Elementary Special Education Teacher

Celebrating community: AF at Teach For America's 35th Anniversary Summit. Achievement First was proud to join Teach For America's 35th Anniversary Summit in Las Vegas on October 2-3! The gathering brought together educators, alumni, and partners to celebrate 35 years of expanding educational opportunity and look ahead to the work still to come. Many members of the Achievement First community began their work in education as TFA corps members and are now TFA alumni. The summit was an opportunity to celebrate those connections, spend time with colleagues, and connect with a broader community committed to helping students thrive. Thank you to its staff for representing Achievement First and bringing their energy and dedication to the celebration! Check out the photos below for a glimpse of its staff connecting, having fun, and representing AF in Las Vegas! [email protected]

Achievement First Envision Middle School opens in Providence, RI. A school that feels like home. Walking through Envision Middle School, I was struck by how quickly Principal Angie Martinez, Director of School Operations Natalie Gilpin, and the founding team have made the school feel like home. You could see their care everywhere. Team members welcomed guests, looked after students, solved problems as they came up, and created an experience that reflected the community they are building every day. That matters because opening Envision is about much more than opening another building. As its third middle school, Envision helps Achievement First continue building a K-12 pathway for Rhode Island students and families. Today, Achievement First Rhode Island serves more than 3,500 students with a team of more than 400 staff members. This new school is another step toward delivering on the promise Achievement First has made to them. A milestone for its Rhode Island region. For me, the celebration also showed something important about who Achievement First is becoming as a region. Leaders from across its now eight schools came to celebrate Envision's founding team. Seeing school leaders alongside its regional team, board members, elected officials, and community partners, I felt the strength of the community behind this new school. As Achievement First continue to strengthen its regional model, Achievement First is building a deeper sense that a win for one school is a win for all of Achievement First. Envision's opening belongs first to the students, families, educators, and leaders who are building its community every day. It is also something its entire Rhode Island region can celebrate. Most of all, I'm excited about what this school will mean for its students. Middle school is a time of profound change and growth. Kids deserve a place where they feel safe, seen, known, and loved, and where the adults around them hold a high bar for what they can accomplish. I have seen Angie do exactly that. In her previous leadership at Providence Mayoral Academy, she brought a deeply kids-first approach to her work while creating space for students to thrive as learners and as people. She brings that same expertise, joy, and fire to Envision, alongside a team of educators and school leaders who are already making the school their own. Walking through Envision that Friday, I felt tremendously hopeful. Achievement First celebrated the opening of its eighth school, and another place where Rhode Island kids can learn, grow, belong, and become who they are meant to be. That is worth celebrating. [email protected]