Community Highlights: Meet Jason Smith of International School of Arizona

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jason Smith.

Hi Jason, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My name is Jason Smith and I am a passionate educator and school leader. My career started as a teacher in 3rd grade in the US and very quickly, I had the opportunity to move abroad and spend some years in Dubai. From there, my work moved me back to the US where I had my first job as a school principal. A few years later, I was given the opportunity to move abroad again, this time to Qatar and then back to Dubai. I worked in several schools ranging from public to private, from local to international, and from profit to non-profit. The common denominator in each role was the desire to create the perfect environment for academic excellence and prepare students to be global citizens.

Today, I am the Head of School at the International School of Arizona. My wife, our two children, myself and a few pets recently moved to Scottsdale. I am very excited to be here and be a part of this amazing and unique school.

In fact, the International School of Arizona (ISA) was founded 23 years ago as a French language school serving the needs of French expat families in the Scottsdale area. It expanded a few years later to include a Spanish program. Today, the school offers French and Spanish bilingual immersion programs that begin at 18 months and continue through eighth grade. The fully accredited programs allow children to achieve bilingualism through play, structured language learning, acquired routines and the study of math, science, social studies, music and art in the second language. Did you know that students who learn through language immersion programs graduate an average of two or three years ahead of their peers? They are also statistically proven to have higher test scores, stronger literacy skills, enhanced cognitive abilities, and better employability later in life.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Rather than see obstacles and challenges, I see opportunity. ISA is one of few schools offering a bilingual immersion program for students 18 months old through Grade 8. Our biggest challenge is that many in Scottsdale don’t know about us and the incredible opportunity we offer families. Also, people often view private schools as expensive, but Arizona is a great state that supports private education through Student Tuition Organizations. At ISA, we don’t just teach other languages, we teach IN other languages. Our students are multilingual when they leave us, ready for the next step whether that is a US curriculum high school or another school abroad.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about the International School of Arizona?
We have a 23-year history in Arizona, and our evolving, adaptive and culturally inclusive curriculum follows the requirements of the French and the Spanish Ministries of Education. In today’s global society, bilingualism is very valuable, and our programs lead not only to cognitive, social, and emotional development but also improved learning capabilities and long-term personal, professional and academic success. Our dedicated and committed faculty are focused on helping students learn how to think and prepare them for a bright future.

Our accreditations mean that we comply with set standards and educational systems and any family looking at a private school should always ask what type of accreditations the school has.

Accreditation by the French Ministry of Education certifies that ISA complies with the demands, curricula, teaching objectives, and organizational policies of the French education system. ISA delivers the French National Curriculum in a language immersion environment, using the inquiry-based methodology at the core of the French Education philosophy. ISA is monitored by the AEFE (Association des Ecoles Francaises a I’Etranger) and is one of the 200 approved French schools in North America.

Accreditation of our Spanish program is through the Cervantes Institute. This Institute was established by the Spanish government in 1991 as a worldwide non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of the Spanish language and culture. Institutions accredited by the Instituto Cervantes have conformed to the requirements related to academic programs, faculty qualifications, and administrative organization.

In order to preserve this accreditation, ISA must submit to periodic evaluations demonstrating compliance with the numerous indicators. The denomination “Centro Acreditado” by the Instituto Cervantes can only be used by Centers endowed with the accreditation of the Instituto Cervantes. There are 37 centers accredited in the world, with only one accredited in the United States and that is our school.

Accreditation of our U.S. program is through AdvancEd which is the world’s largest education community, representing 30,000 public and private schools and systems across the United States and in 75 countries worldwide. Today, NCA CASI, NWAC, and SACS CASI serve as accreditation divisions of AdvancED. Through AdvancED, these divisions share research-based accreditation standards that cross state, regional, national, and international boundaries. Accompanying these standards is a unified accreditation process designed to help educational institutions continuously improve.

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
The many leaders who have preceded my time at ISA deserve credit as well as our incredible board of trustees. They have set the tone and strategic direction of ISA, working to support the school and its students/families. We have three language directors who work diligently to ensure that the quality of our language immersion programs are of the highest quality. We continue to grow our enrollment and are looking forward to expanding and increasing our brand awareness within the community.

Contact Info:

• Email: jsmith@isaz.org
• Website: www.isaz.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isazschool/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/internationalschoolofarizona
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/ISAZpalominos
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLt1IGpZFkCAL9YrYYjGN7g/featured