The Arizona teacher crisis is a challenge with long term consequences for society and the economy. Despite anemic academic results of our students in the system, politicians argue about which "type" of school and how to pay as little as possible particularly for poorer students and so we all get what we deserve. Mediocrity. Compare France, Germany or the U.K. As the old saying goes, "You pay peanuts and you get monkeys." A 48% drop out rate of first year college students gives you a measure of how unprepared our students are, never mind the general literacy rates of the public at large. (We may need to make those MacDonald signs bigger soon.) Because of the lack of any real standards in our high schools, a teacher insisting on academic standards and therefore refuses to give As or Bs to all students is shunned as "too difficult." Society looks down its nose at teachers and refer to teaching as a plum job with long vacations. Not like lawyers or doctors who have "real" jobs and are paid commensurately. Short of teachers? Current answer is "Drag them in off the street." And so the cycle of mediocrity repeats itself although the academically able do well despite the system. "Keep quiet. Get your college application in early."