refinanced our bond debt, and
helped CFO Aaron Levine impose
an efficient regime of financial
controls. The school today is in
excellent financial health, and
our auditor’s annual management
letter has been, at least from the
board treasurer’s point of view, a
positive pleasure to read these past
half-dozen years.
Building The Future
With the school on firm footing academically and financially,
the board made its next priority
improving our physical plant. On
Adam’s watch we acquired the
Dennis Gallagher Arts Pavilion at
66 Page Street, an instant hit with
students, faculty, and parents. We
also made significant improvements to 150 Oak Street.
Facilities remained a priority
when Tex Schenkkan succeeded
Adam, and under his leadership
the board has been extremely
busy. We continued to improve
150 Oak, opened our splendid
new Early Childhood Center, and
acquired nearby properties on Fell
and Oak Streets that remain to be
developed into exciting new additions to our growing urban campus. While a great deal has been
done to create facilities equal in
excellence to our students and
staff, in the board’s view we’ve
only just begun.
Our Other Job
The board consists exclusively
of unpaid volunteers and is made
up of current and former parents
and education professionals who
share a love for French American.
We lost our only perk, permis-
sion to park in the school lot after
hours, two years ago. We have two
principal remits: securing the pres-
ent and future of the school, and
recruiting and retaining the best
possible head of school. Over the
past quarter-century we’ve worked
hard to achieve the former, and
though the work will never cease,
we do take pride in an institution
that has never been stronger and
more successful.
Our accomplishments would not
have been possible without vision-
ary former head Jane Camblin.
Her departure for New York left
a void very difficult to fill. When
Jane announced her opportunity
to run the United Nations Interna-
tional School, the board wasted no
time. Tex established board search
committees for both an interim
and a permanent head. The board
also supported Jane’s appointment
of Richard Ulffers to assistant head
of school as a needed steady hand
in a time of transition. A long and
thorough search led us to Melinda
Bihn. Our new head, in her brief
time at French American, has not
only proven an eminently worthy
successor to Jane, but also holds
the promise of an even brighter
future for the school. Melinda
earned the board’s enduring grati-
tude in very short order simply by
making us look good in hiring her.
Perhaps this account of some
of the things the board has done
over the past three decades helps
answer the question about just
what it is that we do. But the
query is sure to come up again,
and someday soon my successor
as the Board’s Eye View columnist
will have a new list of accomplishments by way of an answer. And
while we’re on succession, my
tenure as finance committee chair
and treasurer ends this year, when
I am to be very ably replaced by
Stéphane de Bord. My two long
tours of duty in the role have been
made both successful and enjoyable by the talent, dedication, and
friendship of CFO/COO Aaron
Levine, whose titles don’t begin
to describe all he does for our
school. Thanks, Aaron.
Correspondence is welcome:
joshua@nossiter.net
C’est votre conseil de gestion.
Que fait-il donc
C’est une question qui ne manque
pas d’être posée chaque année :
que fait le Conseil de gestion au
juste C’est un sujet qui a déjà fait
l’objet d’une chronique dans cet
espace, mais l’association de la
rotation naturelle de nos familles
et de l’incompétence de l’auteur
laisse encore des questions sans
réponse (ou au moins celles d’une
personne, puisqu’elle me les a
posées récemment). Cette question
restera toutefois pour le moment en
suspens, car je préfère parler ici de
ce que le Conseil de gestion a fait.
Lors de la réunion du mois de mai
du Conseil de gestion, nous avons
rendu hommage à notre Président
d’honneur, Adam Cioth, qui quitte
le conseil cette année. Adam a à son
tour exprimé toute sa gratitude pour
son prédécesseur et mentor, Alan
Basbaum. A eux trois, le Président
actuel, Tex Schenkkan, Alan, et
Adam représentent plus d’un quart
de siècle de bons et loyaux services
au conseil. Qu’ont-ils accompli
pendant leurs mandats
Un présent solide
Mon fils aîné est entré à la
maternelle du Lycée International
Franco-Américain à la fin des
années quatre-vingt. L’établissement
comptait alors environ 400 élèves,
avec un petit lycée dans un sous-sol
humide, un collège installé dans
des classes préfabriquées sur le
parking, dans un campus vieillot
mais confortable loué à UC à
l’intersection de Buchanan et Waller.
Lorsque UC a mis fin à notre bail
pour reprendre possession de cet
espace, l’établissement s’est trouvé
sans abri dans un des marchés
immobiliers les plus difficiles du
monde. Sous la direction d’Alan,
avec la Proviseure Jane Camblin
et quelques membres clés de la
communauté, nous avons forgé une
alliance avec Chinese American
International School, convaincu la
