EF (Education First) reviews

Management is bereft of any real management experience or training, they have simply outlasted their colleagues who have quit for a myriad of reasons. Primarily, the base salary pay is painfully low, below that of servers and cab drivers in the area, and the promise of making significant bonuses is just a ruse to get underpaid, non-overtime eligible employees to work until 9pm at night and come in on Saturdays.

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The prep time (15 minutes/ 80 minute class) is minimal and unrealistic, especially when paired with poorly designed or outdated materials- if there are even any materials at all.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.