A year after turmoil, Lycee Francais gives new CEO a 20% raise for bringing stability

New French accreditation and educational partnership cited by board in boosting pay to $110,000.

Lycée Français de la Nouvelle-Orléans’ CEO Keith Bartlett just got a $20,000 raise.

The French curriculum charter school’s board approved a $110,000 contract at a Monday night meeting for Bartlett’s work this school year, board chairwoman Alysson Mills said.

“The school is a different place today thanks to Keith’s leadership and vision,” Mills wrote in an email to The Lens.

Keith Bartlett
Keith Bartlett

Bartlett came on as interim CEO last year, after the embattled charter school failed to find a permanent school leader. The just-approved contract is retroactive to July 1, 2014.

The raise “acknowledges the outstanding work Keith did last year,” Mills wrote.

The school has since become accredited by the French Ministry of Education and has partnerships with the Louisiana State Museum, Ogden Museum and Audubon Zoo, Mills noted.

Going into last night’s meeting the board had a draft contract that listed a $90,000 salary, which is the amount Bartlett earned in 2013-14.

 Though Mills says she’d be happy to sign Bartlett to a multi-year deal, he prefers year-to-year contracts.

Mills said the board does not have plans at this point to launch a CEO search for the 2015-16 school year.

Marta Jewson

Marta Jewson is an independent reporter based in New Orleans. Marta has covered New Orleans schools for 15 years through the nation's largest education reform experiment and was instrumental in holding schools accountable to sunshine laws during the rapid expansion of charter schools in the city. She focuses on education, health and climate.

She earned her journalism degree from the University of Wisconsin.