Consultant recommends swift changes in Lycee Francais leadership

Posted by Robert Morris at 6:18 pm schools

Feb 172013

Consultant Jeremy Hunnewell (at right) sits with charter-school advocate Caroline Roemer Shirley and state Department of Education official Raphael Gang at a January meeting of the Lycee Francais board as they discuss plans to create a path forward for the school’s leadership. (UptownMessenger.com file photo by Robert Morris)

A consultant hired by state officials to chart a path forward for Lycée Français de la Nouvelle Orléans is recommending swift changes to the school’s leadership, starting with a national search for a new school leader and concrete plans for empaneling new members of the LFNO governing board.

In documents posted to the LFNO website Sunday afternoon, consultant Jeremy Hunnewell lays forth a timeline for making the changes he suggests:

On Monday, Hunnewell will present his recommendations in special meeting of the school board. Two days later, the job description he drafted for the school’s new CEO will be posted on national job boards and in nationally-circulated publications.
By Feb. 28, Hunnewell will select a search committee of “three education practitioners” with experience relevant to the search. A governance committee will also be selected to begin working on improvements to the school board, and by the March board meeting, it will present recommendations on when to add new board members, and how to implement strict term limits.
Through March and into April, the Hunnewell and the CEO search committee will screen and then interview job candidates, introducing them to the public by April 15 and making a decision by April 30. By the April meeting, the board is also expected to vote on adding new members and on the term limits for each member.

Hunnewell will present his findings in a special board meeting at 6:30 p.m. Monday (Feb. 18) at the Patton Street campus, 5951 Patton Street.

[Update, 10:28 a.m. Monday: One change has already taken place. Board treasurer Hema Banangada submitted her resignation to board chair Jean Montes earlier this month, telling him "my other commitments have become too great for me to be able to fulfill the requirements of my position on the Board, and I feel it is bet for me to make room for someone with the time and energy to devote to the job," according to Mike Pinkerton, a parent helping coordinate communications from the school. Board secretary Catherine MacPhaille will be fulfill her duties for the time being, Pinkerton writes.]

Joy Van Buskirk

READ the CHARTER

Some of the new changes promoted by the consultant are found in the additional requirements and preferred qualifications of the CEO. I guess the LA Charter ASS. and the consultant have the right to change what is found in the charter in regard to that job description. They have the support of John White. As far as term limits. Go to lfno.org, clikc on About Lycee, then on charter. Go to the appendices, pg. 158, and you will find the following:

Section 3. Election and Term of Office. The terms of the initial Board of Directors, who are also the incorporators of the Corporation, shall expire on June 30th 2014 with the election and qualification of their successors. Directors my serve two consecutive terms. The initial board’s term will be three years; then board service shall be limited to two years.

So, the consultant has determined that board term limits are important. Read the charter Mr. Hunnewell. You are right. Board term limits are found in the charter. So what is new in this regard, and resolves some parent’s and community member’s questions about the poor judgment utilized by this board, other than ensuring that two founding board members may continue in their positions for another year plus? Thank you so much for the time and effort that you have spent to create a report that already mirrors the charter with the exception of changes to the job description, and you hiring three people whom you think will be qualified to identity a CEO.

Sorry if I sound ungrateful, but I am not surprised by this outcome. Give the Board chair and the Board secretary one more year plus. Why not? Hope you can keep them in check after the appointment of the new CEO. The language that you think protects the CEO in regard to the day to day management of the school might not suffice, but you are the consultant and know better.