Anneli Harvey, Interim Head of School, International School of Los Angeles

I am Anneli Harvey, the interim head of school at the International School of Los Angeles, also known as Lycée International de Los Angeles or LILA.

LILA is based in Los Angeles, with four campuses across five sites. We have over 1,000 students, precisely 1,063, and we offer a French immersion program from preschool through 12th grade. We follow the French Ministry of Education’s curriculum, and many of our students take the French Brevet exam in 9th grade. Some then pursue the French baccalaureate, while others in 9th grade opt for an international track and study for the International Baccalaureate (IB).

We aim to cultivate curiosity and open-mindedness in our students. We encourage them to be autonomous, actively creating knowledge through hard work. We strongly believe that bilingualism fosters empathy and a global perspective, something the world desperately needs. Our focus is on helping students become caring, well-rounded individuals who can make a positive impact.

In elementary school, we follow the French curriculum, which is play-based yet academically rigorous. Initially, instruction is about 80 percent in French, and this gradually decreases as students approach middle school, where instruction is around 60 percent in French. Middle school is when we really intensify our math program.

By 9th grade, students take exams in French for subjects like history, geography and science, bringing STEM subjects into focus. Both the French baccalaureate and the IB are highly challenging, gold-standard qualifications. Most of our students graduate with a bilingual diploma. In the IB program, students study six subjects, including French and English, at an advanced level. In contrast, the French program offers the Baccalaureate Français International, validating bilingualism with an emphasis on advanced English literature and global studies.

We instill independence and critical thinking in our students, who become strong, bilingual thinkers capable of seeing issues from multiple perspectives. Our students are often open-minded, eager to understand different cultures and viewpoints. They have the ability to think creatively and quickly, which is often attributed to bilingualism. They excel at focusing on complex issues and empathizing with others, making them well-prepared for a global society.

We have a wonderful faculty of 125 teachers and aides from all over the world. Many come from France or other French-speaking countries, trained by the French Ministry of Education. Our IB faculty are also well-traveled and highly trained. We emphasize professional development, and our faculty are engaged in innovative teaching initiatives, such as using Khanmigo from Khan Academy as an AI-driven writing tutor. Our teachers are passionate about fostering communication, collaboration and creativity. They encourage students to develop strong oral skills, which is crucial for success in further studies.

Our teachers are very good at pushing that critical thinking side and connecting well with the students. We try to put the students in the center. Even though our programs are academically rigorous, our teachers are adept at meeting student needs where they need to be met.

They will find an intimate, nurturing environment where their children are prepared for a rapidly changing world. Our students love the school—it feels like a second home to them. The benefits of bilingualism for developing minds are profound, and we prioritize the students’ happiness because happy students learn best. We strive to create a welcoming, stimulating environment for our precious young people.

I’d like to highlight our college destinations. Bilingualism is a great asset, and we focus on finding the best fit for each student. Our graduates are well-prepared, studying fields like art in Paris and animation in Madrid. They are spread worldwide, yet they often return to visit. In fact, I’m having lunch with one today.

Our core values are diversity, excellence and respect. Post-pandemic, we are focusing on a community-wide ethic of care, ensuring that everyone—students, teachers, staff—takes care of themselves, each other and the school environment. We are prioritizing students’ socioemotional well-being and exploring expanding our elementary entry points to welcome more families to benefit from bilingual education.