Nice Gesture, But It Won't Do Anything

From the Orlando Sentinel:
Gov. Rick Scott on Wednesday said he wants all teachers to get a $2,500 pay raise next year, adding that he could think of "no better investment" for Florida than to boost salaries for teachers.
Scott said the proposal, which would cost $480 million, would be in addition to an increase in overall education funding, which he would also propose as part of his budget request to the Florida Legislature.
The governor said he will ask for a $2,500 across-the-board raise for full-time classroom teachers. "I'm very confident it's the right thing to do," he said at a news conference at Ocoee Middle School.
Gubernatorial budget requests are standard fare this time of year as the Legislature prepares for its annual spring session. But the new pitch by Scott, with low approval ratings and a reputation in some circles as a foe of public education, could help him politically.
Scott, who is running for re-election in 2014, said his administration made the "tough choices" needed to get Florida's economy back on track after the Great Recession, including cutting spending for public education.  http://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/education/os-rick-scott-teacher-pay-raises-20130123,0,1279670.story
As a teacher, this would be a nice gesture.
But, just giving raises to teachers unilaterally, will not improve education.  Further, just teachers are getting the raises- not the administrators, aides, cafeteria workers.  Is Scott saying that teachers are more important than the special education aides, administrators, cafeteria workers, custodians, secretaries and other school workers?
Scott is running for re-election next year and is trying to suck up to the teacher's union.  But when a conservative goes to bed with a teacher's union, chances are you will end up with herpes.