Provision to Bar Public Charter School Administrators from Receiving Multiple Salaries Passes in Pennsylvania

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/education/20080712_State_law_bans_multiple_salaries_from_charter_schools.html

An ongoing federal investigation at Philadelphia Academy Charter School has prompted Governor Edward Rendell's administration to draft a school-code provision prohibiting public charter school administrators from collecting multiple salaries from schools or from companies that provide services to charters. During the investigation, it was discovered that Brien Gardiner, the school's founder and former top administrator, collected a total of $224,500 in salaries in 2005-06 from Philadelphia Academy and Northwood Academy, another public charter school he opened. He also received $70,000 from a nonprofit he founded to provide special-education services. The Governor's provision was included in the omnibus education bill that accompanied the state's $28.3 billion budget and passed last week. The salary provision was among several public charter-related changes the legislature made to the school code, including prohibiting school districts from imposing caps on charter enrollment. State education officials and public charter school representatives said they were unsure how many administrators could be affected by the change. The language of the provision specifies that public charter school administrators are considered public officials who are subject to the state ethics law and are required to file financial disclosure statements. Lawrence Jones Jr., president of the Pennsylvania Coalition of Charter Schools, said Rendell's budget and accompanying legislation was "pretty good for charter schools and for education in general." He said understands the intent of barring public charter school administrators from holding multiple jobs. But he said public charter officials should have been consulted.

Source: Philadelphia Inquirer
Date: 07/12/2008