Achievement First reviews

3.0

35% would recommend to a friend

(999 total reviews)
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Fatimah Barker

39% approve of CEO

21% positive business outlook

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
1.0
May 13, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

While working at Achievement First, I genuinely enjoyed connecting with the students and their families; the overall experience was deeply disappointing due to the toxic work environment and poor leadership at the school.

Cons

One of the few fulfilling aspects of the job was engaging with the school community. Unfortunately, this positive aspect was often overshadowed by the way leadership spoke about the families and students. I personally witnessed multiple members of the school operations team make negative and, at times, disparaging remarks about both parents and students. It was disheartening to see such a lack of empathy and professionalism given the values the school claims to hold. Leadership & Culture: There was a significant lack of transparency from leadership. Information was withheld or changed frequently without warning, which created instability and confusion. Microaggressions were common. This created an emotionally unhealthy work environment. Workload & Compensation: Lunch breaks were discouraged or not permitted, even though they are legally required. Working after hours was treated as a norm without any transparent structure or acknowledgment. The workload was excessive, with tasks often extending beyond the scope of the role and no additional support or training provided. Toxic Management Style: My manager exhibited clear signs of jealousy and gatekeeping. There was no sense of mentorship. Just micromanagement, favoritism, and a punitive approach to feedback. Performance was judged inconsistently, and support was limited unless you were part of the “in crowd.” If you exhibit confidence and professionalism, you will not be treated with respect. Other Structural Issues: Extremely high turnover, making it difficult to build a stable team culture Inconsistent enforcement of policies, often based on favoritism Inadequate onboarding

1.0
Dec 13, 2024

Shell of a Human Being

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

If you are looking to be an educator, this experience will give you the strength of a diamond. You will honestly be able to say to yourself: "Nothing I do as an educator in the future will be as difficult as what I just went through".

Cons

1. There is no accountability for students. At all. - Students will throw chairs and food, scream in your face, and tell you that you are a horrible human being. Admin will take them on a walk down the hall, and they return to the classroom 20 minutes later exhibiting the same behaviors. - The mental strain of dealing with this day in and day is incredible 2. Teachers get told the behaviors and failures are OUR problem - Admin uses the classic guilt trip to make us feel like we aren't doing enough for our students. Yes, often times there are changes teachers can make to create a more successful classroom. But it doesn't matter what we do if the system itself is a failure. 3. Unrealistic Expectations - I probably worked 3-4 hours extra per day to meet the required expectations of AF. Not only did I do this, we were expected to do this. Admin had a term called a "Complacency Check". This term was specific for working outside school hours. If we were not working at home, we must be complacent with the fact that we weren't doing enough.

2.0
Feb 3, 2023
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

laid back I guess but overall I cant say anything too enthusiastically

Cons

School is disorganized and seemingly messy behind the scenes. High turnover as well.

Viewing 124 - 126 of 999 Reviews

Glassdoor has 1,021 Achievement First reviews submitted anonymously by Achievement First employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Achievement First is right for you.