Play The Game That Only You Can Win
Cedric Scott on his move from elementary STEM teacher to STEM and AI maverick
When I started poking around transitioning teacher LinkedIn, I began seeing Cedric’s posts pop up a lot. From AI chatbots to financial literacy curriculum, it seemed like the man was doing everything! Then I got a chance to sit down and chat with him, and it turns out he’s doing even more than it appears, including offering *affordable* coaching services to transitioning teachers. Thank you Cedric for carving some time out to chat!
Introduce yourself! Give your name, location, the number of years you spent teaching and the subject, and the number of years since you've left been out of teaching.
I'm Cedric Scott, Junior. I am located in the Myrtle Beach, South Carolina area. Previously, I was in the Washington, DC, Maryland area, which is where I did majority of my work in education. I actually pivoted into teaching from my original career pathway which was in science. I was a chemist, and then I became a teacher back in 2013. I primarily worked in elementary, mostly math and science. I was officially in the classroom for six years and then went into instructional coaching. My last school-based role was right when the pandemic hit; I was an assistant principal. I've been out of the school setting for four years now.
What initially brought you to teaching in that first career change?
I knew I would go into teaching or into education in some capacity at some point. And I figured, “Why not do it while I'm younger, when it's something I can really pour a lot of energy into?”
I had a lot of exposure to education and the power of it, first through my mom, whom I unfortunately lost when I was 10 years old. She was really big into education and really believed in the importance of doing well in school and putting forth your best effort.
I really enjoyed being able to be a listening ear for students, and then also being able to highlight and infuse aspects of their lives into the curriculum that might not have been highlighted previously.
And then some of the influences I had while in school, primarily thinking about two black male teachers. One was named Mr. Preston, a late elementary science teacher who was awesome and had a great impact on me. And when I got to high school, my tenth-grade chemistry teacher Mr. Bynum. I give those two gentlemen a lot of credit for me becoming not only a scientist but also for me going into education and becoming a teacher.
What was your experience teaching?
Hopefully people don't curse at me when I say this, but I went through the Teach For America program. I know that’s not always the most welcomed experience. I just applied on New Year's Eve 2013, while I was working overnight in the lab. I didn't really consider other programs. I was like, “Well, this one just kind of makes sense.” So I went with that.
My first school was in an historically black community in Southeast, DC. It was great but there were a lot of challenges and difficult issues within the community and also within the school.
And then from there I actually made a shift and went “across the water,” as they call it, to Northwest DC, which is like the Georgetown University area. So it was night and day in terms of demographic and access to resources, even though they were both in the same district.
So I've seen different environments, kind of the opposite ends of the extreme in terms of the spectrum of school settings.
What did you like about teaching?
The relationships, the interactions. I really enjoyed being able to be a listening ear for students, and then also being able to highlight and infuse aspects of their lives into the curriculum that might not have been highlighted previously. At the school in Northwest, I enjoyed being able to engage with some international students, being able to learn about them, and realizing that children have a culture. There are certain things that they understand universally.
And just the purity of it. Some of my favorite places to hide out in schools were in Pre-K and kindergarten classrooms. The genuine love and care and respect and inquiry that you get from people that young is amazing. I don't think that we necessarily listen to children enough. So I liked just being there, and listening and learning from them.
I don't think that we necessarily listen to children enough.
And just, you know, having kids run up and try to rub my tattoos off and stuff like that. I’d get asked all kinds of questions that when you think about it, you’re like, “You know, that actually makes a lot of sense. I will actually honor what you're asking me right now, because you got a good point.”
What did you find challenging or unfulfilling about teaching?
It was more so things related to the top-down bureaucracy. Typically [when I see teachers leave], it’s not really a feeling of like, “I'm tired of working with students and children.” I think that's the last thing that happens to people when they burn out. It's more administration or district mandates, where it's like, “We have to do this or there's consequences.” Any type of aspect outside of why I went into that field, which was to educate and help young people. When those outside factors became too constricting and restrictive, it was like, “All right, this doesn't feel the way I think it should.”
What brought you to that decision to leave teaching?
In terms of initially leaving the classroom, I was invited to move up into instructional coaching by a really awesome principal I had. For me, it was the perspective of, “I can have a multiplied effect and impact on the school and children. If I help teachers, then they help kids, we can reach more people and elevate.” And then with becoming the assistant principal, it was similar thing where the principal pulled me in again and was like, “Hey, what do you think about school leadership?”
I figured out ways that I could still play a role in the world of education without necessarily having to physically be in a school setting.
But the decision to ultimately leave the school setting was primarily due to family, once my wife and I knew that our son was going to be coming into the world. It was back in 2019, and I already knew, “I want to work remotely. I still want to have a hand in education. I'll still be in the space and and have an impact, but I want to be able to be as present as possible for my son, for my family and my wife”—who actually still teaches.
So it wasn't a burnout thing. It was literally, “I want this type of setup in life for my family.” And I figured out ways that I could still play a role in the world of education without necessarily having to physically be in a school setting.
What kind of plans did you put in place for your transition? Did you just jump ship and then figure it out, or did you start getting the wheels in motion before you left?
It was definitely something that was rolling and ongoing. Once I found out that you know we were expecting, it just kind of clicked in my head. This was before the lockdown and Covid and everything, when I started actively looking for another opportunity.
Whenever everything did hit the fan and lockdown happened, I already had some things in motion and had already had my interviews. So it worked out to where I was able to complete that school year, even after my son was born—take the paternity leave and then come back and make that formal announcement [in a virtual town hall meeting] in April or May that I had found another job. I still remember that call like it was yesterday, literally sitting there and having my son on my lap while I was telling everybody. It was emotional.
I still remember that call like it was yesterday, literally sitting there and having my son on my lap while I was telling everybody [I wasn’t coming back]. It was emotional.
And then once everything happened, I was like, “Oh, yes, this is clearly what's needed—to be home and give the support needed to be a good mate to my wife, and also just being present.” It’s what I had hoped for in terms of family.
I'm curious what emotions came up for you in leaving teaching, and how you moved through those feelings?
For me being in administration, I was kind of being groomed to be the principal. So I had that kind of commitment to the school community, to my coworkers, to the families, to everybody.
So that was tough, trying to navigate that. Like, “Dude, I don't wanna leave people high and dry.” It was a kind of tug of war between that and the consideration for family, and what I wanted for my wife, for my son, and even just for myself. I went back to the idea of an amplified effect. I was like, “Well if I still stay in education but work at a curriculum company, I could still have the reach, and it'll be to more students.” So I think you start to create some type of justification.
But it was definitely a roller coaster effect, when you think about, “Should I leave?” And then the timing of it is a weird thing for anybody considering potentially leaving mid-year. For me, that was the one stipulation: “I have to finish out the year, so I’m not just walking out on people.”
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What was your initial job out of teaching? What challenges did you face and lessons did you learn?
My first official full-time role out of the school was as a product associate for core math at Imagine Learning. It was interesting stepping into that role because it was a pivot from the education system to the education industry. It's a very stark difference, going into a corporate-esque atmosphere where it's revenue-driven and there's sales. I worked with the support structure of sales, and just hearing of some of those numbers, I was like, “Wow, they sold how much of curriculum in that state?” So that was something to get adjusted and adapted to. It definitely was eye-opening in terms of how the other side of the education space operates and moves.
It was interesting stepping into that role because it was a pivot from the education system to the education industry. It's a very stark difference, going into a corporate-esque atmosphere where it's revenue-driven and there's sales.
What are you doing now? It sounds like you have a lot of different things going on.
Contrary to popular belief, I actually do have a job! I do work behind the scenes, in terms of supports for professional learning for teachers, still in the math space.
But I've done a lot of independent things as well, really just wanting to continue to support and give back within the education space. I'm the creator of Melanated Mathematics, which is math and financial literacy content and resources, all within the context of black history and culture. So basically trying to fill holes, gaps, and disparities that I saw with representation. I started out creating videos on YouTube and then producing K through 5 workbook series. The cool thing about these workbooks is that they actually have QR codes and links that go directly to chatbots related to financial concepts. So there's a chatbot for money management, one for stocks, another for real estate, and most recently, I released one for credit. So teaching kids about all those aspects, from ages five on up.
Now I’m in the process with another organization of taking this financial literacy content and putting it into an immersive learning platform. So more like a video game type of metaverse space, where you can walk around and engage with the content versus the static book. So that will be releasing soon.
My North Star is my mom. I created a STEM scholarship in her memory. For the last three years, I've been awarding scholarships for students pursuing STEM pathways and degrees in her memory.
And then more recently, I've been hyper-focused and engaged in the world of AI and Tech. I've been doing a lot within the AI space, creating a lot of bots and resources, and even doing some consulting, speaking engagements, that type of thing. Kind of positioning around how we can leverage AI tools and resources to grow within education, and really thinking about the potential for students career-wise and what that could potentially look like for them down the line.
My North Star is my mom. I created a STEM scholarship in her memory. For the last three years, I've been awarding scholarships for students pursuing STEM pathways and degrees in her memory. It’s at the forefront of a lot of what I'm doing, guiding my steps—figuring out how I can continue to build out that effort to support more students, in terms of the disparities we see related to representation in STEM careers.
And you have a full-time job?!
I do!
And this is all still more manageable than teaching?
Yeah, I mean, working remotely is. The flexibility is the greatest asset to me. I'm able to drive my son to school in the morning and stop what I'm doing to make my wife a smoothie while she's teaching. Being able to take a break, walk out of my home office, and get some air allows for more creativity.
The flexibility is the greatest asset to me... Being able to take a break, walk out of my home office, and get some air allows for more creativity.
Because it's no secret that teachers are extremely creative and intelligent people with a lot to give. But after you've put out all of that energy and you've done all that work, it's like, “Well, I did have this idea, and I did want to produce this thing, but I'm really tired now.” Which can be difficult. So I don't necessarily have that. And then just the difference of being in a physical space, and what that does for your energy levels. I used to drive an hour in the morning and almost two hours home, commuting through DC. I immediately got all that time back, by working from home.
You also offer coaching for transitioning teachers. What services do you offer, and what is your approach?
I've created this movement called EduHustle. The premise of it is guiding educators to maximize their time, talent, and earning potential. I saw there were a lot of career coaches popping up all over the place, and I got a lot of really difficult messages from folks within the community I've created. People were like, “Oh, I paid somebody $2,000, and I got nothing.” Which pushed me to start offering services formally.
It's no secret that teachers are extremely creative and intelligent people with a lot to give. But after you've put out all of that energy and you've done all that work, it's like, “Well, I did have this idea, and I did want to produce this thing, but I'm really tired now.”
The first thing I've heard people say is, “Man, you don't charge nearly as much as so-and-so.” And I'm like, “Yeah, because I don't see myself getting rich off of charging teachers for sessions.” That just doesn't make sense. If we know that the average teacher salary is not necessarily what it should be, then why [would you charge them so much]? But you also have to value and honor your own time.
The primary session I offer is called Career RTI, which is basically guidance through those initial processes of, “What else is there, what’s possible, what's available? Let's dig into this together.” It’s a working session sharing what I've learned, after which people get an action plan to take and run with. I share an insider's perspective on the industry. A lot of the pivot for educators is going from the education system into the industry, and there’s a lot of nuance to that. Then, how can your transferable skills actually apply? So my approach is really practical. I use the same idea that I used in any professional development session that I would lead: I want you to be able to take something from this and apply it immediately.
The other offering I have is a month-long support called a Career IEP, which is more of that extensive work. It's actually a nod to my wife, who's always been in special education, and the nature of how intensive and in-depth that work is.
I don't see myself getting rich off of charging teachers for sessions.
I've been able to leverage some other things like AI, for example, for resume support. A lot of people offer resume writing services, and I've seen that cost several hundred dollars. I can produce a resume for people that will get a response for $60 bucks using AI.
It’s very practical, in terms of understanding where teachers are coming from. I've been able to support people wherever they are in that journey and target strategically what could be next for them and how to make that thing happen.
What advice, tips, or wisdom would you want to give someone who is considering leaving the classroom?
The first question I always ask is, “Are you sure?” And what I mean by that is, “Are you sure you want to leave the classroom, or do you just want to leave your classroom?” Because you don't necessarily have to leave the entire field. Maybe you just want to go to another school, right? Maybe what you're getting at your current location is not sufficient for you. If you were in a different school, maybe it'd be better. So my first question is always that.
Are you sure you want to leave the classroom, or do you just want to leave your classroom?
And if the answer is, “No, I want to leave the classroom altogether,” the next thing I recommend is people take an inventory of their strengths and interests. I've tried to make this really practical. You take a sheet of paper and draw a line down the middle. On one side, you write strengths, all the things that you've been successful in within your work as a teacher. On the other side, you write interests, the things you care about, even causes. And then you try to find overlap between those things. From there, you can begin to actually look into your job search based on those things: where are you, what do you care about, what are you intrigued by? Because there are going to be companies, organizations, or businesses that will align with those things.
I really try to highlight, positioning-wise, how do you play the game that only you can win? So you’re not playing the same game as everybody else. You’re making yourself like a big fish in a small pond. So for me, naturally being a chemist, going into STEM, teaching and math, tech, and AI stuff—of course, I would focus on opportunities and roles in that space. It will give me the greatest potential output or return, versus me looking into working for companies that produce reading curriculum. It just wouldn't make any sense.
It's about being a transcender. How do you change the game for yourself? Don't go based off of what everybody's telling you.
It's about being a transcender. How do you change the game for yourself? Don't go based off of what everybody's telling you, or these like popular job titles. Like, “You should be a customer success manager.” But do you really know what that means?
And then a big part is just getting a gauge of the differences between the education system and the industry, and understanding those differences. Realizing the things you've done from that inventory and how they actually apply in more of a corporate or business context, you can then see the transference. [You can then have a lot more clarity] as you're looking for new roles and opportunities, and what you could potentially do.
Find Cedric’s coaching services here.
Find Cedric’s EduHustle chatbot for career support here.
Find Cedric’s free career resources here.
Find the Julia Elizabeth Legacy Scholarship here.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.