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 3.0 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 70 reviews)); "You meet some really great people at this organization and form relationships for the rest of your life." ((in 46 reviews)); "Competitive salary depending on number of years and education Day to day truly depends on the specific school" ((in 40 reviews)); "Well supported, extensive professional development." ((in 35 reviews)); "Furthermore, I have grown tremendously due to the coaching and support I've received." ((in 24 reviews))

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

"No work life balance and a high" ((in 107 reviews)); "Long hours and overly tolerant of negative student behaviors." ((in 71 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 23 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

3.0

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 3.0 out of 5 stars, based on 999 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an average 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

5.0

Sep 24, 2016

Executive Assistant

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

I had the pleasure of experiencing both the school and network setting. AF was my first job opportunity right out of college and it was an amazing experience full of growth. The people are incredible and the culture is collaborative. Knowing that you are playing a key role in impacting some of the most important work in the country keeps you motivated and challenged. If you're looking to gain a variety of skills right out of college while making a real difference, AF can provide that for you. I know that the amount of trust I was given was beyond what any of my peers had experienced right out of school. AF does so much to build and take care of their people.

Cons

Work/life balance can be tough in some roles at AF. You need to be aligned with the mission and stay flexible. Pushing for equal education opportunity is challenging, but it SO significant.

Achievement First Response

9y

I'm grateful to you for sharing your thoughts. First, the fact that you felt so supported and taken care of means a lot. You are 100% right that we ask a lot of each other at AF, and the work we do takes incredible committment. Because of that, we feel tremendous responsiblity to ensure our people are really growing and being heavily supported. I'm so glad that was your experience. It's also important that you flag for people that flexibility is important and that the work/life balance challenges are real. We're working on this, but have much to do and anyone considering AF should have open eyes about the committment. It's majestic work that I wouldn't trade for the world...but hard! -Tom Kaiser, Chief Talent Officer

4.0

Sep 16, 2016

Great place to learn and grow!

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Achievement First is a great organization where all teachers and staff have a strong work ethic, and work incredibly hard for children. I have never worked at a school where the staff were so passionate about what they did. We had wonderful relationships with our families, and they treated staff like we are part of the family. With so much coaching and development, I learned a ton in my role, and am really grateful for all the people that were invested in me and my professional growth.

Cons

We work in communities where less than half of students go to college and graduate high school. So to say that we want to and will send 100% of students to a 4 year college is going to take hard work and long hours. Work/life balance is definitely a challenge, but the longer you stay, the easier it gets. As a network, they are working hard to learn more about how to make the work more sustainable.

4.0

Sep 15, 2016

Kindergarten Teacher

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Supportive environment, fun co-workers and definitely plenty of opportunities to grow as an educator

Cons

Long hours but they are working on it

Viewing 847 - 849 of 999 Reviews