Administrators will be happy to help if you are uncertain
about any particular type of attire. Light cotton is recommended. A sweater or light
jacket is all you will generally need. Protection is recommended when going to the beach.
An umbrella is all you’ll need for the rainy season.
Communications Direct dial service is available, as well as telex,
fax and Internet. ATT, MCI and Sprint are available.
Credit cards and travelers checks
Travelers
checks are not easy to exchange. U.S. dollars are accepted anywhere, at normal exchange
rates, as well as all major credit cards.
Entertainment The closest Pacific beaches are
only 40 minutes to the South of San Salvador, so many city residents try to spend Sunday
(or the weekend) at the beach, or at beach clubs as often as possible. There are swimming
pools as well as beautiful sandy beaches, and the surfing is excellent. There are two
crater lakes that are used for recreational water sports within easy reach of San
Salvador.
A wide variety of excellent restaurants and nightclubs
are found throughout the city, with many opportunities to try Salvadoran and other
international foods.
San Salvador’s theaters show U.S. films in English
with Spanish subtitles. VHS videocassettes can be rented. Cable TV is available, with
several English language channels. The National Symphony is quite respectable;
there are continuous artistic presentations and the local art galleries display a wide
variety of very prolific artistic productions.
Household Items Used household items are
generally duty free. New items may be subject to tax. Any item may be purchased
locally; however, they are more expensive than in the U.S.
We suggest you bring a basic survival set consisting of
the following essentials: personal computer, flatware, lightweight dishes, kitchen knives,
frying pan, bed linens, coffeepot, blender, iron, towels, casserole dish, TV/music
equipment, juicer, microwave, fan. These items may be purchased from teachers that are
leaving, if you make the proper arrangements. Local earthenware is beautiful and you will
probably begin collecting your own once you are here, but a survival kit is essential.
Mail Air Mail service to the U.S. usually takes
10-12 days. Express and courier services are also available at a charge, reducing service
to 5-7 days.
Medical Services Modern medical facilities are
available. Many doctors have studied in the U.S. or Europe and many speak English. You
will be covered by medical insurance with a deductible (TIE Care Insurance Company).
Additional immunizations are not required, and it is not necessary to take malaria pills.
Packing: Duffel bags are recommended for
unbreakable items. Sturdy boxes or suitcases serve for those fragile items. Lock each
piece and label all baggage clearly. Hand-carry one piece with important documents and
valuable items. Airlines occasionally limit the number of bags you can carry on board.
Work closely with your local travel agent.
Professional Development
There are
opportunities to obtain continuing education credit with some faculty enrolled in graduate
programs. There is 50% support of continuing education tuition with special opportunities
to take Spanish and computer literacy courses at no cost.
Salary Salaries for teachers at Escuela are
competitive with other international schools in the area. Teachers live comfortably and
are able to save a significant portion of their salary. El Salvadoran taxes are assessed
on total income (between 14-17% depending on your tax bracket), but your income is tax
free in the U.S.
In general terms, you may plan on the following expenses
while teaching at Escuela Americana:
| El Salvador - income taxes |
Food |
Maid
service (about $6 per day) |
Telephone |
|
Salvadoran equivalent of Social Security |
.. |
School Housing The school offers its imported
staff housing in lovely townhouses with a central pool, nestled on the far end of the
campus with 24 hour gated security. The townhouses are nicely furnished, although not
luxuriously so all you’ll need to bring are those items needed to give them your
personal touch. Housing may be occupied by or shared with two teachers, but each teacher
will have a private room. There is a monthly maintenance fee as well as a charge for
utilities. Each townhouse has a private phone line and the tenant is responsible for
paying the bill.
The school year consists of 181 teaching days, but
teachers are involved in in-services and other professional activities for 6 additional
days. New teachers arrive on August 8 and school begins on the 16th. The
school year ends the first week of June. Thanksgiving is celebrated and we have a three
weeks holiday for
Christmas as well as one week for Holy Week. Each
calendar year includes additional Salvadoran holidays.
The normal school day at Escuela Americana begins at 7:45
a.m. and ends at 3:00 p.m. Teachers are expected to arrive by 7:30 a.m. and remain at
least until 3:30 p.m. There are monthly faculty meetings, department and grade level
meetings and many staff members sponsor clubs and activities for which they are
additionally compensated by the school.
Services Electricity is 110 volts, so adapters
are unnecessary. It is recommended that you bring any small appliances, which are part of
your lifestyle. Voltage regulators and back up batteries are recommended, especially for
your computer.
Shipment It is recommended that you bring all
items with you as excess baggage. Even though this will cost a little more in overweight
charge, it will save on delays and the possibility of them being destined elsewhere.
However, be sure to check with your travel agent about any restrictions. Check your
baggage through to San Salvador if possible, from your point of origin. Do
not send
new materials in original boxes, repack everything that is new. The school
can not help
with custom charges or storage fees.
Shopping San Salvador has several chains of
modern grocery stores. You’ll find a great variety of local, U.S. and imported goods
from other areas. Local vegetable markets are easily accessible as well. San Salvador has
3 large malls and many smaller shopping centers, which offer goods from Central America,
the U.S. and other countries. Imported items, as everywhere, are likely to be more
expensive than purchased in their place of origin.
Taxes Due to the fact that during your first
year at Escuela Americana you will have lived in El Salvador for less than 200 days,
Salvadoran Law requires income tax payment of approximately 25%. This is applicable only
for your first year. In order to help you out, the school will pay 4,000 colones towards
that expense. This first year will represent an additional expense of about $200.00.
Toiletries, Cosmetics, Medicines Most
everything can be found here; nevertheless, if purchased locally they will be more
expensive than in the U.S. If you need prescription medicine, it is wise to bring enough
to hold you over till you return to the U.S. This will alleviate unnecessary stress while
you confirm being able to have your prescription filled locally.
Transportation a) The school owns a van, which
schedules periodic trips for groceries, etc. School is within walking distance from where
you’ll be living, at the Complejo. b) Many teachers buy their own cars here,
although prices are considerably higher than in the U.S.
Gasoline currently costs $2.20 a gallon for premium. If
you consider bringing a car, please be sure to inquire about the customs procedures. c)
Taxis are available at moderate prices. d) Bus transportation throughout the country as
well as to neighboring Guatemala, is plentiful and varying in quality. e) Airline options
between the U.S and El Salvador are plentiful. There is a $24 exit tax when departing the
country.
Water Tap water is chlorinated, but it is best to buy
bottled drinking water.
