af annual report 2008
DESCRIPTION
Achievement First Achievement First is a non-profit charter school management organization that operates a growing network of high-performing, K-12 public schools in Connecticut and New York. Achievement First schools will provide all of its 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 of their communities.TRANSCRIPT
�2008 AnnuAl RepoRt
www.achievementfirst.org �
Amistad Academy turns �0!
When we opened the first Achievement First
school, Amistad Academy, we set out to prove
that all students—regardless of zip code, class
or life circumstances—can achieve at high
levels, graduate from college and become
leaders of our communities. Then and still today,
we view this as the civil rights issue of our time.
Over the last 10 years, the Achievement First
network has grown from 84 students at Amistad
Academy in New Haven to 3,700 students at 15
academies in Brooklyn, NY and in New Haven,
Bridgeport and Hartford, CT. In 2009, we will
welcome nearly 5,000 students to Achievement
First schools where they will benefit from a
longer school day and year, outstanding
teachers who give as much as they demand, a
rigorous, college-prep curriculum, extra support
for struggling students, and a school culture
where it is cool to be smart and everyone is a
part of one big family.
The hard work of our teachers and students is
paying off. In NYC, both Achievement First
Crown Heights and Achievement First Endeavor
received straight “A”s on the recently released
NYC DOE Progress Reports (only these two
schools had the two years of testing data
required to receive Progress Report grades).
Achievement First Crown Heights was in the top
4% of all NYC schools, and Achievement First
Endeavor was in the top 1%. In fact, Achieve-
ment First Endeavor was the fourth highest-
performing school out of nearly 1,100 K-8
schools in NYC.
In New Haven, Achievement First’s eighth
graders posted results that were more than
double their New Haven peers and bested state-
wide averages in all subjects—again proving that
the achievement gap can be closed. Amistad
Academy High School’s inaugural 10th-grade
students achieved 93% proficiency in math and
100% proficiency in all three other subjects—
reading, writing and science. Their reading,
writing and science results placed them ahead
of high school students in many of Connecticut’s
wealthiest communities, including Madison,
Greenwich, Guilford and Westport. The U.S.
Department of Education has taken note, and
Amistad Academy was recently highlighted as
one of seven schools in the country that are
models for closing the achievement gap.
As our scholars continue to grow and learn, so
do we. This year we are focused specifically on
improving reading achievement, especially in the
middle schools, and on becoming more effective
in our coaching and development of teachers.
We know that it is the dedicated people who
work at Achievement First schools that make the
real difference in the lives of our kids. As a
growing network, we are focused on recruiting,
training, celebrating and retaining the finest
educators in the country. We have also learned
that we must make equal investments in
systems to support their success—from
curriculum and assessment materials to
operations, finance and technology.
We would like to thank you for supporting our
growth and success over the last 10 years. We
believe more than ever that giving our children—
all our children—a great education is an
economic and moral imperative. We are eager to
work with other schools, districts and change
agents in the broader public education commu-
nity to deliver on this promise. The more we do
this work, the more optimistic we become about
the potential of our collective commitment to
make a real difference in the lives of kids and in
the future they will build.
Dear Friends,
...And Achievement First is still growing!
2009
�999
Dacia M. Toll Co-CEO
Doug McCurry Co-CEO
William R. Berkley Board Chair
www.achievementfirst.org
Our Mission and VisionThe 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 will provide all 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 for our
communities.
Achievement First will continue to create public char-
ter schools that close the achievement gap, while also
looking to partner with other like-minded, reform-ori-
ented organizations to maximize our collective impact.
Together, we will continue our work until every child is
given access to a great education and enjoys the real
freedom that flows from that opportunity.If we succeed In gIvIng the love of learnIng, the learnIng Itself Is sure to follow.
-sIr John lubbock, lord avebury
�
Respect
Closing The Achievement GapWhen we fail to educate urban children, the outcome
is predictable: third graders with poor skills become
middle schoolers with third-grade skills, and then high
school students without the ability to succeed in
college or to compete in today’s economy.
Nationwide, our public education system is still failing
the vast majority of low-income children and their
communities. The consequences of this failure are
disastrous across the board: increased poverty, crime
and incarceration, and decreased productivity and
quality of life. The achievement gap in education is
America’s most vexing social problem—the modern
frontier of the civil rights movement.
THE MAGNITUDE OF THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP IS
CAPTURED IN A FEW DAUNTING STATISTICS.
According to Teach For America, fourth graders
growing up in low-income communities are already
three grade levels behind their peers in high-income
communities. About 50% of them will not graduate
from high school by the time they are 18 years old.
Those who do graduate will perform on average at
an eighth-grade level1. Only one in 10 will graduate
from college2.
According to the National Assessment of Educa-
tion Progress (NAEP), at the time of high school
graduation, the gap in achievement in our country
between black and white students is approximately
four grade levels.
In 2004, African Americans were 54% more likely
( and Hispanics were 140% more likely ) to drop out
of high school than white students.
African-American students are three times more
likely than white students to be placed in special
education programs, and are half as likely to be
in gifted programs in elementary and secondary
schools3.
Our country as a whole is falling further behind our
international peers. According to the Organiza-
tion for Economic Cooperation and Development
(OECD), 15-year-olds in the U.S. rank 24th out of 29
industrialized countries in math performance, and
15th out of 29 countries in reading.
some people say that you can’t fIx publIc educatIon In thIs country untIl you fIx poverty. I thInk they have It exactly backwards. we can’t hope to really fIx poverty untIl we fIx publIc educatIon. – Joel kleIn, nyc schools chancellor
1 National Assessment of Educational Progress, 2005
2 Mortenson, Tom. “Family Income and Higher Education
Opportunity,” Postsecondary Education Opportunity, 2005
3 Teachers College, Columbia University
www.achievementfirst.org �
Our History
In 1998, a group of New Haven founders came
together with a clear goal in mind: to prove that urban
students can achieve at the same high levels as their
affluent suburban counterparts. Confronted by the
popular attitude that demographics were destiny, we
decided that the best way to address the problem
was to change the system.
We set out to create a public charter school—Amis-
tad Academy—that would enable its students to
achieve at extraordinarily high levels. Over the last 10
years, Amistad has produced Connecticut Mastery
Test (CMT) results that have shattered the notion that
“those kids can’t learn.” For the past seven years,
Amistad students—100% of whom are selected by
blind lottery, 78% of whom receive free and reduced
lunch, and 98% of whom are African-American or
Hispanic—have beat state averages in reading and
math, demonstrating that they can achieve on par
with their wealthier peers statewide.
In June 2003 we created a separate 501(c)3 non-
profit, Achievement First, with the goal of using
Amistad’s knowledge and best practices to have a
greater impact. We opened the second school, Elm
City College Prep, in 2004 and expanded the model
to include elementary grades.
In fall 2005, under the leadership of New York City
Schools Chancellor Joel Klein, Achievement First
expanded into Brooklyn. One of Klein’s core reform
strategies was to locate high-performing public char-
ter schools in New York’s lowest-performing districts.
Achievement First opened two new schools in central
Brooklyn—Achievement First Crown Heights Charter
School and Achievement First East New York Charter
School.
The Brooklyn network continued to grow in 2006
with the opening of Achievement First Bushwick
Charter School and Achievement First Endeavor
Charter School, followed in 2008 by Achievement
First Brownsville. Thanks to changes in Connecticut
charter law, we were also able to open Amistad High
School and Amistad Elementary, paving the way
for Connecticut’s first K-12 public charter school.
Achievement First’s Connecticut network was able to
expand into Bridgeport with a new middle school in
2007 and, in 2008, into Hartford with new elementary
and middle schools.
Achievement First has grown into a network that in-
cludes 15 academies, nine charters and four cities. In
1999, Amistad Academy opened with 84 sixth grad-
ers. Now, in the 2008-09 school year, Achievement
First is serving 3,700 students in grades K-11.
* achIevement fIrst crown heIghts elementary school & mIddle school open
* amIstad academy opens
* elm cIty college prep elementary school & mIddle school open
* achIevement fIrst east new york elementary school opens
�999
2004
200�
2006
2007
2008
2009
20�0
* amIstad academy elementary school & hIgh school open
* achIevement fIrst bushwIck elementary school opens
* achIevement fIrst endeavor mIddle school opens
* achIevement fIrst brIdgeport academy mIddle school opens
* achIevement fIrst bushwIck mIddle school opens
* achIevement fIrst hartford academy elementary school & mIddle school open
20��
* achIevement fIrst brownsvIlle elementary school opens
�04 scholars
946 scholars
�,68� scholars
2,��4 scholars
�,700 scholars
84 scholars
�68 scholars
2�2 scholars
��6 scholars
�0 years & growIng! over the next decade, achIevement fIrst wIll grow to �0 schools servIng over ��,�00 students.
www.achievementfirst.org 7
TEACHERS ARE PLATINUM At Achievement First
schools, teachers are platinum: they are treated as
respected professionals and are held to high
standards of performance and integrity. We invest in
our talent, support everyone’s development and
reward outstanding performance. Our faculty is
recruited from across the country to ensure that
scholars are taught by knowledgeable, committed
and talented professionals. Achievement First
teachers receive more than quadruple the typical
amount of professional development. Principals
spend almost all their time observing, teaching and
coaching in the classrooms.
TEACHERS WHO KNOW AND CARE Unlike
schools with a thousand or more students,
Achievement First schools are small learning
communities in which teachers and leaders know
the names of all students (every academy has fewer
than 400 students). Our schools use a co-advisor
system in which a class of 25-27 students is co-
advised by two teachers; the advisors work hard to
develop meaningful relationships with all the
students in their advisory.
SCHOOL LEADERSHIP Since the Achievement
First operations and central teams take almost all
non-instructional matters off the principal’s plate,
the principal serves as a true instructional leader—
working intensely with teachers, analyzing student
performance data, observing classes, giving
feedback, modeling excellent lessons and planning
standards-based units together with teachers.
Principals also have hiring and firing power for all
employees in the building. Lastly, every principal at
Achievement First teaches a class, sending a
powerful message that teaching is what is valued
most at an Achievement First school.
In the school
educatIon Is the most powerful weapon whIch you can use to change the world. -nelson mandala
Our Program Elements
WE’RE A NON-PROFIT
WE’RE PUBLIC Students are selected by lottery,
and significant efforts are made to encourage as
many students and communities as possible to join
the lottery pool. We serve special education
students, English Language Learners, talented and
gifted students, and everyone else who comes
through the blind lottery to our schools. Results are
not achieved by cultivating the best students—they
are achieved by cultivating all students.
EFFECTIVE OPERATIONS Achievement First
teachers and principals are supported by an
outstanding operations team that works hard to
handle most non-instructional tasks (busing, food
service, facilities, field trips, budget and finance,
state reporting, etc.). We apply the same approach
to operations that we do to school development:
implement processes based on our best knowledge
and then continuously hone the process in
operation. When the system works efficiently in one
location, we bring other locations online one by one
until all are operating efficiently.
PARENTS AS PARTNERS At Achievement First
schools, a three-way partnership—students,
teachers and parents—requires teamwork to
achieve academic breakthroughs and ensure that all
children are achieving their best. Parents, students
and school staff all sign a contract that outlines their
shared commitment to hard work and consistent
support of one another.
POWERFUL USE OF DATA Achievement First’s
rigorous, college-preparatory core curriculum clearly
outlines the essential knowledge and skills that
students need to master at every grade level. Every
six weeks, teachers give interim assessments (unit
tests) that measure how much students have
learned. These results are uploaded to Achievement
First Athena, our interim assessment platform, so
that teachers and principals are able to review the
data together and create a plan that targets whole
class, small group and one-on-one instruction to
ensure that every student masters the material.
Athena has greatly improved our teaching by
allowing teachers and principals to track perfor-
mance from one interim assessment to the next and
to drill down to individual student needs.
In the network
Enthusiasm
www.achievementfirst.org
Our Program Elements
COLLEGE EXPECTATIONS At Achievement First,
we continuously expose scholars to college. In our
achievement-oriented culture, it is cool to be smart,
and all students work hard to climb the mountain
to college. Achievement First’s academic program
puts every student on a college preparatory track,
starting with kindergarten. The names of our
classes are college names; instead of asking Ms.
Smith’s class to line up, a teacher there might say,
“Wake Forest, line up.” Students make field trips
to colleges, hear speakers talk about college, write
research papers on colleges and, most importantly,
master a college-preparatory curriculum.
MORE TIME ON TASK Our school day runs from
7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. with tutoring available
during and after school, an average of one to two
hours of homework per night, and an intensive
independent reading program so that students will
READ, READ, READ both at home and at school.
All students attend our three-week, extended-year
Summer Academy.
ACADEMIC STANDARDS Achievement First’s
academic program has borrowed from the best
practices of high-performing schools across the
country. Every class has a New York or Connecticut
state-standards-based focus. Teachers understand
that “covering material” is not our goal; what is im-
portant is how well students master the standards.
INTENSIVE INTERVENTIONS We realize that
some students will need even more time and
extra support. These students receive small group
instruction or tutoring during the school day, before
and after-school, and/or on Saturdays. Both
teachers and students believe that we need to do
“whatever it takes” to make sure all students learn.
CHARACTER EDUCATION Achievement First
lives by the REACH values (Respect, Enthusiasm,
Achievement, Citizenship and Hard Work), which
inform and guide all aspects of what we do and
help create a positive, achievement-oriented school
culture. Values and good behavior are taught as
explicitly as academics, and we all work together
as one team and family.
wIth our students
Achievement
9
�00% of achIevement fIrst students are admItted by blInd lottery.
��
a teacher affects eternIty. he can never tell where hIs Influence stops. -henry adams
Our Core ValuesWe live by our core values, which inform and guide all
aspects of our work—from the classroom to the
central office—and help create a positive, achieve-
ment-oriented school culture. Achievement First’s core
values are:
RESULTS WITHOUT EXCUSES OR SHORTCUTS
Achievement First sets ambitious, clearly measur-
able goals to deliver on the promise to provide all
students with an outstanding education. When we
fall short of these goals—which we sometimes
do—we tackle this challenge head on and are
willing to change the way we do things in order to
achieve the excellence our students deserve.
PEOPLE MATTER, MIGHTILY Achievement First
knows that the most important factor affecting the
achievement of our students is the quality and
commitment of our teachers and leaders. We
aggressively recruit talent, select carefully and
heavily invest in our people so that they can, in
turn, make a real difference in the lives of our
students.
EXCELLENCE IS A HABIT Baked into Achieve-
ment First’s culture is a relentless pursuit of
excellence, and we do not settle for “so-so” from
students or staff.
SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF We believe that
countless unseen or overlooked details are the
difference between mediocre and magnificent.
TEAM AND FAMILY This work is a team sport;
everyone shares in Achievement First’s collective
success while celebrating the individual strengths
and differences of each person and school.
FIRST THINGS FIRST The needs of students
always come first.
WHATEVER IT TAKES Achievement First gives
100% every day and goes the extra mile to make
the difference in every student’s life.
MANY MINDS, ONE MISSION Together with
parents, partners and supporters, Achievement
First works to improve the communities in which
we work.
EVERYTHING WITH INTEGRITY The REACH
values are not merely posted on the wall for
students; they drive the words and actions of all
members of the Achievement First team.
Citizenship
www.achievementfirst.org
www.achievementfirst.org ��Hard Work
educatIon Is not receIved.It Is achIeved. -anonymous
“Achievement First has great professional develop-
ment. For the first time in my teaching career, I have
ongoing opportunities to understand, refine and reflect
on the tools I use in my classroom. At Achievement
First, we had three weeks of professional develop-
ment before school even started. Every Friday is a half
day so that teachers have time to work on everything
from improving our reading instruction to school-wide
behavior plans. I am growing as a teacher every day.”
YVETTE MERRIT Achievement First Bushwick
Elementary School founding teacher (2006-current)
Our Teachers & Parents
“I went into teaching because I love kids and believe
in the transformative power of education. However,
in my old school I felt like I was working in isolation.
I would work so hard to help my students achieve
things that even they did not think possible, and then
I would watch them go down the hall or to the next
grade, and there was no continuity. Now I finally work
in a school with colleagues who share my expecta-
tions, and I am constantly amazed at how much I
learn from them. Working with a great team of teach-
ers means I am always getting better and stronger as
an educator. I am excited to come to work and feel
like my work is really valued. Most importantly, I now
see my students growing, year after year, in the care
of other great teachers.”
MATT TAYLOR Amistad Academy Middle School
teacher (2003-2005), Amistad Academy Middle
School principal (2005-current)
“The best gift I can give my daughter is a good foun-
dation for a better education. This is what made me
look to Achievement First.”
JOHN KAKU Parent
“I have always wanted to give my children the best
education possible, even though I cannot afford
private schools. Since my daughter started at an
Achievement First school, her behavior and academ-
ics have improved tremendously. Achievement First
schools are places where children are encouraged to
satisfy their hunger to learn.”
MARILYN VEGA Parent
www.achievementfirst.org ��
Kaylani Rosado Amistad Class of 2004
Though away at boarding school, Kaylani has been an
active participant in the Amistad alumni program. She
has taken advantage of SAT prep classes, overnight
retreats, high school support and academic counsel-
ing, and the internship program. Kaylani continues to
lead alumni group sessions on private school life and
the college process.
AMISTAD ACADEMY MIDDLE SCHOOL
Class of 2004
Earned academic honors
Started rowing lessons with the Yale crew team
Participated in dance
WILLISTON NORTHAMPTON SCHOOL
Class of 2009
Participated in rigorous dance and choreography
program
Member of the Diversity Club
Member of the Chamber Singing Group
Toured prospective students
UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT
Class of 2012
Jared Bailey Amistad Class of 2002
“Amistad Academy teachers care. That is what kids
need—teachers who go the extra mile. At Amistad,
the faculty inundated us with the idea of going to col-
lege. Most kids do not think about college until high
school, but we were cheering ‘go to college’ in our
morning assembly in sixth grade.”
kIara & Jared graduated from amIstad academy mIddle school
kIara graduated from the hopkIns school
kIara wIll graduate from connectIcut college
albert & kIamesha graduated from amIstad academy mIddle school
albert graduated from notre dame hIgh school of west haven
albert wIll graduate from wesleyan
kIamesha graduated from hIll regIonal career magnet school
kaylanI graduated from amIstad academy mIddle school
kaylanI wIll graduate from the unIversIty of connectIcut
kaylanI wIll graduate from wIllIston northampton school
2002
2004
200�
2006
2007
2008
2009
20�0
20��
200�
20�2
20��
kIamesha wIll graduate from southern connectIcut
state unIversIty
Jared wIll graduate from new york unIversIty
Many talented scholars have come through Amis-
tad’s doors since 1999 as part of their climb up the
mountain to college. Kiara, Albert, Kiamesha, Kaylani
and Jared are six examples who illustrate Amistad’s
impact, what Amistad alumni have accomplished and
how they work to give back.
Kiara Fuller Amistad Class of 2002
Kiara is an active Amistad alum, hosting overnight
visits for current Amistad students to Connecticut
College and leading alumni group sessions on private
school life and the college process. She has also
taken advantage of Amistad alumni resources such as
academic counseling, SAT prep classes, an internship
program, and workshops on financial aid and essay
writing.
AMISTAD ACADEMY MIDDLE SCHOOL
Class of 2002
Earned academic honors
Qualified for the REACH Award
THE HOPKINS SCHOOL
Class of 2006
Participated in the Concert Choir
Member of Amnesty International, S.U.R.E (Students
United for Racial Equality) and the Spanish Club
Ran varsity track and tutored middle-school students
CONNECTICUT COLLEGE
Class of 2010
Member of the Advisory Board for Student
Counseling
Chair of Umoja, the Black Student Union
Chair of the Gospel Choir
Leaves in January 2009 to study abroad in Vietnam
Albert Maldonado Amistad Class of 2003
Through Albert’s involvement with the Amistad alumni
program, he interned with the New Alliance Bank and
the Grand Avenue Village Association. Albert has also
taken advantage of alumni programs such as SAT
prep classes, week-long college tours to Maryland,
Washington, DC and North Carolina, and an overnight
retreat in his junior year to set goals and prepare for
his senior year in high school. To stay connected to
Amistad, he has mentored current scholars and has
led group sessions on the college admission process.
AMISTAD ACADEMY MIDDLE SCHOOL
Class of 2003
One of three students in Advanced Geometry
Earned academic honors
Participated in soccer and varsity basketball
NOTRE DAME HIGH SCHOOL OF WEST HAVEN
Class of 2008
Earned academic honors
Participated on the varsity football team
Volunteered with local political campaigns
WESLEYAN
Class of 2012
Kiamesha Holland Amistad Class of 2003
Kiamesha has taken full advantage of Amistad alumni
resources around career services, interning at the
Yale-New Haven Hospital and New Haven Pediatrics.
As an alumna of Amistad, she also participated in a
four-day, summer pre-college retreat to the University
of New Haven to jumpstart her college application
process. Kiamesha continues to tutor Amistad schol-
ars during Saturday Academy.
AMISTAD ACADEMY MIDDLE SCHOOL
Class of 2003
Earned academic honors
Qualified for the REACH Award
Participated in dance
HILL REGIONAL CAREER MAGNET SCHOOL
Class of 2008
Earned academic honors while working three jobs
Starred in the school production of Dream Girls
Interned at Yale Hospital in the Neo-natal Unit
SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT STATE UNIVERSITY
Class of 2011
Growing up with Amistad
�7
Amistad Academy Middle
Amistad Academy Middle School, the Achievement
First flagship, opened in New Haven in 1999 and
celebrates its 10th year of operation in the 2008-09
academic year. The school was profiled in the PBS
documentary “Closing the Achievement Gap” (2004)
and was named Connecticut’s 2006 Title I Distin-
guished School after having the greatest student
performance gains of any middle school in the state.
The school gathers every week for Morning Circle,
where students are recognized by teachers and peers
for academic achievement and strong character skills.
Town Meetings take place every six weeks and build
school spirit with music, skits, cheers, awards and the
announcement of the most recent classroom winner
of the highly coveted Homework Championship Cup.
Amistad Middle’s robust after-school enrichment
program, Encore!, offers students daily expert
instruction in theater, karate, dance, orchestra,
volleyball, step team, graphic design, and other arts
and athletic activities.
SCHOOL LEADER MATTHEW TAYLOR
GRADES SERVED 5-8 # OF STUDENTS 286
Our Schools
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT HIGHLIGHTS
In New York City, our oldest elementary students
(third graders) had their first chance to take state
tests. Ninety-nine percent of them passed the NYS
Math exam, while 84% passed the NYS English
Language Arts exam.
Our oldest Brooklyn middle school students (sev-
enth graders) outperformed their Crown Heights
peers by 25 percentage points in reading and 30
percentage points in math.
Both Achievement First Crown Heights and Achieve-
ment First Endeavor received straight “A”s on the
recently released NYC DOE Progress Reports (only
these two schools had the two years of testing
data required to receive Progress Report grades).
Achievement First Crown Heights was in the top 4%
of all NYC schools, and Achievement First Endeavor
was in the top 1%. In fact, Achievement Endeavor
ranked number four among nearly 1,100 K-8
schools in NYC.
Achievement First’s New Haven eighth graders, our
oldest middle-school students, posted results that
were almost double their New Haven peers and
bested state-wide averages in all three subjects
(reading, writing and math) with 77% proficiency in
reading, 93% proficiency in math and 96% profi-
ciency in writing.
Amistad Academy was recently highlighted by the
U.S. Department of Education as one of seven
schools in the country that are models for closing
the achievement gap.
Amistad Academy High School showed exceptional
results in its first year of testing, with the inaugural
10th-grade students achieving 93% proficiency in
math and 100% proficiency in all three other sub-
jects—reading, writing and science. These results
position Amistad High’s New Haven students as
number one in the region for reading and number
two for writing, outperforming students in both
Madison and Guilford, CT.
GROWTH HIGHLIGHTS
From June 2008 to August 2008, we grew by 45%
and are now supporting 3,700 scholars on their
climb up the mountain to college. In the 2008-09
academic year we added three new academies,
moved into six new facilities, expanded to offer 11
new grades, hired and trained 170 new teach-
ers and leaders, and added more than 1,200 new
students to the Achievement First family.
Just over three years after expanding into NYC,
Achievement First now serves 2,100 students at five
Brooklyn charter schools. Achievement First was
pleased to open Achievement First Brownsville in
2008.
After a long campaign and with a lot of help,
Achievement First Hartford Academy opened in
August 2008 with 252 scholars, bringing our total
Connecticut enrollment to 1,600.
www.achievementfirst.org
www.achievementfirst.org �9
Amistad Academy High
In August 2006, Amistad Academy High School
opened as the first high school in the Achievement
First network. Amistad High focuses on its own set of
core values—Grit, Independence, Judgment, Integrity
and Citizenship—and holds students to high aca-
demic standards. Acceptance to a four-year college is
a pre-requisite for graduation, and every student must
take at least two Advanced Placement (AP) courses,
AP History and AP Biology. Evidence of Amistad
High’s academic rigor can be found in its 10th-grade
scores on the Connecticut Academic Performance
Test (CAPT). In their first year of testing, students
achieved 93% proficiency (Level 3 or higher) in math
and 100% proficiency in all three other subjects—
reading, writing and science. These results position
Amistad High’s students as number one in the region
for reading and number two for writing, outperforming
students in both Madison and Guilford.
Amistad Academy High School provides many excit-
ing enrichment opportunities and activities for its stu-
dents. Athletic offerings include basketball, lacrosse,
pep squad, women’s volleyball, squash and athletic
conditioning. Students can also participate in theater,
creative music, debate and a literary magazine. The
school’s chess club recently placed third in the state.
During the summer, students are required to partici-
pate in an enrichment activity grounded in academics
or community service.
SCHOOL LEADER JEFF SUDMYER
GRADES SERVED 9-11 (GROWING TO 9-12)
# OF STUDENTS 126
�999 amIstad academy opens
�68 scholars
2�2 scholars
��6 scholars
��6 scholars
2006 *amIstad academy elementary *amIstad academy hIgh
946 scholars
�04 scholars
Amistad Academy Elementary
Amistad Academy Elementary opened in New Haven
in 2006 as the long-awaited elementary expansion
of the flagship Amistad Academy Middle School. At
the beginning of the elementary school’s first year
of operation, only 4% of kindergarten scholars were
reading at or above grade level; by the end of the
year, the percentage had risen to 99%. The key to
Amistad Elementary’s success is a school culture built
on a strong foundation of sharing and caring, working
hard, reflecting and having fun. Every morning, the
music teacher kicks off Morning Motivation with a
chant called “Are you going to have fun today?” For
teachers, collegial observation is common, and “best
practices” are constantly shared.
SCHOOL LEADER TISHA MARKETTE
GRADES SERVED K-2 (GROWING TO K-4)
# OF STUDENTS 257
www.achievementfirst.org 2�
In the 2008-09 academic year, Elm City Middle’s fifth
graders are the first scholars in the network to have
graduated from an Achievement First elementary
school and move up to an Achievement First middle
school. While incoming fifth graders have historically
averaged two years below grade level, many of these
students are more than a full year ahead. Elm City
Middle boasts a particularly “warm demanding”
culture, where respect, teamwork and achieving
one’s best are the gold standard. As with all
Achievement First middle schools, students at Elm
City Middle look forward all year to the end-of-year
college field trips—a critical component of the
college-focused curriculum. Elm City’s fifth-grade
scholars visit Temple University in Philadelphia, sixth
graders travel to Bowdoin College in Brunswick,
Maine, seventh graders visit Morehouse and Spelman
Colleges in Atlanta, and eighth graders visit the
University of California at Berkeley. During these trips,
students tour the campuses, attend lectures,
participate in mock interviews with admissions staff
and stay in the dormitories. While the college visit is
the core of each trip, students’ horizons are
broadened in countless other ways. For example,
sixth graders go camping, hiking and biking through
Acadia National Park, and many eat their first lobster!
SCHOOL LEADER MARC MICHAELSON
GRADES SERVED 5-8 # OF STUDENTS 214
Elm City College Prep Middle
Elm City College Prep Elementary
Elm City College Preparatory Elementary School
opened in New Haven in 2004 and was the first
Achievement First school with an elementary program.
Four years later, the elementary reading curriculum
continues to center around a three-hour, sacred read-
ing block that uses a phonics-based literacy program
and text-rich classrooms. Immersed in sounds and
words, students are quickly provided with a solid,
early foundation for more advanced reading. At Elm
City Elementary, teachers find creative and funny ways
to encourage and reward hard work, like reading
sleepover nights and special days with themes like
wacky hair.
SCHOOL LEADER MORGAN BARTH
GRADES SERVED K-4 # OF STUDENTS 268
2004
�999 amIstad academy opens
�68 scholars
2�2 scholars
��6 scholars
��6 scholars
*elm cIty college prep elementary*elm cIty college prep mIddle
www.achievementfirst.org 2�
ACHiEVEMEnT FirST Crown Heights Middle
Achievement First Crown Heights Middle School
balances fun and excitement with discipline, reflection
and focus. The school hosts a challenge event each
month that fosters healthy competition, like a Book
Bowl that quizzes students on books they have read
or a Multiplication Tournament that pits new winners
against former champions. Among the school’s many
character development initiatives, the Natural Born
Aces (NBA) program is unique. This program helps
male scholars who are on the cusp of becoming
Aces (getting straight “A”s) achieve their goal with the
help of team goal-setting, emotional support from
peers and candid conversations about the formation
of their identity as young, African-American males.
After-school activities include a documentary film
club, art club, orchestra, step team, track and
basketball. Last year, the school was proud that both
its boys’ and girls’ basketball teams placed second in
the NYC Charter School Athletic League.
SCHOOL LEADER ORPHEUS WILLIAMS
GRADES SERVED 5-8 # OF STUDENTS 327
ACHiEVEMEnT FirST Crown Heights Elementary
�999 amIstad academy opens
�68 scholars
2�2 scholars
��6 scholars
��6 scholars
�04 scholars
200�
Achievement First Crown Heights Charter School
opened in central Brooklyn in 2005 as one of the first
two Achievement First schools in New York City. The
elementary program has a special school culture that
pairs fun incentive programs with a thoughtful
emphasis on diversity, conflict resolution and personal
enrichment. Students can earn “paw prints” (the
school’s mascot is the cougar) and redeem them for
special events and activities at weekly Funtastic
Fridays. In the school’s Problem Solvers Newsletter,
students write letters about challenges they face, and
a rotating team of student editors publish their
responses in the newsletter. During Summer Academy
(which is required for all students), after their core
math and reading blocks, students can participate in
activities like yoga, Spanish, chess, jazz, ultimate
Frisbee, scrap-booking, photography and gardening
(just to name a few).
SCHOOL LEADER MIKE KERR
GRADES SERVED K-4 # OF STUDENTS 420
*crown heIghts elementary*crown heIghts mIddle
www.achievementfirst.org 2�
ACHiEVEMEnT FirST Bushwick Elementary
Achievement First Bushwick Charter School opened
with the elementary program in the fall of 2006, fol-
lowed one year later by the middle school program.
The elementary school serves the largest Hispanic
population in the Achievement First network. As a
result, a substantial portion of the school’s leader-
ship, operations and teaching staff is bilingual, and
all materials sent home to parents are written in
Spanish and English. The school celebrates the
cultural heritage of students and families with a yearly
multi-cultural showcase and potluck dinner. Like
their cousins at other Achievement First elementary
schools, Bushwick scholars enjoy REACH Circle and
a host of fun enrichment activities, including martial
arts, drama club, dance club and chorus. The school
has partnered with local arts organizations for lessons
in music, the guitar club is funded through the Little
Kids Rock Foundation and the Piano School provides
lessons at a reduced rate.
SCHOOL LEADER LIZETTE SUXO
GRADES SERVED K-3 (GROWING TO K-4)
# OF STUDENTS 334
�999 amIstad academy opens
�68 scholars
2�2 scholars
��6 scholars
��6 scholars
�04 scholars
ACHiEVEMEnT FirST East new York Elementary
Achievement First East New York Charter School
opened with kindergarten and first grades in the fall
of 2005. The cornerstone of the school culture is the
value of team and family as embodied by the “wolf
pack” (the school’s mascot is the wolf). Students earn
their way into the pack by demonstrating citizenship,
hard work and achievement. Teachers work hard
to make sure parents are part of the pack, too. The
weekly parent newsletter includes a “test busters”
column, and there are regular workshops on how to
reinforce aspects of the Achievement First program
at home. Teachers and parents share a common lan-
guage around educational goals. Like other Achieve-
ment First schools, Achievement First East New York
offers unique enrichment activities. Students can
participate in kung-fu, basketball, yoga, track, step
team, dance team, chorus, guitar club and African
drumming. Last year, one classroom worked with an
animation studio to develop the storyline, characters
and dialogue for a short animated film.
SCHOOL LEADER DENNISTON REID
GRADES SERVED K-4 # OF STUDENTS 421
200� *east new york elementary
*bushwIck elementary2006
www.achievementfirst.org 27
ACHiEVEMEnT FirST Endeavor Middle
Achievement First Endeavor Charter School opened
with fifth grade in central Brooklyn in the fall of 2006.
It was recently ranked the fourth best K-8 school in all
of New York City (out of nearly 1,100 schools!) on the
NYC DOE Progress Reports. Character building is at
the heart of the school’s teaching philosophy.
Students participate in daily advisories that address
peer interaction, conflict resolution and personal
growth. Students are pushed out of their comfort
zones and into situations that allow them to build
confidence. For instance, sixth graders went camping
and explored caves on last year’s end-of-year school
trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains. Through the
school’s Kindness Campaign, students are rewarded
for acts of kindness with Mardi Gras beads. Achieve-
ment First Endeavor is proud of its teams and clubs,
especially the Rhythm and Funk Jazz Band and the
boys’ basketball team, which won the NYC Charter
School Athletic League Championship.
SCHOOL LEADER ERIC REDWINE
GRADES SERVED 5-7 (GROWING TO 5-8)
# OF STUDENTS 259
2007
�999 amIstad academy opens
�68 scholars
2�2 scholars
��6 scholars
��6 scholars
*bushwIck mIddle
�04 scholars
ACHiEVEMEnT FirST Bushwick Middle
946 scholars
At Achievement First Bushwick Middle School, teach-
ers strive to build student buy-in, nurture close part-
nerships with students and parents, and make sure
that expectations set at school are upheld at home.
Like other Achievement First middle schools in New
York, Achievement First Bushwick scholars have 90
minutes of math instruction and more than two hours
of reading instruction every day. Scholars can serve
as representatives on the Principal Advisory Board, a
group of students that oversees and rules on “cases”
which include students who are close to meeting
homework goals but have not made the cut-off for the
end-of-the-year field trip. Running, basketball, dance
and jazz orchestra are among the school’s other
activities. Like all Achievement First schools, Achieve-
ment First Bushwick Middle finds creative ways to
recognize and reward achievement. Red carpet
events are used to honor Aces (students who receive
straight “A”s in a trimester) and students participate in
a Scholar Dollar auction in which all items are focused
on “quality time” with teachers.
SCHOOL LEADER AMY D’ANGELO
GRADES SERVED 5-6 (GROWING TO 5-8)
# OF STUDENTS 178
*endeavor mIddle2006
NOTE: These students have only been enrolled for one year at Achievement First.
www.achievementfirst.org 29
ACHiEVEMEnT FirST Brownsville Elementary
Achievement First Brownsville Charter School opened
with kindergarten and first grades in August 2008 and
is not wasting any time putting scholars on the path
to college. The math curriculum focuses on problem
solving and introduces pre-algebra concepts starting
in kindergarten, and teachers are implementing a new
reading program that incorporates oral language
development by focusing on visual cues. To stimulate
student interest in writing, each child works on a
writing portfolio that allows scholars to see their own
progress over time. At Achievement First Brownsville,
teachers understand the importance of celebrating
early milestones in student achievement. Individuals
are recognized for being able to count to a desig-
nated number, and the community celebrates when
all students in a class can count to that number. This
builds a sense of personal success and community
pride. The school has ambitious goals for partnering
with parents, including four curriculum nights focused
on finding ways to help children at school and home.
The school also hosts bi-monthly coffee events that
allow parents to drop in for more casual meetings
with school leaders and teachers.
SCHOOL LEADER GINA MUSUMECI
GRADES SERVED K-1 (GROWING TO K-4)
# OF STUDENTS 178
note: achIevement fIrst brownsvIlle scholars wIll take theIr fIrst standardIzed assessments In June 2009 at the end of theIr fIrst year.
2007
�999 amIstad academy opens
�68 scholars
2�2 scholars
��6 scholars
��6 scholars
*brIdgeport mIddle
�04 scholars
ACHiEVEMEnT FirST Bridgeport Middle
2008 *brownsvIlle elementary
946 scholars
�,68� scholars
Achievement First Bridgeport Academy’s 2007 start-
up marked an important milestone in Achievement
First history—the first expansion of our Connecticut
family beyond New Haven. This took some cunning
and courage, so it is fitting that the school’s mascot
is the Achievement First Bridgeport Academy Lion.
For scholars, the lion symbolizes a school culture that
takes great pride in personal achievement, teamwork
and strong community bonds. Students gather on Fri-
day afternoons for Pride Circle, where individuals are
recognized for academic accomplishments and acting
in ways that show the REACH values (Respect, En-
thusiasm, Achievement, Citizenship and Hard Work).
Achievement First Bridgeport Academy scholars are
particularly enthusiastic about reading and music.
Students spend a portion of every day “independent
hunting” (an activity otherwise known as independent
reading) and the school boasts a talented Lion Jazz
Ensemble. As a special treat for family and friends, the
Lion Jazz Ensemble performed a concert last June at
Bridgeport’s illustrious Downtown Cabaret Theater.
SCHOOL LEADER DEBON LEWIS
GRADES SERVED 5-6 (GROWING TO 5-8)
# OF STUDENTS 160
NOTE: These students have only been enrolled for one year at Achievement First.
www.achievementfirst.org ��
ACHiEVEMEnT FirST Hartford Middle
At Achievement First Hartford Middle, the backbone
of the daily program is a schedule that provides
three-and-a-half hours of literacy instruction for every
student, in the form of a 90-minute literature class,
a 30-minute reading skills block and a 45-minute
“literacy workshop” where students at similar reading
levels receive targeted instruction in small groups.
Students also receive 90 minutes of math instruction
and 45 minutes of history and science instruction
daily. All of this intellectual activity is offset by a 45-
minute daily physical education class. One hour is set
aside every Friday afternoon for community-building
activities. The school is also excited to begin a fledg-
ling after-school program that will grow in proportion
to the school until scholars are participating in a full
array of sports teams, music and arts opportunities,
and academic clubs.
SCHOOL LEADER JEFF HOUSE
GRADES SERVED 5 (GROWING TO 5-8)
# OF STUDENTS 85
note: achIevement fIrst hartford scholars wIll take theIr fIrst standardIzed assessments In march 2009 of theIr fIrst year.
�999 amIstad academy opens
�68 scholars
2�2 scholars
��6 scholars
��6 scholars
�04 scholars
ACHiEVEMEnT FirST Hartford Elementary
2008 *hartford mIddle*hartford elementary
946 scholars
�,68� scholars
Achievement First Hartford Academy opened with
kindergarten, first and fifth grades in August 2008 as
part of Superintendant Steven Adamowski’s ambitious
reform plan for the district. At the elementary school,
a tremendous focus is placed on reading, which
occupies three hours of instruction per day broken
into alternating blocks of small group instruction.
Vocabulary building is an important part of the reading
curriculum as well. Kindergarteners and first graders
have started working on a giant vocabulary wall that
will eventually engulf an entire hallway. Teachers and
students start the day with Morning Motivation, which
includes recognitions and shout-outs and often ends
with the principal sharing an example of great student
work. At Achievement First Hartford Elementary,
teachers do not just preach constant learning—they
practice it. Teachers frequently demonstrate effective
teaching practices for each other, and every teacher
is assigned a coach from the school leadership
team. Teachers meet with their coaches on a weekly
basis to identify strengths and strategies for teaching
improvement.
SCHOOL LEADER CLAIRE SHIN
GRADES SERVED K-1 (GROWING TO K-4)
# OF STUDENTS 168
FPO
2,��4 scholars
note: achIevement fIrst hartford scholars wIll take theIr fIrst standardIzed assessments In June 2009 at the end of theIr fIrst year.
Our School Finances
Achievement First is incredibly grateful for the support
of our host districts in helping us bridge the facilities
challenges that accompany our growth. Thanks to
the leadership of NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg and
NYC Chancellor Joel Klein, all New York Achievement
First schools have been provided with public school
buildings at virtually no cost.
We are also thankful for partnerships with Bridgeport
Public Schools and Hartford Public Schools and their
provision of free facilities and support for our expan-
sion to new communities.
As we continue to grow, Achievement First is in the
midst of building a comprehensive K-8 facility for
Amistad Academy in New Haven—funded through
a combination of private philanthropy and a $24MM
state facility bond—and one for Achievement First En-
deavor in Brooklyn. The new facility for Achievement
First Endeavor will house 700 K-8 students from the
Fort Greene and Bedford-Stuyvesant communities.
Thanks to the partnership of Civic Builders and the
Department of Education, as well as the Robin Hood
Foundation’s cultivation of donor-advised gifts from
Atticus Capital and the Pfizer Foundation, Achieve-
ment First has raised nearly all of the funding needed
to complete the project in time for the 2009-2010
school year. We continue to ramp up our fundraising
initiatives to secure the remaining $2MM and welcome
your support.
Revenue Philanthropy
Revenue Federal
Revenue State
Our Facilities
new York Achievement First School Model
Connecticut Achievement First School Model
Facility Operating Expenses
Non-Personnel, Non-Program Expenses
Non-Personnel Program Expenses
Personnel Expenses
��
Host District Expenses
BASED ON 2007-2008 FUNDING AT FULL ENROLLMENT
Achievement First operates college-preparatory public charter schools at a per-student cost equal to or less
than that of its host public school districts in New York and Connecticut.
**
2007-2008 Central Office Expenses By Functional Area
Our Central Finances2007-2008 UNAUDITED FINANCIALS (Fiscal Year Starts July 1st)
26%
2%
Curriculum, Prof. Dev. & School Support
Development & Community Relations
Talent Development & Recruiting
General, Administrative & Finance
Operations & IT
Depreciation
Athena*
Revenues 858,614
Expenses (including depreciation) 558,445
Net income 300,169
Achievement First Central
Management fees 2,014,487
Philanthropy 3,656,442
Other 260,166
Total 5,931,094
Personnel expenses 3,759,595
Non-personnel expenses 1,845,973
Depreciation expense 139,656
Total 5,745,223
NET SURPLUS/(DEFICIT) 185,871
20%20%
�6%
��%
*Athena™ is Achievement First’s custom-built, web-based interim
assessment platform, providing performance data analysis and
knowledge management for teachers and school leaders to create
data-driven instructional battle plans as they help every student climb
the mountain to college. Athena is a stand-alone software platform that
is independently managed from Achievement First’s central operations.
www.achievementfirst.org
EXPENSES
SOURCES OF REVENUE
Rendering of new facility for Achievement First Endeavor
**Does not include transportation or food service costs, charter/contract/foster care payments, and non-public school and FIT payments.
www.achievementfirst.org
Jim Cullen
William Curran
Kevin and Katrin Czinger
Anthony Davis
Geoffrey and Mary Davis
Henry Davis
Phoebe Davis
Carolyn Downey
Susan B. Dunn
John and Dawn Egan
Emily Eisenlohr
Eric Epstein
Daniel and Elizabeth Esty
John and Katharine Esty
Ruth Feldman
Richard and Marissa Ferguson
Stephen and Jo Ann Flaum
Sarah Flynn
Lawrence and Megan Foley
George Fox
Catherine Frantzis
Stephen and Linda Friedman
Chris and Toddie Getman
J. Colin Gibson
Chip and Margie Gillis
Susan and Michael Glick
Gary F. Goldring
Bonni Gould
William and Jean Graustein
Adam and Carolyn Greene
Ike and Lesley Goff
Mark Gudis and MaryGrace Gudis
Allen Hadelman
Jim and Melinda Hamilton
Todd and Leslie Hammer
D. Alan and Marcella Harris
Mike Harris
Robert and Kristy Harteveldt
James and Ann Healey
William and Judy Heins
Carlton and Letamarie Highsmith
Dick and Angelica Hinchcliff
Kenneth M Hirsh
Norman and Sandra Jellinghaus
Judge Clarance and Marueen Jones
Paul Tudor and Sonja Jones
Harold and Margaret Kamins
Warren and Allison Kanders
Michael and Shelly Kassen
Jean Kelley
Shannon Kete
John and Barbara Kimberly
Rebecca Kirk and Stephen Fair
Lee Ann Kline
Nat Klipper
Katherine A. Knetzger
Herbert Kohler Jr.
Harvey Koizim
Carol Kranowitz
Carlene Kulisch
Andrew Lachman
Christopher J. LaCroix
Vivian Lau
Molly Le Van
Martin and Andrea Levine
Robin and Barbara Levine-Ritterman
David Levinson
Dr. Benjamin and Mrs. Ruth Littman
Emily Littman-Eisen
Robert Locascio
Kevin and Erika Long
Henry Lord
Norman and Susan Louie
Janet Magid
Stephen and Susan Mandel
Grant McCracken
Doug McCurry
Andrew J. McEntire
Brian Meacham
Drs. Jerome and Roslyn Meyer
Stephan Mongillo
Emerson Moore III
William Moyes
Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Netter
Leo and Libby Nevas
Herbert Newman
William and Catherine Nietzel
Harold and Sandra Noborikawa
Ted and Amy Orenstein
Peter and Beverly Orthwein
Sharon Oster and Raymond Fair
Suzie H. Pascutti
Josh and Sharon Polan
Leonard and Ellen Polaner
Doug Polley
Shaka Rasheed
Barry and Sherri Raifaisen
Brett Rosen and Debra Wattenberg
Gerald Rosenberg and Cheryl Wiesenfeld
Carol Ross
Harvey Ruben and Diane Ruben
June Sachs
Jonathan Sackler and Mary Corson
Shelly Saczynski
Art Samberg
Jennifer L. Schiff
Gabriel Schwartz
Sarah Sherwood
Bruce and Pamela Simonds
Andrew and Candace Smoller
Christopher Sommers
Lawrence and Joyce Stupski
Patricia and Stedman Sweet
Janet Tanner
Nicholas W. Tiller
Dacia Toll
Kenneth and Kathleen Tropin
Alexander and Dale Troy
Cheever Tyler
Phillipp and Donna Villhauer
Giselle Wagner
David Wassong
Roy Walzer
Jon and Jill Weiner
Elliot Wilcox
Tiger and Caroline Williams
F. Perry and Pamela Wilson
Stephen Wizner
Hope Woodhouse and Richard Canty
Brian and Anne Young
Joe and Sue Zaccagnino
CORPORATIONS
American View Productions
Carmen Anthony Restaurant Group
Goldman, Sachs & Co
Kuckly Associates
Pitney Bowes
Towerbrook Foundation
United Illuminating Company
Yale New Haven Hospital
Yale University
Yannix Management, LP
Greenlight Capital
FOUNDATIONS
The Achelis and Bodman Foundations
The Annie E. Casey Foundation
The Bank of America Charitable Foundation
Breakthrough New Haven
The Carson Family Charitable Trust
Cerimon Fund
Charter Oak Challenge Foundation
The Clark Foundation
The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven
The Edith Glick Shoolman Children’s Foundation
Fairfield County Community Foundation
GRO Foundation
H. A. Vance Foundation
Henry E. & Nancy Horton Bartel Trust
Independence Community Foundation
Kneisel Family Foundation
Lone Pine Foundation
The Louis Calder Foundation
Marx Family Foundation
Michael and Susan Dell Foundation
The Moody’s Foundation
NewAlliance Foundation
New Profit
New Schools Venture Fund
New York City Center for Charter School Excellence
Newman’s Own Foundation
The Ohnell Family Foundation
The Olson Foundation
The Polaner Family Supporting Foundation
Robin Hood Foundation
The Seedlings Foundation
The Shumway Capital Foundation
Silverleaf Foundation
Stella and Charles Guttman Foundation
Steven A. & Alexandra M. Cohen Foundation
Target Take Charge of Education
The Tiger Foundation
The Vranos Family Foundation
The Walton Family Foundation
The William H Pitt Foundation
United Illuminating Foundation
William C. Graustein Memorial Fund
Woodward Fund
We are recognizing gifts of $100 or greater received between July 1, 2007 and June 30, 2008. ��
We are profoundly grateful and appreciative
of the support displayed by our many
benefactors—your gifts sustain and inspire
our aspiring scholars and dedicated
teachers. Thank you!
INDIVIDUALS
Anonymous
Nancy Ahern
Bruce and Christine Alexander
Steve Anbinder
Carl and Betsy Anderson
Elaine Appellof
Dr. Walter and Mrs. Diane Ariker
Mary Arnstein
Jon Atkeson
David and Beth Atlas
William B. Avery and Linda C. Andros
Francis and Eve Barron
Polly Barry and Richard Clarida
Henry and Nancy Bartels
Richard and Ilene Barth
Myrna Baskin
Dr. Eric and Mrs. Ethel Berger
William R. Berkley
Girish Bhakoo
Diahann Billings Burford
Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Boas
Marx G. Bowens III
Nicole Brower
Carmen Bowser
Jonathan Brandt
Eric and Wendy Bronstein
Drs. David and Charlotte Brown
William R. Bruner
Peter and Nancy Buck
Robert and Holly Burt
Khephra Burns
Julie Burton
Guido and Anne Calabresi
Kim and Sally Campbell
Lawrence Caruso
Nicole Campbell
Iris Chen
Tom Chiappetta and Pat Tyre
Gail S. Citrin
Elizabeth Clark
Henry Clark
Mayree C. Clark
Brian and Christina Clarkson
Paula Cleary and Paul Ferrall
Ann and Richard Cohen
David L. Cohen
Dr. William Cohen
Brian and Karen Cohn
Michael and Joyce Critelli
Our Donorsonly the educated are free.
-epIctetus
Achievement First Board of DirectorsWilliam R. BeRkley Chairman W.R. Berkley Corporation, Chairman and CEO
Steve anBindeR Treasurer First Marblehead, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors
andReW BoaS Carl Marks Management Co., LP, General Partner
doUG BoRCHaRd New Profit, Inc., Managing Partner & Chief Operating Officer
kevin CzinGeR Miles Electric Vehicles, President/CEO
BaRRy FinGeRHUt Fingerhut Management Corp, Director
CaRlton l. HiGHSmitH Specialized Packaging Group, CEO
JUdGe ClaRanCe JoneS Judicial Branch, State of Connecticut, Superior Court Judge
JameS PeySeR New Schools Venture Fund, Partner
SteFan PRyoR City of Newark, Deputy Mayor for Commerce and Economic Development
lyStRa m. RiCHaRdSon SCSU, Professor - Dept. of Educational Leadership
Jon d. SaCkleR Bouncer Foundation, President
JenniFeR SmitH tURneR Girl Scouts of Connecticut, CEO
Achievement First Brownsvillekelly WaCHoWiCz Chair I-Star Financial, Vice President of New Business Initiatives
CHRyStal StokeS WilliamS Treasurer American Express Company, Director Assistant to the Senior Vice President of Business Development and Mergers & Acquisitions
Sean andReWS Prospect Park YMCA, Vice President of Operations
niCole CamPBell Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation, Senior Program Officer
max PolaneR Achievement First, Chief Financial Officer
eRneSt HaRt Columbia University, Assistant Vice President for Employee and Labor Relations
Achievement First BushwickdeBoRaH SHanley Chair School of Education, Brooklyn College, Dean
SHannon kete Treasurer Goldman Sachs, Chief of Staff, US PWM
yvette BeSt Parent Representative
iRiS CHen I Have A Dream Foundation, CEO/President
HaRRiS FeRRell Achievement First Athena, President
malda HiBRi Highbridge Captial Management, LLC, Senior Vice President
Jalak JoBanPUtRa New Venture Partners, Principal
emeRSon mooRe TMP Worldwide, Associate
JUditH m. RodRiGUez NYC Comptroller’s Office, Community Associate
Achievement First Crown Heightsl. PRiSCilla Hall Chair Brooklyn Supreme Court, Chief Administrative Judge
SUzie HaHn PaSCUtti Treasurer
vivian laU Serengeti Asset Management, LP, Founding Partner
etHel PHilliPS Parent Representative
CHRiStoPHeR SommeRS Greenlight Capital, Analyst
GaBRiel SCHWaRtz Goldman Sachs, Managing Director
daCia toll Achievement First, Co-CEO & President
kelly WaCHoWiCz I-Star Financial, Inc., Vice President, New Business Initiatives
Holly WaSHinGton JPMorgan, Vice President
Achievement First East New YorkantHony daviS Chair Anchorage Capital Group, LLC, President
Jon atkeSon Treasurer Fortress Investment Group, Managing Director
RiCH BUeRy Groundwork Inc., Executive Director & Founder
diaHann BillinGS BURFoRd City Year NY, Deputy Director of External Affairs
J. Colin GiBSon Citi Global Wealth Management, Director
taRa GRiFFin-mCClain Parent Representative
natalie WiltSHiRe Achievement First, Director of New York Operations
Achievement First EndeavorSHaka RaSHeed Chair JPMorgan Asset Management, Vice President
SaRaH CURtiS Bey Treasurer Estee Lauder, Marketing Manager
kHePHRa BURnS Author & Playwright
JUStin CoHen Eton Park Capital Management, Investment Analyst
CHRiStoPHeR GRoWney Clearwater Analytics, Co-Founder and Vice President of Business Development
elana kaRoPkin Achievement First, Assistant Superintendent
FRanCeS meSSano Monitor Group, Associate
ClaiRe RoBinSon Moody’s Investors Service, Senior Vice President
may taliaFeRRoW-moSleH Parent Representative
Achievement First North Crown Heights CharTer reCenTly approved in 2007-2008
Wanda Felton Chair Helix Associates, Managing Director
HaSoni PRattS Treasurer Empire State Development Corp, Director of External Relations
deniSe GoRdon Deloitte, HR Manager
maSHea aSHton NYC New Leaders for New Schools, Executive Director
matt klein Blue Ridge Foundation, Executive Director
leSley eSteRS RedWine Achievement First, Director of External Relations
Achievement First HartfordBRUCe doUGlaS Chair CREC, Executive Director
Steve HaRRiS viCe Chair Community Leader
JoHn motley seCreTary/Treasurer MotleyBeup, Owner
dominiC BaSile Teacher Representative
andRea ComeR City of Hartford, Executive Assistant and Hartford Board of Education, Member
alexiS HiGHSmitH Greater Hartford Legal Aid, Inc., Attorney
Colleen PalmeR Monroe Public Schools, Superintendent
maRSHall RUBen Ruben, Johnson & Morgan, P.C., President
Jim WillinGHam Urban League of Greater Hartford, Inc., President and Chief Executive Officer
Achievement First BridgeportandReW BoaS Chair Carl Marks Management Co., LP, General Partner
SHelly kaSSen Treasurer Town of Westport, Selectman
diCk FeRGUSon NewCity Foundation
RiCHaRd kalt CRN International, Inc.,Vice President
kaRen mCintoSH McGivney Community Center, Inc. Executive Director
leo nevaS Nevas, Nevas, Capasse & Gerard, L.L.P., Partner
RoBeRt SCinto Scinto, Inc. Real Estate Development, Chairman
Amistad Academy & Elm City College PrepalexandeR tRoy Chair Troy Capital LLC, CEO
William F HeinS Treasurer Private Investor
JUdGe ClaRenCe JoneS viCe Chair Judicial Branch, State of Connecticut Superior Court Judge
HaRold BRookS Parent Representative
anne tyleR CalaBReSi Community Activist
JoyCe CRitelli Philanthropist
katRin CzinGeR Philanthropist
mayoR JoHn deSteFano Board of Education Representative
diCk FeRGUSon seCreTary NewCity Foundation
allen Hadelman Hadley, Inc. melinda Hamilton Retired, Trilogy Enterprises
CaRlton l. HiGHSmitH Specialized Packaging Group, CEO
Jaime kinG Teacher Representative
andReW laCHman Connecticut Center for School Change, Executive Director
m. ann levett Board of Education Representative
Roxanna loPez Teacher Representative
PaUl mCCRaven New Alliance Bank, Sr. Vice President
SHaRon oSteR Yale School of Management, Dean
PatRiCia PieRCe Yale University, Major Gifts Senior Associate Director
lyStRa m. RiCHaRdSon SCSU, Professor - Dept. of Educational Leadership
CaRoline WilliamS Event Coordinator
Rolan yoUnG Berchem, Moses & Devlin, P.C., Senior Partner
Boards of Directors
37www.achievementfirst.org
CT Office
403 James street
new haven, CT 06513
NY Office
1137 herkimer street
Brooklyn, ny 11233
www.achievementfirst.org