Pros
Every day I got to work with smart, dedicated, and compassionate people who pushed me to be a better teacher and a better person. To this day, many of my former colleagues are more like family than co-workers. We had excellent and experienced school leadership for several years, which made the culture of the school very positive among both staff and students. (On the flip side, new school leadership often struggles and can negatively impact a school's culture.) The CEOs are genuinely committed to the mission of the school and listened and acted on staff concerns. You will always be focused on ways to improve your instruction. We got feedback consistently from co-workers, students, and administrators. I have never been in a work environment where every person in the building is so genuinely committed to growth. You will work with some of the most incredible teachers you have ever seen in action. Simply walking down the hall and checking out other classrooms every day is inspiring. The Teacher Career Pathway rewards and recognizes outstanding teachers.
Cons
The network uses a very strict and extremely detailed behavior management system, and teachers are given almost no discretion in their individual classrooms. There is very little work-life balance. AF has a very structured lesson expectation and curriculum design that can feel limiting at times.