Two city charters probed over CEO's pay

Pennsylvania's retirement system is investigating two Philadelphia charter schools because state records show their chief executive holds two full-time jobs that together pay her more than $331,000 a year.

An auditor for the Pennsylvania Public School Employees' Retirement System asked the Philadelphia School District two weeks ago to document the duties and work schedules of the executive, D. June Hairston Brown, and three other employees, all listed as working two full-time jobs at the two charters.

Brown, whose Laboratory and Ad Prima Charter Schools enroll 672 elementary students, makes more than any other charter operator in Philadelphia, records show. By comparison, Arlene Ackerman will receive $325,000 to run the 170,000-student Philadelphia district when she arrives next month. Paul Vallas was paid $275,000.

State records show Brown was paid $331,701 as chief executive at the two schools for 2006-07 - $187,978 from Laboratory and $143,723 from Ad Prima.

Brown said she was unaware of the state's inquiry. She said that neither she nor the other employees claimed to work two full-time jobs, and that they divided their time between the schools.

"I work hard for this seven days a week until 11 at night," said Brown, a former district principal and administrator who opened Laboratory first, in 1998, and is now involved in three other charters and a private school. She said she was proud that Laboratory had won state and national academic honors for its test scores.

"There is no one in this city that works harder than I do for children," Brown said.

The state auditor sent a letter to the district asking for help after failing to get an answer from Brown, said Catherine Balsley, administrator in the district's charter-school office. She said her office had no information about charter-employee work schedules.

According to a copy of the letter obtained by The Inquirer, the state wants daily work schedules beginning with the 2004-05 school year for Brown; Anthony Smoot, business manager; Michael Keith Gifford, maintenance; and Antonia McJett, nurse.

Brown said no one at her charter schools' administrative office had received the letter. "If they have sent us a letter, we are not aware of it," she said.

"I don't know how they determine full time," she said. "I know we send forms to PSERS. Maybe they just made the assumption."

A spokeswoman for the retirement system said it did not confirm or comment on investigations.