The Baltimore city school system is offering early retirement to as many as 750 teachers as part of an buyout offer that officials say will prevent layoffs and address a $73 million budget shortfall, The Baltimore Sun, reports.

Under the plan,  outlined in a letter to teachers, 350 to 750 teachers with more than 10 years experience would have to accept the offer by April 15th for the program to move forward. Teachers who accept would receive 75% of their salary for the next five years, according to the Sun.

Andres Alonso told The Sun that this buyout was an effort to avoid having to pursue layoffs and that it was a “no-brainer.”

“We’re not telling anyone to leave. We are saying if you are somebody who is in a position to leave, this is set of conditions you might want to think about,” said Alonso.

While this buyout is being explained as a budget move, it can also be seen as an effort to improve instruction by hastening the departure of ineffective or burned-out teachers.

Unlike former chancellor of D.C. Public Schools Michelle Rhee’s efforts to rid DC of “bad teachers,” Alonso’s buyout allows him to clean house with a carrot instead of a stick.

But what if it’s the most experienced and effective teachers who are leaving and these buyouts essentially prompt a “brain drain” that threatens the system’s recent significant gains?

Laura Yeager, a local Community College teacher and education blogger, commented on the Baltimore Sun’s Inside Ed blog that she was concerned whether this is really the best move to help the students.

“Is losing a veteran 10+ year teacher to a brand-new inexperienced teacher ideal?” wrote Yeager. “When we’re in an education crisis, which I think it is safe to say we are, shouldn’t we focus on what is ideal for the students rather than how we can snip dollars?”