Practitioners

Somebody has already walked the route you’re planning.

Practitioners are educators who made the move you are preparing for. They teach the transferable skills the next role runs on, then watch you practice them.

What a practitioner is

Guidance from someone who has done the job.

Most career content is written by people who studied the role. NextGround is built around people who have held it. A practitioner tells you what the work actually is, helps you build the skills it requires, and gives you feedback while you practice.

They have already made the move

A practitioner is a current or former educator who now holds the role you are preparing for. Not a course author. Not a recruiter. Someone who has actually sat in the seat and can tell you what the first 90 days really ask of you.

They answer the questions a course cannot

Random curriculum online can explain a framework. A practitioner can tell you what happens when a stakeholder resists, when your manager pushes back, or when the role looks nothing like the job description.

They teach transferable skills

We do not teach you one company's playbook. Practitioners teach the skills the next role actually runs on, and those skills travel. Coaching adults, facilitating learning, leading through data, and turning expectations into systems work in a school, in EdTech, or outside education entirely.

They help you practice

You do the work with someone experienced beside you. You get feedback on a real conversation, a real project, a real plan. That is the part self-paced content leaves out, and it is the part that changes whether you are ready.

Transferable by design

We are not teaching you one company's playbook.

Every role has tools and acronyms you will learn on the job in a week. What takes longer is the skill underneath: leading adults, facilitating learning, using evidence well, building systems people will actually follow, and having the hard conversation without losing the relationship. Practitioners teach those, because those are the skills that follow you into the next role after this one.

Skills first. Titles second.

Our practitioners

The people you'll learn from.

Practitioner

Devin Lewis

Founder of NextGround

Educator development leader

Houston, Texas

ParaprofessionalTeacherInstructional CoachEdTechDistrict Director

“I started as a life skills paraprofessional and ended up Director of Teacher Evaluation for the largest school district in Texas. Nobody taught me how to navigate those turns. I forged the path myself, with no mentor. NextGround is the mentor I never had.”

One of the greatest advantages I had was an on-ramp into almost every new role. I started as a paraprofessional before I owned a classroom. I facilitated trainings before I became an instructional coach. I had room to watch, practice, and build confidence before the full responsibility became mine.

Then I reached the director level, and the runway disappeared. A lot of educators never get an on-ramp at all. That is why I believe people should be able to practice the next role before the stakes are real.

What they can help you prepare for

Moving from teaching into coaching and educator development
Coaching conversations that keep trust and still create movement
Leading adult learning for people at very different experience levels
Preparing for district-level responsibility before it lands on you

Coaching conversationsAdult facilitationCulture buildingSystems implementationLeadership development

Based in: Houston, Texas
Years in education: 11
Started as: Paraprofessional
Most recent role: Director of Teacher Evaluation

Practitioner

Renicka Bearden

Director of Secondary Program Success

Secondary program leadership

Houston, Texas

ELA TeacherGrade Team LeadAssistant PrincipalRegional CoachDirector

“Data is not a verdict. It is the clearest way to show a team what is working and what deserves their attention next.”

I taught high school English before moving into instructional leadership, and I have led at the campus, regional, and district-program level since. Most of what I do now is help leaders use evidence to make better decisions about instruction.

The move from teaching to leading adults is a different job, not a promotion of the same one. I help educators see the difference before they are in the seat.

What they can help you prepare for

Stepping into assistant principal or campus instructional leadership
Using data to drive decisions without losing the people
Coaching a portfolio of teachers across grade levels
Leading programs and systems beyond a single campus

Data-informed decisionsObservation and feedbackProgram leadershipEquitable practicesTeam development

Based in: Houston, Texas
Years in education: 17+
Started as: English Language Arts teacher
Current role: Director of Secondary Program Success

Practitioners

Become a Practitioner!

You made the move. Help someone prepare for theirs.

We're looking for current and former educators who have moved into leadership, education-adjacent work, business ownership, or careers beyond education. Share what the role actually requires, what you wish someone had told you, and the skills that helped you get there. Retired practitioners are welcome.

Next stop

Now find the destination that fits you.

Explore paths How it works