Drink More Perrier

http://m.charlotteobserver.com/charlotte/db_260238/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=1TNphUzG - 

Charlotte-area legislators, dean will study N.C. teacher pay-Charlotte Observer, 9/12/13

It may be apocryphal, but I've always loved this business school case study for its simplicity. After sitting through a seemingly endless strategic planning meeting to come up with a new mission for the company, the CEO of Perrier allegedly shot to his feet screaming, "Sell More Perrier!"

The brain trust at the NCGA that wrote the state budget this year--you know the one, it was devastating to teachers and public education - have created a committee to advise them on teacher pay. Does anyone else want to shout, "Pay Teachers a Living Wage!!"?

There is just a little more advice I would offer, without the benefit of a Committee Room, microphone or gavel. 

1.  Do not fire teachers. 

2.  Do not fire teacher assistants. 

3.  Do not dismantle the NC Teaching Fellows Program. 

4.  Do not raise the limit on class size. 

5.  Do not remove the small bump in pay for teachers who earn advanced degrees. 

6.  Do not require teachers to pay for their own substitutes. 

7.  Do not stop paying for teachers to earn National Board Certification.  

8.  Do not provide taxpayer money to private and religious schools for children whose parents can afford the tuition on their own. 

9.  Do not lift the cap on the number of charter schools and then remove any accountability by their leaders. 

10.  Do not keep saying that this budget gave more to public schools than ever before, because the facts say otherwise. 

Oh wait. The NC GOP majority has done everything listed above. You do not need a committee. You need to restore the budget cuts. Or just admit that your idea of education public policy is to destroy public education completely.