EF (Education First)

Toxic and Exploitative - ESL Teacher EF (Education First) Employee Review

1.0

25 Apr 2025

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Pros

The students were by far the best part of the job. They were exceptionally kind, engaged, and dilligent, and I have fond memories of working with them. Fellow teachers as a whole were supportive, funny, and laid-back, making them great to interact with.

Cons

Teachers are the backbone of the organization—there’s a reason it’s called "Education First." Yet, they are consistently treated with a lack of respect and recognition. Wages are far below industry standards, especially given the intensity of the workload. The so-called 10-minute 'breaks' are a transparent loophole to avoid providing full-time benefits, and they do little to relieve the mental and physical toll of the job. The prep time (15 minutes/ 80 minute class) is minimal and unrealistic, especially when paired with poorly designed or outdated materials- if there are even any materials at all. Perhaps most demoralizing is the deeply hierarchical structure that leaves teachers voiceless. Communication between management and staff is minimal, often top-down, and dismissive of on-the-ground realities. Feedback from teachers is either ignored or buried under layers of bureaucracy. The result is a work environment where burnout is the norm, not the exception—and the high turnover rate reflects that reality. In my experience, EF fostered a toxic culture where teachers felt unsupported, overworked, and easily replaceable. It’s time to reevaluate how teachers are treated—because without them, there is no EF.

EF (Education First) Response

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience about teaching in Brighton. We're truly sorry to hear that you left EF feeling undervalued and frustrated. Teachers are, without question, the heart of our organization, and it's clear from your feedback that we fell short in creating the supportive environment we strive for. We recognize that the work teachers do is both demanding and vital. While we aim to balance workloads and provide adequate preparation time, your concerns highlight areas where we need to listen more. Your comments about communication, materials, and recognition have been shared with our leadership team, and we’re actively reviewing how we can better support and engage teachers in our schools. EF is committed to evolving. Over the past year, we’ve begun making changes based on teacher input, including improving curricular resources, updating prep expectations, and increasing transparency between management and teaching staff. And, we are grateful for voices like yours that help drive that. We wish you all the best in your career and thank you again for the time and energy you gave to EF and your students. You can reach out to hr@ef.com if you would like to discuss any of this further.

Toxic and Exploitative - ESL Teacher EF (Education First) Employee Review

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