The phrase "standing on the shoulders of giants" has meant a number of things over the course of history. As the Teach For America 20th Anniversary Summit draws near, it has me thinking about Bruce McCandless and how he used the phrase when inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame. He took a moment to thank everyone who contributed to his success as the first astronaut to fly in space un-tethered to another vehicle. He expressed his gratitude for those around him and those who had laid the groundwork with the words, "We have...

As Achievement First has grown from our flagship Amistad Academy in 1999 to 17 college-preparatory academies serving students in grades K to 12 across central Brooklyn and in three cities in Connecticut, we have become increasingly systematic about gathering data on how our AF Team & Family feels about their connection to the mission of their work, how satisfied and motivated they are with their work environment, and how they are growing and learning in their roles. We *could* choose to be an organization that focuses with t...

Every week, I have the privilege of seeing messages our hard-working school leaders send to their teams with their reflections on the past week. This note was from Marin Smith, a first-year principal at Achievement First Crown Heights Elementary School, and past academic dean and teacher. I was struck by her last paragraph encouraging her team to keep fighting the good fight for the right reasons. It's what we all must do to close the achievement gap. Dear Team, On Saturday, I led our first Information Session of the seaso...

Each Sunday afternoon, I have the privilege of seeing the messages Achievement First principals send to their teams for the week ahead. This week I was struck by these paragraphs from the principal of Elm City College Prep Elementary in New Haven, Connecticut. Morgan Barth, a second-year principal, inspires and encourages his team to push even harder and smarter to close the achievement gap, and to finish December in a strong (and joyful!) fashion. 1. We Will Win Dear Team, We have all pledged to do whatever it takes to m...