Achievement First

The mission of Achievement First is to deliver on the promise of equal educational opportunity for all of America's children. We believe that all children, regardless of race or economic status, can succeed if they have access to a great education. Achievement First schools provide all of our students with the academic and character skills they need to graduate from top colleges, to succeed in a competitive world and to serve as the next generation of leaders in our communities.

History:

In 1998, a student teacher struggled to teach the book Johnny Tremain in a middle school classroom where most of the kids were reading three years below grade level. Her mentor teacher suggested she show them the movie. Instead, she founded her own school.

From that single excellent public charter school, Amistad Academy, our Achievement First network was born. Since the beginning, we have always known that gaps in academic performance that fall along racial and socioeconomic lines are caused by gaps in access and opportunity. And we know that every child deserves the great education they need to succeed.

When Amistad Academy opened in 1999, it served 84 New Haven fifth and sixth graders. Today, we serve 12,600 students in 34 schools in five cities across Connecticut, New York and Rhode Island. All of our students come to us through blind lottery, and the majority are Black, Latino, and children from low-income families who will be the first in their families to graduate from college. Our students are proving that amazing things happen when potential meets opportunity.

Meet Mycah, Sonali  and Kaylani, current Achievement First Teachers, to get a glimpse into life at AF.

Admission to a four-year college is a graduation requirement at AF high schools. Each year, 100% of our graduating seniors gain admission to four-year colleges or universities.  Beyond instilling students with a sense of what is possible through our powerful, college-going culture, our teaching staff and college counselors work to equip each and every student with the skills, self-knowledge and extensive preparation required to bridge the gap between the expectation of college and what it takes to make it a reality. 

Greenfield Schools

As our world changes at a stunning pace, our students will need to master skills for careers that we can’t yet dream of.

So, we looked all over the country, at best practices from top schools including our own Achievement First network, at the latest in cognitive science and more. And we built a program where students can determine their own passions, have agency over their own learning, and chart their own futures.

 At Achievement First, we're providing a high quality education to our students, and to achieve that we set high standards for our teachers. The kinds of educators we're looking for are:


- Committed to our mission and our values, particularly as they relate to fostering success for our students of color and low-income students
- Understanding of and aligned with our curriculum and approach to the classroom
- Placing value on challenging students to do their best and committed to supporting students through that challenge
- Seeking to keep improving their performance as a teacher and receiving the support and input necessary to accomplish this
- Able to use strong organizational systems that drive their work inside and outside the classroom

If this sounds like you, consider interviewing to join our team!