Skip to contentSkip to footer
      employer cover photo
      employer logo
      employer logo

      Achievement First

      Engaged Employer

      Achievement First reviews

      3.0

      35% would recommend to a friend

      (999 total reviews)
      avatar

      Fatimah Barker

      39% approve of CEO

      21% positive business outlook

      Ratings by category

      3.8

      Diversity & inclusion

      3.1

      Culture & values

      3.1

      Compensation and benefits

      3.0

      Career opportunities

      2.6

      Work/Life balance

      2.5

      Senior management

      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).

      Ratings by demographic groups

      Reviews by job title

      999 reviews
      2.0
      Mar 22, 2017

      Very Demanding

      Teacher
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      Supportive administration Encourages staff to work together

      Cons

      long hours cliques all about test scores

      avatar
      Achievement First Response
      9y
      Thank you so much for giving your feedback. If you have a chance to reach out, I would love to hear more about your experience (tomkaiser@achievementfirst.org). This past week I read through the comments from every single teacher in the network that took our March “organizational health survey.” I saw more than one person describing “cliques” -- just like you did in your review -- so I would love to dig deeper into this. You are absolutely correct that we value teams tremendously and rowing together is one of the deepest core values in our network. In terms of test scores - no question we value them, especially since Common Core when the state exams became 5x harder and became true indicators of college-readiness. But we’re also making HUGE investments as a network on critical parts of our mission that don’t directly relate to test scores, which I am really excited about. Next year we’re doing massive research and a significant pilot on student investment and identify affirmation. Thanks again for taking the time to share your feedback. -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.

      5.0
      Aug 9, 2016

      Working at AF

      Teacher; academic dean; associate director
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      Lots of pros, but I will highlight what makes AF stand out based on what I've heard about similar organizations:This is an organization that is constantly looking to evolve and make working in our field a more joyful, fulfilling, and sustainable opportunity. They take organizational health really seriously, and craft policy/vision to reflect trends in what people want to see improve and need in order to sustain the work. AF puts people first and will invest in your development in all stages. You will not be expected to be perfect- but you will be expected to be reflective and to want to grow. People you work with will care about you as a person and understand that you have priorities beyond the school day. They will also work really hard. The organizational efforts to improve diversity and become a truly inclusive workplace are genuine and are making a real difference. Affinity groups and mentorships are well supported. This is an organization that authentically believes in honest and direct feedback and understands that everyone has a unique perspective to learn from.

      Cons

      The work in and of itself is hard- but that is true no matter what organization you go with. AF is still learning and still growing, so programmatic evolution (improvements and changes) that affect everyone and require ongoing alignment of vision & teamwork are a part of the work here. Further- and also common of charter networks- a fraction of people who come in do not intend to teach long-term (or do not know if they want to), which can cause a higher turnover rate or a lower-than average number of years of experience than might be seen in a more traditional setting. However, it seems like in the last couple of years teaching/staff at schools is on the whole becoming older and more experienced - potentially as a result of the teacher career pathway?

      Viewing 151 - 153 of 999 Reviews
      Related searches: Achievement First jobs | Achievement First salaries | Achievement First benefits | Achievement First interviews
      ReviewsAchievement First 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.