"Keeping the Progress Going"???-- Political Endorsement for Board of Education Group Despite Questionable 4 Year Record of District Leadership

It wasn't that long ago that Kids First members voiced outrage and disdain when a Hoboken mayor lent support for a few Board of Education candidates. Kids First members would cry out for the separation of city hall politics from the operation of the public schools. One Kids First candidate was quoted then as saying "there is no place for City Hall politics at the Board of Ed."   Not so much these days it seems. In fact, it has become common place for the Kids First political group to support mayoral candidates as seen in this story that was published on NJ.COM. 

According to a recent email (see picture above) the local mayor of Hoboken wants to make sure that the political group known as Kids First "keeps the progress for our schools going". I imagine there is some subjectivity involved in how one defines progress. Nonetheless, it seems as if even the most liberal definition of progress would be challenged by some facts that perhaps the mayor is not aware of or perhaps has decided is not relevant to the type of progress she sees at the Hoboken Board of Education. 

For instance: 

Under KIDS FIRST the Hoboken School District has been classified a "District in Need of Improvement" by the state and federal government for the first time in its history. Probably would not qualify for "progress" by my definition. 

Under KIDS FIRST over 90% of students now attend a school that has failed to meet state and federal NCLB Adequate Yearly Progress for the past 3 years (only 14% attended a school that failed AYP before KIDS FIRST took control of the Board of Education). Again, probably not an example of "progress" by most people's definition. 

Under KIDS FIRST a December 2011 independent financial audit by the firm Lerch, Vinci, & Higgins found the Board had 7 "recommendations" including the fact that the district oewd $783,000 for food services and that the Hoboken School Board spends significantly more per pupil in legal costs than New Jersey's average. 

Under KIDS FIRST there have been 4 high school principals in 2 and a half years and 3 superintendents in less than 2 years. This type of leadership change and the rate of change would hamper any kind of progress. 

Under KIDS FIRST Connors School received a very critical CAPA report indicating substandard educational progress. 

Under KIDS FIRST the high school has the 3rd lowest graduation rate in the county as well as a school that went from the 2nd most improved high school in the state of New Jersey to being ranked in the bottom 50 high schools in New Jersey. This does not appear to be progress. 

Under KIDS FIRST local Hoboken Adult Night School was terminated.

Under KIDS FIRST resident Hoboken children attending our traditional public schools has fallen and KIDS FIRST has approved to bring in as many as 350 students from surrounding communities to make up for the loss of student population. 

Under KIDS FIRST the Board of Education budget has risen from $59.1 million to $63.2 million during a period of decreasing student enrollment. Certainly little progress has been made here. In fact, in the Spring of 2009 members of Kids First said they couldn't support a $59 million budget but now they seem to embrace a $63 million dollar budget. 

Under KIDS FIRST, Hoboken has spent the most money per student in Hudson County. Current per pupil cost is approximately $22,639 per student.  

Again, progress can be a subjective term and certainly I do not mean to suggest there has been no progress. But it would be interesting in light of the preceding information, what kind of progress one means when speaking specifically of Board of Education leadership. 

Hudson Reporter - Various frustrations boil over at Hoboken Board of Ed meeting

HOBOKEN --With a school board election less than a month away, various loud arguments broke out at the Hoboken school board meeting Tuesday night.

The board is divided into two factions. The board majority is controlled by Kids First, which also has a slate of three people running in the November election. The board minority is allied with the Move Forward slate.

TheSomerset Messenger Gazettereported on Monday that the Franklin Township schools in Hunterdon County approved a 90-day agreement to share their business administrator with Hoboken. Hoboken would pay 75 percent of Dr. Carole Frederick's annual salary of $133,500 (prorated for the 90 days). She would serve seven out of every 10 days in Hoboken and attend both districts' board meetings.

The Hoboken school board discussed the matter in closed session last night. But it was other heated matters that resulted in loud arguments in open session.

The Kids First majority and the Move Forward minority were at each other's throats largely over personnel issues.

The meeting only let out at 1 a.m. after an hour of fighting.

At the meeting, the board voted to reinstate teacher Judy Burrell as the head track coach at Hoboken High School. The board had previously declined to reappoint her in a surprise move over the summer, and the administration and board members had refused to comment on the reasons. To this day, the reasons have not been made public.

Tuesday night, when the board came out of closed session, the Kids First majority voted to reappoint her -- but this did not sit well with members of the board's smaller faction, who claimed that in closed session, one of the Kids First majority board members had agreed to switch sides and vote with them to table the matter and advertise the position.

When the board voted, Move Forward-allied members charged that Ruth McAllister, a Kids First member, had agreed during closed session to vote with them.

Move Forward-allied board members Carmelo Garcia and Maureen Sullivan appeared shocked at McAllister's vote.

Garcia publicly charged that McAllister only changed her mind at the last minute because Kids First-allied board member Rose Marie Markle isn't talking to her. Garcia said that McAllister had said as much in closed session.

McAllister said that this wasn't true.

Garcia then held up a piece of paper on which he claimed McAllister had written it.

While the results of a closed session are usually tape recorded, they are generally not available to the public until all matters discussed have been resolved, and sometimes not even then.

Burrell is a member of the Hoboken Housing Authority and is allied with supporters of Kids First.

Other matters...

Also at the meeting, 3rd Ward councilman Michael Russo, who has been volunteering physical therapy services to the football team for close to 12 years, was the center of one of the controversies.

Russo is allied with Move Forward, the minority board members.

Russo spoke at the meeting, saying that he was told a month ago that he had to submit certain information in order to continue volunteering. He said that he did so, but on Tuesday night, his name was the only name not on the agenda for volunteer approval. He asked if the omission was politically motivated.

When he didn't get his questions answered, a war of words ensued.

Superintendent Mark Toback said the issue should be discussed in private.

Several of the debates at the meeting were followed by face-to-face arguments after the meeting ended.

For a more detailed story on these matters, watch for the print edition this weekend, and keep watching hudsonreporter.com.

Read more:Hudson Reporter - Various frustrations boil over at Hoboken Board of Ed meeting

Hoboken Board of Education Meeting Agenda- October 16, 2012

The following is the Agenda for the October, 2012 Hoboken Board of Education Meeting which will take place Tuesday, October 16th at 7pm. The meeting will be held at 1115 Clinton Street in Hoboken, NJ. 

1) The EVVRE/HIB is also known as the "Electronic Violence and Vandalism Reporting System/Harassment, Intimidation & Bullying Report". Some of my regular readers may be aware that the 2011-2012 report was released earlier this month and reported on NJ.COM. http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/10/bullying_offenses_rise_50_perc.html. For a comparison of the last 3 years of Hoboken, Hudson County, and State of NJ averages on the EVVRE/HIB reports click HERE. 

2) Concerning the NJASK and HSPA reports, it is important to realize that the State of NJ was granted a waiver from NCLB requirements in the spring of 2012. 

This will be the last meeting before the November election so it promises to be a well attended and spirited meeting. 


10-16-12 Agenda for Public Meeting

FACULTY SEARCH -Department of Engineering Education Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

3rd and Monroe St, Hoboken NJ (WWII era)

The Department of Engineering Education (EngE) at Virginia Tech invites applications for two faculty positions and welcomes applicants across ranks. Candidates must hold a doctorate in engineering education, engineering, education, or a related field; at least one degree (BS, MS, PhD) in engineering is desirable. Successful candidates will demonstrate a strong commitment to undergraduate and graduate teaching as well as the ability to conduct basic or applied research in engineering education. We welcome applicants with expertise across a wide range of engineering education areas and methods, including design education, curriculum design, the learning sciences, technology in education, learning analytics, and quantitative research methodologies. Candidates with expertise in design education will be considered for a position aligned with the Rolls Royce-Virginia Tech partnership. Experience in industry and/or international engineering education are also desirable.

EngE (www.enge.vt.edu<http://www.enge.vt.edu>) is home to an outstanding first-year engineering program and a premier PhD program in engineering education. The department has a total of 16 full-time, tenured or tenure-track faculty members and instructors; it serves approximately 1300 first-year engineering students and 25-30 PhD students annually.  EngE faculty collaborate nationally and internationally in establishing engineering education as the emerging field of research. Current faculty research areas include engineering design, first-year programming, assessment, communication in engineering, international collaboration (global teams), computer supported learning systems, sustainability, and motivation.

Virginia Tech's College of Engineering (CoE) is internationally recognized for its excellence in 14 engineering disciplines and computer science. As the nation's third largest producer of engineers with baccalaureate degrees, CoE provides undergraduates with an innovative curriculum that provides a hands-on, minds-on approach to engineering education. With more than 50 research centers and numerous laboratories, the college offers its 2,000 graduate students opportunities in advanced fields of study, including biomedical engineering, state-of-the-art microelectronics, and nanotechnology.

Established in 1872 as a land-grant college, Virginia Tech is a comprehensive research university with almost $300 million per year in research, and with more than 26,000 students. The 120-acre VT Corporate Research Center is home to over 100 companies and the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine. Also, Virginia Tech has created a public-private partnership in the form of a new medical school and research institute, the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Research Institute.

Virginia Tech has a strong commitment to the principles of diversity, inclusion, and to maintaining a work and learning environment that is free of all forms of discrimination. It is the recipient of a National Science Foundation ADVANCE Institutional Award to increase the participation of women in academic science and engineering careers. Virginia Tech is an Equal Opportunity/ Affirmative Action Institution.

Applications must be submitted online to https://jobs.vt.edu. Applicant screening will begin November 30, 2012 and continue until the position is filled. Applications should include: (i) a curriculum vitae, (ii) a 1-2 page research statement describing current research and future plans, (iii) a 1-2 page teaching statement, and (iv) names and contact information for three references.

Inquiries about the position should be directed to:
Chair, EngE Search Committee, 660 McBryde Hall, MC 0218, Blacksburg, VA 24061
Email:  EngESearch2012@vt.edu<mailto:EngESearch2012@vt.edu> ; Phone: (540)231-1812
*********************************************************************************


--
_______________________________________________________
Aditya Johri
Assistant Professor
Engineering Education
Computer Science (courtesy)
Industrial and Systems Engineering (courtesy)
616 McBryde Hall, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg 24061, USA.
<ajohri@vt.edu><mailto:ajohri@vt.edu><540 -231-0653="-231-0653">
http://filebox.vt.edu/users/ajohri
_________________________________________________________

Photo: 3rd and Monroe Street-- WWII era

Two Faculty Positions in STEM Education at The University of Texas at Austin

UT STEM Positions

State Denies Application for new Charter School in Hoboken

Hoboken Patch recently reports that: The Christie Administration has denied the application for a new science-based charter school in Hoboken, according to a press release from the New Jersey Department of Education.

A group of parents worked on the Da Vinci School application for about a year, making it through three rounds of the process before it was shot down by Governor Chris Christie Tuesday.

"All we can say is that we're disappointed," said Laura Siegel, one of the ten founding parents of the proposed school.

In two weeks, Siegel said, the Da Vinci board will get more information about why the charter was denied. Until then, she said, it's too soon to determine the next step.

Whether or not the team will continue to try to open a fourth charter school in Hoboken will depend on the feedback they receive, Siegel said. 

"We were surprised," Siegel said. But, she added, "we know it's an extremely competitive process."

Charter schools are public, but students are admitted by way of a lottery. The schools are run privately, and are—besides tests and other state wide requirements—independent from the local Board of Education.

In May, the Hoboken Board of Education opposed the creation of a new charter school, stating that it would not be in the best interest of the district's current students to add another charter.

The Christie administration approved two applications this round, according to the press release.

"We are deeply committed to ensuring that every student in New Jersey has access to a high-quality public school that is a good fit for them, and we strongly support charter schools as one public school option for underserved students," said Education Commissioner Chris Cerf in the press release. "By holding a high bar for any new school we approve, we are following through on our commitment to ensuring that we not only provide options for students, but that we provide high-quality options for students."

The New Jersey Department of Education approved the International Academy of Camden Charter School and the Philip's Academy Charter School in the Newark, East Orange, and Irvington districts.

In Hoboken, said Superintendent Dr. Mark Toback, the addition of another charter school would have been an "enormous strain on the district."

"At one time we did have a budget that could have supported that," Toback said, but now it would have been "really a devastating thing for the school district." The money it would have cost the Hoboken school district, Toback said, would have resulted in the elimination of multiple programs.

"I think the Department of Ed responded to the application in a reasonable manner," Toback said.

Although the future of Da Vinci is still uncertain, the proposed school will definitely not be opening in Hoboken in the fall of 2013.

Bring back the School Resource Officer Program

The following letter appears in the Hoboken Reporter on September 23, 2012. 

Dear Editor:

First, I would like to wish all of our city’s students, teachers, and parents a wonderful start to a successful school year. It is an exciting time, an optimistic time and a time for the entire community to join together in support of our most precious resource, our children. Good luck to everyone!

I would also like to speak briefly in support of raising awareness of a program that, unfortunately, is no longer in place in our schools. I am talking about the School Resource Officer Program. At its height three years ago, there were 10 officers assigned to monitor our public schools. These specially trained officers did much more than patrol our schools and surrounding area. These officers were knowledgeable in identifying troubled students and in positively intervening in their lives. Some were coaches, some were informal tutors, all were mentors who followed student’s academic and personal careers. A police presence should not be a negative part of a young person’s life.

I believe most children, as well as parents, found comfort seeing an officer at their school. A kind word, a friendly face, and a positive figure of authority is beneficial in every child’s life. I encourage our city’s leaders in City Hall and the Board of Education to strongly consider reinstating this program in our schools as soon as possible.

A Concerned Citizen

"Playing the Game" of Algebra Story Problems- Coordinating Reasoning and Representation

The importance of mathematics instruction including "real life" contexts relevant to students' experiences is widely acknowledged (Common Core State Standards Initiative, 2010; NCTM, 2000; 2006; 2009). Common justifications for contextualized mathematics include the idea that relevant contexts may help students to apply what they learn in school to out-of-school situations, and that relevant contexts may scaffold learning by providing a bridge between what students understand and the content they are trying to learn. 

The study reported here investigates these justifications using story problems on linear functions. A situated cognition theoretical framework is used to interpret student behavior in the complex, social system of "school mathematics." In a series of interviews, students from a low-performing school were presented with algebra problems, some of which were personalized to the ways in which they described using mathematics in their everyday lives. Results showed that students rarely explicitly used situational knowledge when solving story problems, had consistent issues with verbal interpretation, and engaged in non-coordinative reasoning where they bypassed the intermediate step of understanding the given situation before trying to solve the problem. Problems with the same mathematical structure with different amounts of verbal and symbolic support elicited different strategies from students, with personalized problems having high response rates and high use of informal strategies. This suggests that students can use sophisticated, situation-based reasoning on contextualized problems, and that different problem framings may scaffold learning. However, results also demonstrated that the culture of schooling, and story problems as an artifact of this culture, undermines many of the justifications for contextualizing mathematics. -Dr. Petrosino


PlayingThe Game

Picture: Hoboken's own Cake Boss (Buddy Valastro) created a special cake to celebrate Hoboken High School's 50th Anniversary. Pictured from (L-R) are: Hoboken teacher and 50th Anniversary Coordinator Mr. Chris Munoz, Board of Education Trustee Carmelo Garcia, and Ms. Nina Delia.

Is there a STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) crisis?

The Torch Bearers

The following information comes largely from the people at Schools Matter. The topic is somewhat controversial since the common rhetoric seems to be about the so-called shortage of STEM professionals. Are there good jobs and occupations in the STEM disciplines? Certainly. But we must proceed cautiously in making sure there is actually research and statistical proof for so of our shared or common beliefs. -Dr. Petrosino 

It is not clear that there is a STEM shortage, Some analysts, in fact, have claimed that there is a surplus of STEM-trained professionals (Teitelbaum, 2007; Toppo and Vergano, 2009; Bracey, 2009.)

A report of the World Economic Federation (Schwab, 2012) confirms that there is no crisis. The US ranks near the top of the world on all categories related to STEM education and availability of expertise: According to the World Economic Federation, the US ranks 5th out of 144 countries in "availability of scientists & engineers," is tied for 5th in "quality of scientific research institutions," ranks 3rd in "university-industry research collaboration” and ranks 7th “capacity for innovation,” which means that American innovation comes largely from research efforts done in the US. 

Only three countries ranked in the top ten in all four of these categories: Sweden, Israel, and the US. China didn’t come close to the top ten in any of them.

"… the impending shortage of scientists and engineers is one of the longest running hoaxes in the country" (Bracey, 2009). 

Sources:

Bracey, G. 2009. Education Hell: Rhetoric Vs. Reality. Alexandra, VA: Educational Research Service.
Schwab, K. 212. The Global Competiveness Report, 2012-2013: Full Data Education. World Economic Forum.
Teitelbaum, M. 2007. Testimony before the Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation. Committee on Science and Technology, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC, November 6, 2007 
Toppo, G. and Vergano, D. 2009. Scientist shortage? Maybe not. USA Today, August 9, 2009

Picture: In 1955 Anna Hyatt Huntington and her husband donated her sculpture “The Torch Bearers” to the University of Madrid. The work symbolizes “the passing of the torch of civilization from one generation to the next.” The version seen at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken (pictured above), New Jersey is one of three replicas. It was donated to Stevens in 1964, where it joined the college’s growing collection of paintings and sculpture. Two other replicas of “The Torch Bearers” are located at the Museum of Art, Science, and Industry in Bridgeport, Connecticut and the Chrysler Museum in Norfolk, Virginia.

Miscalculations of District's Summer Report Confuses Scores for Grades 2 through 7 in Reading (SRI) and Mathematics (SMI) Diagnostic Assessments

Recently, the Hoboken School District released its District Progress Report #3 (Summer 2012). In many ways, it is a very typical "good news" type of publication that districts provide to parents and the public. The report includes district goals, sum me reading lists, some date on attendance, a number of mini-reports from each of the individual schools in the district (Brandt, Calabro, Connors, Hoboken High School and Wallace), some discussion of sports and a listing of students making the Honor Roll. There is also a letter from the Board President as well as some words from key district administrators (you can view the entire report as a PDF below).

One area of particular interest to me as well as some concern was a story entitled "Hoboken Students Demonstrate Strong Achievement" and contained information about pre and post test scores on the SRI (Scholastic Reading Inventory) as well as the SMI (Scholastic Mathematics Inventory) assessments.

One need only look at a recent post on a local blog to see how the misuse of this diagnostic information has been used to give a sense that state mandated test scores are on the rise. Please Click HERE to view the misleading blog entry.

Many regular readers of my blog will recall I brought the SRI into the district back in June of 2008. Having being used effectively for the next academic year (2008-2009) it was all but abandoned when Interim Superintendent Carter entered the district in September 2009 and the political group known as Kids First took full control of the Board of Education.

In the Summer 2012 Report SRI and SMI scores are reported from two time points. One at the start of the school year (September 2011) and one at the end of the school year (June 2012). Its unfortunate that this rather simple diagnostic test was given at only 2 points. The tests are fully computerized and intended to be given at multiple points throughout the school year (we gave them at the end of each marking period- giving 4 time points). Even more unfortunate is that someone reading this report may be confused and believe that the districts achievement (mandated) test scores are rising. This is unfortunately not the case. These are NOT the NJASK scores or the HSPA scores which are mandated by No Child Left Behind legislation. Rather, this is simply an in district diagnostic test intended to provide feedback for instruction.

More unfortunate is there appears to be a major error in the reporting of the percentage gains made during the 2011-2012 school year. When a quantity grows (gets bigger), then we can compute its PERCENT INCREASE.

This is a simple calculation:

PERCENT INCREASE = (new amount -original amount) / original amount

Unfortunately, this simple formula was inappropriately applied and the numbers reported by the district were reported incorrectly...and all errors make it appear that student gains were greater than realized.

Another error is that the percentages of the June 2012 administration of the SMI totals to 110% (25% + 30% + 22% + 33% = 110%). This is an obvious mistake and one that also leads to confusing post test results.
To be clear, the scores on these diagnostics are informative and positive but it is disappointing that they are riddled with computational errors (click picture to ENLARGE and see Excel spreadsheet). It also would have been informative to know 1) how many students took the assessments (n), 2) number of students who took the assessments per grade, and 3) did all students take both the pre and the post assessments.

It will be interesting to see how the actual Spring 2012 NJASK scores for Grades 2-7 correlate with these non-NCLB diagnostic scores. THAT would be an informative analysis and one that would show clearly the utility of the SRI and SMI diagnostics as well as how effectively they are being used by district Directors, Supervisors, and Curriculum Coordinators in providing effective instruction in grades 2 through 7.

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So, what is the SRI? The SRI is group-administered screening assessment for identifying students’ reading levels and identifying students who are reading substantially below grade level. The SRI requires students to choose words to complete cloze sentences that represent the main idea of a short text. It includes a wide range of narrative and expository texts of increasing difficulty. The SRI provides teachers with scores that are on the same scale as the Lexile Framework—a readability scale making them easy to interpret and useful in matching students with texts that have a Lexile level.

What is the purpose of the assessment? -
“The tests are based on a powerful new system, called the Lexile Framework that can help you accurately assess your students’ comprehension levels and match them with appropriate texts for successful reading experiences.”

What is the test actually measuring?
Students’ ability to get the gist of short, narrative fiction and non-fiction passages sufficiently to correctly fill in the blank in short, summary sentences.

Overall Strengths
■ Matches students to texts using Lexile scale.
■ Scale is useful for showing growth over time.
■ Efficiency in identifying students who are reading significantly below grade level.
■ Usefulness for leveling students – the readability formula (a way of determining the difficulty level of a text)
provides a simple way for teachers to gauge the difficulty students experience when reading texts of various levels.

Overal Weaknesses
■ Does not provide information about skills such as analyzing, evaluating texts on an aesthetic basis,
appreciating or comparing texts.
■ Vocabulary is not assessed separately.
■ The SRI does not distinguish where the breakdown in comprehension occurs.
■ Length of the test; students could get tired because there are 54 different short passages.

Read more from an independent report by Carnegie Learning: CLICK HERE

The SMI (Scholastic Mathematics Inventory) is a research-based, computer-adaptive math assessment program for students in Grades 2 – 8+ that measures math understanding on The Quantile Framework® for Mathematics. The most powerful feature of SMI is its ability to administer fast and reliable low-stakes assessment to inform instruction and make accurate placement recommendations. Aligned to the Common Core State Standards, SMI helps educators forecast student achievement to those important goals.




Summer 2012 Newsletter

University of Texas at Austin Evacuated

Thank you for all the inquiries concerning the evacuation at The University of Texas. All is well. A call was certainly made and it seemed credible to the authorities but nothing has been found on campus. University closed for the rest of the day. Peace--

Xavier President Jack Raslowsky Named a Legend of Prep

Saint Peter's Prep, New Jersey’s Jesuit high school, recently announced that Xavier President Jack Raslowsky was named a Legend of St. Peter's Prep and will be honored at a dinner hosted by the school on Sept. 14th.

Jack Raslowsky

Mr. Raslowsky is a member of the Prep Class of 1979. Over the years he served as soccer coach, teacher, retreat leader and moderator of numerous activities. In 1992, he was named Prep’s first lay principal and served in that role until 2003 when he joined the Jesuit provincial staff where he served as the provincial assistant for education and lay formation. During his time as principal, Prep’s enrollment grew, lacrosse and volleyball were added as interscholastic sports, AP offerings increased, the art and music programs saw significant growth and the school community placed renewed focus on issues of mission and Jesuit identity. Mr. Raslowsky was named Xavier’s first lay president in June 2009.

The first legends Class was inducted in 1993 to celebrate alumni and others in the Prep community who have had a profound positive impact on the school and the greater community by exemplifying the ideals of Jesuit education. The Legends of Prep awards are the highest honor presented by the Prep Alumni Association.The Sept. 14th dinner at Mayfair Farms, in West Orange, NJ, will also highlight the accomplishments of several other honorees, including Br. Paul Harrison, S.J., Dr. Rich Kennedy, Tom McGinty, Prep ’71, Jack Savage, Prep ’57 and Br. Joseph Wuss, S.J.

When asked about his induction, Raslowsky commented: "It is a thrill to be named a Legend of Prep. My long association with the Society and the work of Jesuit education began at St. Peter’s and my days as a student and faculty member there were gifts beyond measure. Prep opened my eyes to a world 'charged with the grandeur of God' and my life has not been the same since. Without my association with St. Peter’s, being at Xavier would have been an impossible dream, so my time at Prep is a gift that keeps on giving. This honor is a reminder of the common ground all Jesuit institutions share. I am particularly honored to be inducted with Br. Paul Harrison, S.J. and Br. Joe Wuss, S.J. I worked closely with them both through the years and they were outstanding Jesuits and friends."

Xavier has other connections to this year’s Prep Legends. Mr. Jack Savage is the brother-in-law of Xavier Hall of Fame member and former board chair, Mr. Gene Rainis ’58 and Mr. Tom McGinty serves as the owner’s representative for Xavier’s 15th St. project and master plan.

For more information on the Legends of Prep Dinner or to register today, click here.