Head of School

ISB is fortunate to have a strong leader who is committed to maintaining the school’s mission, values and distinctive bilingual curriculum, rooted in the rigor and creativity of the French and American academic traditions. Richard Ulffers became ISB’s Head of School on July 1, 2016, bringing with him almost 20 years of experience working in international bilingual education – the last 15 years of which he spent at the French American International School of San Francisco (FAIS). During his tenure at FAIS, Mr. Ulffers became an expert in the French national curriculum, the French Baccalaureate and the International Baccalaureate diploma programs. As the Assistant Head of School, he focused on strategy and vision, as well as marketing the school in the highly competitive San Francisco market. He was seen as an ambassador for French bilingual education in the greater San Francisco area. Prior to becoming the Assistant Head of School, Mr. Ulffers served as the FAIS high school principal, where he was responsible for both the French Baccalaureate and the International Baccalaureate tracks. In this role, he successfully grew the high school’s local and international visibility; recruited and retained faculty from around the world; enhanced the college-counseling department; developed the sports and arts offerings; and helped students secure robust college placements at universities such as Harvard, Brown, Columbia, Yale, Stanford, U.C. Berkeley, Carnegie Mellon and Cornell. Mr. Ulffers served as the leader on international school accreditation team visits with the Council on International Schools, and on the FAIS Board’s Strategic Planning Committee. He speaks proficient French, and deeply understands the diversity of families at international schools. In addition to becoming the Head of School, Mr. Ulffers and his wife Cynthia are part of the ISB parent community – their daughter Stella entered first grade when he started at ISB.

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