School Board

The AISCT School Board is run by the International School Development Foundation (ISDF). ISDF is overseen by three directors: Lawrence Lee Balli, residing in St. Helena, California; Michael S. Dougherty, residing in Shanghai, People’s Republic of China and Kristy Dewi, residing in Jakarta, Indonesia. These directors provided the funding for the AISCT school start-up.

Mr. Balli has been a teacher and administrator in international schools since 1972 and is a former principal of Jakarta International School, one of the largest such schools in the world. Mr. Dougherty has been a teacher and administrator in international schools since 1976 and was the founding principal of the North Jakarta International School, which he headed for eleven years. Ms. Dewi is the Chief Financial Officer of ISDF and manages the budgets and financial plans of six schools in Africa, Asia and Australia.

Currently ISDF oversees schools in Jakarta (North Jakarta International School, founded in 1990 and accredited by the European Council of International Schools), Shanghai (Shanghai Community International Schools, founded in 1996 and accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges) and Cape Town.

Each school has its own appointed School Board, comprised of the three directors of ISDF and additional members representing the host country and the local school community. The Foundation has chosen this governance model over annually elected boards. Research from the European Council of International Schools confirms that the appointed board model results in more effectively and successfully managed international schools worldwide.

The AISCT School Board consists of the three directors Larry Balli, Michael Dougherty and Kristy Dewi and the four local board members: Willem Buhrmann, Paul Du Toit, Pat Gorvalla and Anna Rangkuti. The School Board makes policy, solves problems, supports school improvement goals and has ultimate responsibility for and authority over the school.