It started with a belief.

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 lines of race and income are caused by gaps in access and opportunity. And we have worked to right that wrong.

From that single excellent K-12 charter school, Amistad Academy, our Achievement First network was born. Since the beginning, we have always known that gaps in academic performance along lines of race and income are caused by gaps in access and opportunity. We have worked tirelessly to right that wrong through community-driven education and effective literacy programs.

When Amistad Academy opened in 1999, it served 84 New Haven fifth and sixth graders. Today, we serve 15,000 students in 41 schools in five communities across Connecticut, New York, and Rhode Island. All of our students come to us through blind lottery. The majority are Black, Latinx, 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, especially in the context of strong K-12 charter schools that prioritize education for all.