NIC: Beware unintended consequences

North Idaho College needs to be sure they have their ducks in a row on these retirement packages. About 20 years ago, the Colorado school district I was teaching in was thinking along the same line. It offered to unload the top-heavy teaching salaries by offering early retirement packages to those of us drawing the top salaries and hire newer, less salaried teachers.

While that all sounds solid to bring in new blood and oust those at the top of the salary schedules and “save money,” there are unintended consequences to some decisions.

Today, those new hires are now at the top. Wonder how they feel!

But, a significant unintended consequence was visible in the newspaper headlines from that same school district two years after those of us took one of their packages, crying “Where has all our experience gone?” You retired it, you dummies!

I still laugh when I think about their lament!

BETTY BALL

Coeur d’Alene