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Officials of the International School Foundation, from left, Larry Balli, Kristy Dewi, Michael Dougherty.

International School Foundation Bay Valley Academy Construction Underway

December 30, 2012       Leave a Comment
By: Dave Rogers

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While it continues to operate the Bay Valley Resort Hotel, the International School Foundation reports it has construction underway for the Bay Valley International Academy.

ISF is in the process of establishing Bay Valley International Academy as a transitional program for foreign students who wish to refine their English language skills and adapt to life in the USA prior to matriculation.

Meanwhile, the hotel operates dining, Sunday brunches, and holiday events like a New Year's Eve celebration with accommodation package. In season the noted Bay Valley Golf Course, designed by Desmond Muirhead, is offering season golf packages.

The hotel offers a top notch dining room as well as a sports bar. Continental breakfast is included in the price of the room. An indoor/outdoor pool with hot tub is an added attraction.

Bay Valley Resort and Conference Center was sold at auction in 2011 for a reported $2.5 million to the International School Development Foundation (ISDF).

The foundation announced plans to convert about 50 rooms of the 148-room hotel complex into a dormitory to house international students for a program that acclimates them to the United States. The school is expected to open by Sept. 2013.

Bay County tax records show ownership of the property at 2470 Old Bridge Road as the Bay Valley Resort Realty LLC, 35112 Coolidge Road, East Lansing, MI 48823. Records indicate unpaid taxes for 2012 of approximately $101,000. The address in East Lansing is that of Louis K. Nigg, attorney, listed initially as resident agent of the LLC. It is not known if the organization has applied for a tax exemption for any part or all of the property.

The International School Foundation (also registered as the International School Development Foundation) is a not-for-profit foundation established in Lansing, Michigan, USA, as a 501c3 charitable foundation, philanthropic contributions to which may be claimed against U.S. taxes.

The mission of the Foundation is to assist in the management and development of small international schools with a U.S. orientation in locations having a sustainable population for school development. The ISF also has an interest in educational programs in the United States that would attract international students.

ISF has assisted with the establishment of schools in Australia, China, Indonesia and South Africa, including the International School of Perth (established 2001 and now under different management as the International School of Western Australia).

Other ISF schools include the North Jakarta International School (established in 1990 with management shifted to the Podomoro Corporation in 2012), Hangzhou International School (HIS, established in 2002).

Shanghai Community International School (SCIS, established in 1996, has two campuses in Hongqiao, one for PreK-12th Grade campus and the other exclusively for Early Childhood, and two campuses in Pudong, one for Upper School and the other for and Lower School), and the American International School of Cape Town (AISCT, established in 1997).

All of these schools have been accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).

Each ISF-affiliated school was established and is registered according to its own Deed of Foundation, prepared according to the laws of the Ministry of Education in each respective country. Each school operates on a not-for-profit basis, and each has its own Board of Governors.

The International School Development Foundation is currently under the sole direction of Larry Balli. Previous co-directors included Michael Dougherty and Kristy Dewi, and these three continue to sit on the individual school boards of AISCT, HIS, and SCIS.

Mr. Balli has been a teacher and administrator in international schools since 1972, and is a former headmaster of Jakarta International School, one of the largest such schools in the world during his tenure.

Mr. Dougherty has been a teacher and administrator in international schools since 1976, and was the founding headmaster of North Jakarta International School, which he headed for eleven years.

Ms. Dewi has worked in international schools in various administrative capacities since 1984, and was involved in the financial management of the ISF-affiliated schools.

Most of the individual school boards also comprise additional members of the respective local communities, both expatriate and host country. This model of international school governance (as contrasted with annual elections from interested members of the parent community) is referred to as the corporate model, and has been endorsed by the National Association of Independent Schools as the most effective school governance model. Governance protocol includes parent input via various channels of communication established at each school, surveys, and parent organizations.

Each school's administration has responsibility for hiring teachers, but Mr. Balli remains active in the teacher recruiting process for all of the schools. He also considers requests for the transfers of teachers wishing to work at one of the other schools.

Recruiters for these schools attend major international recruiting fairs held each year. Administrators also hire before the commencement of the recruiting fairs, usually via Skype or telephone interviews. Our recruiters seek qualified teachers with a spirit of adventure, a sense of humor and wonder, a love of teaching children, and a willingness to work with students outside of the classroom in sports and other after-school activities that enhance the life and spirit of the school. Candidates should be certified and have at least two years? relevant teaching experience.

All ISF-affiliated schools are accredited by WASC, and offer a U.S.-based, international school program for students in Preschool through Grade Twelve (depending on campus). The IB Diploma program is offered at SCIS-Hongqiao and at SCIS-Pudong. AP course work and examinations are offered at some of the schools.

Interested teaching candidates should send a resume, a letter of interest which lists the grade levels and/or subject areas which the candidate would feel comfortable teaching, the sports or other extra-curricular activities which he or she could help with, a photograph, and, if applicable, a Skype address. All of this should be sent via e-mail attachment to the school in which the candidate has in interest.



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Dave Rogers

Dave Rogers is a former editorial writer for the Bay City Times and a widely read,
respected journalist/writer in and around Bay City.
(Contact Dave Via Email at carraroe@aol.com)

More from Dave Rogers

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