International School of Florence
Meet the Board
November 15, 2012

Board constellation
 2012/2013 objectives

Strategic Plan – Why/When and How?

New campus – Where are we and what to
expect ?

Q&A

Libby Cataldi - Gov. Committee & SPC

Comm.

Marco di Lorenzo – Relocation Task
Force & Mark. Comm.

Letizia Dorin - Gov . Comm Chair & Exec.
Comm. Secretary

Giovanni Liberatore – Finance &




Develop Treasurer & Exec. Comm.

Susanna Fantappiè - B & M Chair &
Finance & Develop. Comm.

Buce Fernie - Marketing Comm. Co-Chair
& Finance & Develop. Comm



Patrik Jonsson - Exec. Comm. Chair man

Chair & Finance (ex-officio)
Luca Righi - Exec. Comm. Vice Chair &
Building Focus Task Force
Jacopo Fratini - Relocation Task Force
Ellyn Toscano – Academic Focus Task
Force, Chair & Gov. Comm
Bill Thomson – B & M Comm. &
Relocation Task Force
Massimo Messeri - Finance &
Develop. Comm
Non Voting:
 Larry Hobdell - HoS
 Debra Williams Gualandi - US
Principal
Governance Comm.

Marco Uzielli – SPC Chair & Mark. Comm.
Alessandra Pavolini - Marketing Comm.

Co. Chair
Douglas Platt – Relocation Task Force



Michael Colaianni - JS Principal
Marie Jose Manzini – Finance Comm.
John Pitonzo - US Faculty Rep.
John Male - JS Faculty Rep.
Patrisha Lauria - Recording Secretary

Academic and extra academic curriculum

New location

Enhance/improve financial structure
 Fund raising
 Endowment
 JS enrollment

Further “professionalize” the board

Long range plan
Marco Uzielli
ISF Board of Directors
Chair, Strategic Planning Committee
Strategic Planning Committee
Introduction to the 2013-2016 Strategic Plan
A Strategic Plan can be broadly defined as a homogeneous, comprehensive and structured
set of guiding principles and operational actions aimed at the ongoing future
improvement of the performance and overall quality of a School, and at the optimal
allocation of its physical and human assets and of their mutual interactions.
The production of a Strategic Plan is a synergic effort!
Main actors:
•
•
•
•
•
Strategic Planning Committee
School Staff and Faculty
Board of Directors
Students and families
Relevant external stakeholders (donors, local industries and corporations, alumni, etc.)
Objectives of the Strategic Planning Committee for 2012-2013
• Drafting of the ISF Strategic Plan for 2013-2016.
• Creation and online publication of a web-based database for the
communication of the Strategic Plan to the ISF Community, and for its
efficient monitoring and modification by the SP team.
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Strategic Planning Committee
Introduction to the 2013-2016 Strategic Plan
Composition:
• Marco Uzielli (Board of Directors, Committee Chair)
• Libby Cataldi (Board of Directors)
• Larry Hobdell (ISF Head of School)
• Debra Williams-Gualandi (ISF US Principal)
• Michael Colaianni (ISF JS Principal)
• Elena Rossi (ISF Business Office)
Main functions:
• Sets the broad parameters for the Strategic Plan
• Sets the planning framework, the beginning and ending dates of the
process, and the planning methodology
• Sets the criteria and methodology for the assessment and monitoring of
the Strategic Plan
• Identifies the state of the school and the key issues that the plan should
address
• Decides whether external expertise is required
• Identifies the members of the school community who should serve on the
strategic planning team
• Coordinates the work of the strategic planning team
• Informs school constituencies about the ongoing process and coordinates
7
Strategic Planning Committee
Introduction to the 2013-2016 Strategic Plan
• Participates in workshops aimed at the definition and finalization of key
priorities, school mission and school vision
• Participates in the drafting and reviewing of implementing actions for
some of the Strategic Areas
• Through its Governance Committee, drafts the “governance” section of
the Strategic Plan
• In the monitoring phase, ensures that the plan is fresh – that it
continues to meet the school’s needs through an ongoing
environmental scanning process
Faculty/Staff, Students & Families, External stakeholders
• Take part in the Internal Assessment process
• Participate in the drafting of implementing actions for some of the
Strategic Areas
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Strategic Planning Committee
Introduction to the 2013-2016 Strategic Plan
• Meaningful involvement on the SP team of all relevant
constituencies
o Board of Directors
o Staff & Faculty
o Students & families
o Relevant external stakeholders
• Constant environmental scanning
• Meaningful internal assessment
• Structured, efficient implementation
• Efficient monitoring
• Effective synergy with external expertise wherever necessary
“An effective strategic plan is dynamic, progressive and flexible: subject to course
corrections during its implementation, while remaining consistent with the school’s
mission and visions”
(Forbes Group)
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Strategic Planning Committee
Introduction to the 2013-2016 Strategic Plan
Internal assessment
Discussion on internal assessment
Identification of key goals and priorities
Defintion / revision of school visions and
mission
Drafting of Implementing Actions
SPC
?
?
?
Monitoring & assessment
Production of internal assessment
questionnaires
Formation of Strategic
Task Groups (STGs)
Definition of Strategic Areas
SPC + staff
SPC + Board
HoS + staff
HoS + STGs
ISF Community
Revision of Implementing Actions
Drafting and publication of Strategic Plan
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Strategic Planning Committee
Introduction to the 2013-2016 Strategic Plan
Academic Program (ACP), with sub-areas (possibly subject to change):
• Language B/EAL (EAL/Italian at the JS)
• Social Sciences (History, Geography, Business Management & ITGS)
• Library
• IB/PYP
• Language A/Language Arts
• Arts (Performance and Visual)
• Natural Sciences
• Mathematics
• Physical Education (including extracurricular activities for sports and ASIL league)
• Community Service
• Ethics and Internationalism
• Health & Wellbeing (Physical Education and Science)
• Learning Support
Technology (TCH)
Campus & facilities (CMP)
Finance (FNC)
Admissions & Enrollment (ADE)
Marketing, Development & Fundraising (MDF)
Governance (GVN)
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Strategic Planning Committee
Introduction to the 2013-2016 Strategic Plan
ACP
(SA1)
TCH
(SA2)
CMP
(SA3)
FNC
(SA4)
ADE
(SA5)
MDF
(SA6)
GVN
(SA7)
CV6
CV7
VS6
VS7
SPC, Board and Staff examine internal assessment results
and iden fy core values and prioritary goals for each SA
CV1
CV2
CV3
CV4
CV5
SPC and Staff iden fy Visions (central statements) for
each Strategic Area
VS1
VS2
VS3
VS4
VS5
MISSION
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Strategic Planning Committee
Introduction to the 2013-2016 Strategic Plan
The Strategic Planning Committee forms one STG for each Strategic Area
STGs can include:
• Staff & Faculty
• Students
• Parents
• Board members
STGs draft a set of implementing actions for each Strategic Area. The role of STGs is to
draft Implementing Actions (IAs), which are consistent with the key priorities and goals,
the school’s Mission and vision, for every Strategic Area (with the exception of GVN,
which pertains to the Board solely) indicating:
• description of activity
• terminal/intermediate goals
• Action Task Group structure and Coordinator
• timing and schedule (start/end dates; notable intermediate timepoints)
• human and material resources to be employed
• source of financing/funding
• costs (by year of implementation)
• dependence from other IAs
• success evaluation/assessment criteria
• type, name and deadline for deliverables
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Strategic Planning Committee
Introduction to the 2013-2016 Strategic Plan
Online database, connected to the ISF website
SP Homepage
ACP
TCH
CMP
FNC
ADE
MDF
GVN
CMP Main page
• Description of Strategic Area
• Vision for Strategic Area
• List of Implementing Actions
IA CMP-01
IA CMP-02
…………………….
IA CMP-N
14
Vincent Van Gogh
“Sower With Setting Sun” (1888)
Strategic Planning Committee
Introduction to the 2013-2016 Strategic Plan
15
School [Re]location
Report
Meet the Board – November 15, 2012


The School [Re]location Task Force was
formed in Spring 2011 to determine a new
location for ISF.
Our assumption was that we have outgrown
the current spaces.
◦ We want to provide an ideal educational experience,
our student body is robust, and we believe we have
further potential to expand.

We would also prefer to have both Upper and
Lower Schools in a Single Campus.


The members of the Task Force visited and evaluated
approximately 40 sites throughout Florence.
Additional sites in outlying comuni were also
identified:
◦ Bagno a Ripoli
◦ Scandicci
◦ Fiesole

We evaluated these initial 40 sites using a series of
criteria that included:
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
Cost of acquisition or rental
Cost of renovation
Suitability of spaces
Zoning
Political factors
Rank
1
2
3
4
5
6
Issue
Physical Plant – A future location should be made up -- internally and
externally -- of spaces that create the best possible learning environment
for children.
Timing / Authorization – A new space must allow ISF to meet all legal
and technical operating requirements.
Growth – A future location should give ISF the space to grow its student
body to approximately 600 students overall.
Context – A future location should express ISF's present and planned
importance to the life of the City, as well as Florence's rich architectural
and historical context.
Single Campus – A future location should be able to accommodate both
Junior and Upper Schools in a single facility.
Expense – Financing a future location should use only existing cash flow,
and should avoid requiring major outside fundraising, or requiring that we
increase enrollment to meet expenses.

We have identified several very interesting
possibilities and eliminated others.
◦ Most of them we won’t identify yet because the
negotiations are sensitive and ongoing.
◦ We are participating in a public process in Bagno a Ripoli
with the stated intent of establishing a new school for ISF
there.

Most of the interesting possibilities appear to be
feasible only with a significant capital campaign.
◦ We need to investigate the feasibility of this.

We have recently realized that our existing facilities
may be more flexible than we thought.
◦ Additional developable space at Villa Gattaia.
◦ Possibility of moving some grades to Villa Tavernulle.

Feasibility
◦ We are determining the functional, political and
economic feasibility of each site, including our
present locations.
◦ We are determining the feasibility of undertaking a
capital campaign.

Decision-making
◦ Depending on the outcome of the feasibility, we
may wind up with a single outcome, or a “phased”
decision.



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The process has taken longer than originally intended.
Our current intention is to decide within 2012.
◦ If we decide to stay where we are, we would expect to do
work beginning in the summer of 2013.
◦ If we decide to move, the different solutions carry different
move-in dates.
 Building a new building is a much lengthier process than
renovating an existing one.
We will keep the entire community informed and involved via
the ISF website and newsletter.
Please refer any questions and comments to:
dougplatt@aol.com

Q. & A