Ben Franklin's Board of Directors Approves Contract Extension of Current Principal/CEO

Advocates for Academic Excellence in Education, Inc. (AAEE) which oversees Benjamin Franklin High School (BFHS), unanimously approved a 1-yr extension of Principal/CEO, Dr. Timothy Rusnak’s employment contract at its December board meeting held Thursday, December 19, 2013. This is the third extension of his contract which will now run through June, 2016.
 
“We’re pleased to have Dr. Rusnak continue his leadership and direction of the school,” said Mr. Duris Holmes ’80, AAEE Board President.
 
Dr. Rusnak has been with Franklin since July 2008. In his tenure, he has seen the school through a 70% percent enrollment increase, enhancement of Franklin’s academic programs, increased partnerships with the University of New Orleans and securing a solid financial base for the school.
 
“I want to thank the Board and our entire Franklin community for the trust and confidence expressed with this extended contract,” said Dr. Timothy Rusnak. “It is truly a privilege to be part of a legendary institution with a commitment to excellence.”
 

Prior to his current position, Dr. Rusnak was a professor of education at Duquesne University and President of their prep school, Vincentian Academy-Duquesne University, in Pittsburgh, PA. Dr. Rusnak holds a BA in Economics and Political Science, several master’s degrees in Education and completed his Doctorate at the University of Pittsburgh. His extended educational experiences include work at: Harvard University, Carnegie-Mellon University, Syracuse University, Boston College, the University of Strasbourg (France), Janis Pannonius University in Hungary, where he was a Fulbright Scholar during that country’s transition from communism in 1989.
 
He has sat on numerous editorial boards of professional journals and is the author of a number of articles and books on the topic of learning environments, meta-cognition and their impact on the academic growth of students.
 
Benjamin Franklin High School, located on the University of New Orleans campus, was founded in 1957, its stated mission, to prepare students of high academic achievement to be successful in life.  Franklin has been consistently ranked as a “top public high school in the nation” by U.S. News and World Report, Newsweek, and Business Week magazines and has received the highest School Performance Score in Louisiana, making it the #1 public school in the state again this year.  Franklin is a National Blue Ribbon School.