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 4% 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?

"Pay is good and beneficial" ((in 69 reviews)); "Competitive salary depending on number of years and education Day to day truly depends on the specific school" ((in 43 reviews)); "You meet some really great people at this organization and form relationships for the rest of your life." ((in 43 reviews)); "Excellent professional development, especially if you are a new teacher." ((in 34 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 74 reviews)); "Misalignment from network level down to teachers and incompetent leadership at some schools/staff shortages" ((in 37 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

Company ratings over time

Ratings trend for the last 6 months (999 reviews)

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

3.0

Sep 25, 2016

teacher

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

-salary is higher than doe -support

Cons

-long hours -lots of stress -high burnout -lots of teachers turnover -burnt

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

5.0

Aug 26, 2016

you will learn a LOT

School leader

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

-I've worked for AF for almost a decade after working in the traditional public school system - I have learned so much each year I've been here...which really is what has kept me here for so long (my coach is incredible) -growth-oriented organization that is eager to improve -incredible people - I love coming to work every day -from teachers at our school, to our families, to our scholars - surrounded by such great people each day

Cons

lots of work - truly - and the curriculum (etc) has changed multiple times over the course of me working here (pre-common core, then common core, and it just finished another big change about a year ago) we are getting at working "smarter not harder" but we're not quite there yet

Viewing 943 - 945 of 999 Reviews

Jobs at Achievement First

2026-2027 (NY) Academic Dean -Math

2026-2027 (NY) Academic Dean

RI Academic Paraprofessional (2026-27)

RI 2026-2027 Academic Dean

CT Building Sub (2026-27)