Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS)

Leadership

Debra Wilson has been the president of Southern Association of Independent Schools since 2019. She previously spent nearly two decades as the general counsel for NAIS. Before that, she worked for the U.S. Department of Justice as a tax litigator. ³

Financials

In 2020, Southern Association of Independent Schools raised close to $2.2 million in total revenue, mostly from program service fees. ⁴ It also received a $150,000 grant from the Edward E. Ford Foundation. ⁵

Critical Race Theory

In February 2022, the right-of-center law publication Legal Insurrection announced the launch of an investigation into National Association of Independent Schools and its member organizations, which include Southern Association of Independent Schools. Led by journalist and former teacher Paul Rossi, the investigation centers on the apparent promotion of left-progressive race and gender ideology within NAIS. Legal Insurrection highlighted statements by leading left-progressive activists affiliated with NAIS, as well as curriculum changes which the association expects its member organizations to implement. ⁶

NAIS has hosted Bettina Love, the co-founder of the radical-left Abolitionist Teaching Network, as a keynote speaker at its “People of Color Conference.” Love’s organization claims that school disciplinary measures are a form of “spirit murder” of minority children. The association has also promoted the writings of radical-left ideologue Ibram X. Kendi, who claims that race-neutral policies are inherently discriminatory. To suppress opposition to its policies and curriculum recommendations, the NAIS has recommended that its member schools bar parents from involvement in their school communities and even expel their children. The association has also recommended that school administrators treat dissenting parents and community members as if they are mentally ill. ⁶