEP. And I'm strategic when we schedule those. To do those, my personal kids are in school, or when I know I can have... lean on family or friends for childcare. But most of my day I kind of cram my, used to be 80 hour day, into 8 to 3 when my kids are at school. So that most days of the week I can be home and present. That's something I really wanted to be it's not always on my phone, checking email, seeing who's going to be out the next day, all the things. So I have figured out that I can put my technology away once my students get off the bus. And if I do have an emergency, my kids are a lot more forgiving. Because it's not every day. And so if I just have to do a quick IEP meeting late in the afternoon or a quick call, they can say okay, Mom, because we know you're going to be back. We know you're not going to be gone till bedtime. My kids are young. They're still elementary age. So they know now that I'm present. I'm here. And I'm not always going to be on my phone. That's a biggest piece that changed me from being a full time educator to really focusing on what it looks like to still be an educator, still making an impact for kids and teachers, but also making sure that I'm a mom. So that's probably been the biggest change is, it's okay, to put your phone down at night.

JoDee  24:30 
I'm gonna take your advice. 

Ali  24:32  
I actually have had a good boundary with the phone. It's just not checking on stuff. Like when something you know, is not finalized. I struggle. I'm like, I gotta check that just to see if it went through. But I hear you with the working remotely. I think it is easier to say, Okay, I can be more present. Because it's easier when you're in a building, especially a school building, to get sucked in to staying later and later. There's always a need. And now you're in charge of the tasks for your role. And, yes, they depend on probably other people on your team. But it's not quite the same, at least for me, as it was when I was in school. And I see JoDee nodding too. So Tiffany, it's been such a pleasure chatting with you today. We're so grateful for your time and for sharing your experience transitioning out of the classroom today with our audience.

Tiffany  25:22  
Absolutely. Thank you for having me.

Ali  25:25  
If you'd like to connect with Tiffany, you can find her on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and Tik Tok under her name Tiffany Eudy. E-U-D-Y. You can find it in the show notes.

If you liked The Great Teacher Resignation, give us a five star rating and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, and Audible. Today's episode was written and recorded by me Alexandra Simon, and my co host JoDee Scissors. Executive produced by Teacher Brain. Produced and edited by Emily Porter. Original Music: Emoji by Tubebackr. Special thanks to our sponsor, Paper Planes Ed.