About ISAS and ISAS Schools
The Independent Schools Association of the Southwest is a non-profit voluntary membership association of independent schools. The Association was founded in 1955 and includes schools located in Arizona, Kansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.
ISAS promotes the highest professional and ethical standards of educational excellence for independent schools in the region and recognizes by formal ongoing accreditation those schools which demonstrate adherence to its standards. As a collective voice of the independent schools of the Southwest, ISAS fosters collegial relations among its member schools and represents their interests.
Salaries
Salaries are competitive and compare favorably with local public school scales, while benefits and working climate are often better. ISAS schools provide health and disability insurance, contributions to retirement plans, and employer contribution to Social Security. Salary levels vary with the type and location of the school. The average salary for all teachers in ISAS schools is $48,493.
Class Size and Teacher Load
Class sizes range between twelve and twenty students. At the high school level, the faculty teaching load is normally four or five classes.
Professional Respect
In most independent schools, the teachers are given much of the responsibility for the academic and educational programs. Guided by the school's mission, faculty have input into course content, texts, and requirements.
Living in the Southwest
The six southwestern states and Mexico offer unique advantages for teaching and living. The cost of living — including housing, utilities, and taxes — is lower than in many areas of the country. Cities such as Albuquerque, Austin, Dallas/Fort Worth, El Paso, Houston, Mexico City, New Orleans, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, San Antonio, Tucson, and Tulsa offer abundant and diverse cultural opportunities. Smaller cities like Addison, Amarillo, Cade, Covington, Denton, Galveston, Grand Coteau, Lafayette, Metairie, Midland, Shreveport, The Woodlands, Tyler, and Wichita are inviting communities in which to raise families. The varied geography of the region provides extraordinary settings for outdoor activities from the Gulf Coast to the Sonoran desert and the mountains.