Does Achievement First pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Achievement First employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.1 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Achievement First. This rating has decreased by 5% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Achievement First?

35% of Achievement First employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Achievement First 2.6 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.1 for culture and values and 3.1 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Achievement First?

Teacher (267) , Lead Teacher (34) , Academic Dean (20) , Teacher In Residence (20) , English Teacher (18) , Student Services Manager (17) , Math Teacher (14) , Dean (13) , Dean of Students (13) , Middle School Math Teacher (12) , Special Education Teacher (12) , Middle School Teacher (9) , Director (8) , Office Coordinator (8) , Associate Director (6)

What are the pros of working at Achievement First according to real employee reviews?

"The pay was good and sustained" ((in 73 reviews)); "You meet some really great people at this organization and form relationships for the rest of your life." ((in 48 reviews)); "Competitive salary depending on number of years and education Day to day truly depends on the specific school" ((in 44 reviews)); "Good Professional Development" ((in 40 reviews)); "Great coaching during live teaching and documented summary provided." ((in 27 reviews))

What are the cons of working at Achievement First according to real employee reviews?

"No work life balance and a high" ((in 106 reviews)); "Long hours and overly tolerant of negative student behaviors." ((in 75 reviews)); "Misalignment from network level down to teachers and incompetent leadership at some schools/staff shortages" ((in 35 reviews)); "Long hours (9 hours a day required for teachers)" ((in 21 reviews)); "Poor management." ((in 13 reviews))

What are employees saying about Achievement First layoffs in 2026?

Explore Glassdoor’s employee reviews to understand what current and former employees are saying about Achievement First layoffs and their outlook for job security at Achievement First in 2026.

What are the top reviewed Achievement First locations?

Brooklyn , New York , New Haven , Providence , Hartford , Bridgeport , Bushwick , Crown Heights , Cranston , East New York , North Providence , Binghamton , Queensbury , Stanfordville , Tempe , Hamden , New Orleans , Warwick , Miami , Boston , Savannah , Grand Chute , Brooklyn , Brownsville

Achievement First reviews

3.1

35% would recommend to a friend

(999 total reviews)

Fatimah Barker

39% approve of CEO

21% positive business outlook

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Achievement First has an employee rating of 3.1 out of 5 stars, based on 999 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Achievement First employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Education industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

999 reviews

4.0

Aug 13, 2018

Teacher

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Positive work environment, all staff is deeply invested in the mission, teacher training and preparation is incredibly valuable

Cons

It is difficult to find a work/life balance because of how much information there is to learn in the first year

2.0

Aug 12, 2018

Cult of College with a Heart for Students but None for Employees

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Mission is great and successful

Cons

Discipline system is overbearing, leadership is completely disconnected from staff and staff turnover is insane.

Achievement First Response

7y

Thanks for sharing your honest feedback. Thank you for naming that - even though your experience was clearly not a good one -- our heart for students showed through. It sounds like our focus on college came off as cult-ish and your experience with our behavior expectations for kids was that it was too much. Maybe most concerning to me is the complete disconnect you felt with your leadership because it might have kept you from raising these issues with them. It was unclear how long were you with us, but it sounds like you have more to share about your experience. If you’re open, I would love to listen / learn more. My email is tomkaiser@achievementfirst.org. P.S. - if folks are interested, our staff-turnover was 20% this past year but has been improving the last three consecutive years and we’re working very hard to make sure we are truly supporting our people and it continues moving in the right direction. - Tom Kaiser, Chief Talent Officer

3.0

Jul 23, 2018

Vet, vet, vet

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The training provided at PD and the magic that happens when a teacher and coach are well paired is confidence boosting. Schools do put in effort to regularly show appreciation, some of the staff are honestly the best professionals and human beings ever, some of the kids are honestly the best thinkers and human beings ever.

Cons

Long work hours and little schedule flexibility. Last minute changes to schedule and breakdowns in communication between teams. Behavioral system can put teachers and staff in the "bad guy" spot with students who then feel attacked. Not enough room for kids to be kids and not enough time for them to move around. Uneven workloads and seemingly few people have time/energy/brainwidth to help. Not the first choice if you're a new teacher, but a solid choice if you have a few years under your belt and want a challenge.

Viewing 703 - 705 of 999 Reviews

Jobs at Achievement First

2026-2027 (NY) Academic Dean-History/Science

CT College Counselor-Hartford 2026-27

2026-2027 (NY) Academic Dean -Math

2026-2027 (NY) Academic Dean

RI Academic Paraprofessional (2026-27)