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      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
      4.0
      Sep 8, 2016

      Strong School Culture, Lots of coaching

      Elementary teacher
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      My classroom management significantly improved as a result of the well-thought out professional development I received. I've never worked at another school with such a cohesive school culture. I loved the sense of community that the children and teachers had since the expectations were so clear. I also appreciated the high level of organization. Many details that slipped through the cracks at other jobs were well attended to. I had the supplies and materials I needed to teach my students. Each year I was coached by a school leader to improve my practice.

      Cons

      My students had very little unstructured play time. The model is great for new teachers to learn how to manage a classroom and teach but is very limiting for a veteran teacher who is better able to tailor instruction to an individual student's needs. The work day is long and a lot is demanded of teachers in terms of accountability- turning in lesson plans, submitting data. This makes it difficult to complete your work responsibilities and be a parent who is present for your own children.

      avatar
      Achievement First Response
      9y
      We really appreciate you sharing your experience. Giving all of our teachers the opportunity to grow a ton, and providing the support and structures to make sure they can focus on their classroom is a big part of the promise we feel the responsibility of delivering, and so it felt affirming to read about your experience. Plus, you hit the nail on the head with some of the things we're working on. Making sure our school day includes not just "play" opportunities but opportunities for kids to socialize, cooperate with each other, and even learn from each other is something we've tried to bake more into our classrooms and create time outside the classroom. We've grown a ton since I've been at AF, but we're not satisfied. It's part of the reason we're innovating with our Greenfield model (www.afgreenfieldschools.org). And thank you for naming the importance of being a place where parents can work. You're right that this should be our standard when we think about teacher retention. The number of parents who work here has increased, but I think we have many teachers who assume they will have to "put down the chalk" when it's time to start their family, and the parent perspective is too important to lose from the classroom. -Tom Kaiser, Chief Talent Officer
      5.0
      Aug 30, 2016

      AF is a Great Place to Work

      Anonymous employee
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      I've worked for Achievement First since I graduated from college. I love working here because everyone is working together to do what's best for scholars. We have high expectations for our scholars behaviorally & academically and do whatever it takes to push them to meet those expectations. I particularly chose to work here instead of accepting offers at 2 other major charter school networks because it's clear that AF prioritizes teacher development. I wanted to be the best teacher (and leader) that I could be and appreciated that AF regularly provided high quality coaching to all team members (from teachers to grade team leads to principals). I also loved how there was a clear path to become a school leader (grade team lead positions, curriculum fellow positions, Leadership Fellowship, and Principal in Residency program) and a clear path on how to be recognized as a master teacher (Teacher Career Pathway).

      Cons

      AF really needs to work on helping teachers/leaders find a sustainable work/life balance. I've figured this out after 5 years but not everyone sticks around that long to figure it out. They are trying to make it more sustainable via early release days, Network provided LPs, etc but they still have room to grow. AF also has room to grow in terms of the professional development it offers - I wish they gave more development & support around differentiating instruction for scholars who struggle academically and behaviorally.

      4.0
      Aug 29, 2016

      Great job but a ton of work!

      Anonymous employee
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      For new teachers and those who are looking to work in a high needs area, this is a great company to work for. AF is dedicated to improving teacher skill levels and embraces Teach Like a Champion. At the elementary level, most teachers are specialized, allowing them to focus on becoming true experts in their field. There is frequent opportunity to move into school leadership or to take on a teacher leader type position.

      Cons

      There is a TON of work. With school starting just after 7 and ending just after 4, it can be a very long day. In addition to that, more experienced teachers may feel stifled or forced into using methods that they don't agree with.

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