A study to determine teachers' attitudes toward inservice education programs was conducted in relation to the RISE (Regional In Service Education) Teacher Center (Connecticut), which provided two types of service: mandated inservice programs for participating schools, and voluntary professional development programs. Data for the study were obtained through interviews with 36 teachers categorized as nonusers, occasional users, and frequent users of the voluntary and mandated RISE programs. Teachers' perceptions were gathered on: (1) purpose of inservice programs; (2) inservice and curriculum development; (3) administration and inservice; (4) choice versus compulsory programs; (5) preferred inservice; (6) responsibility and control of professional growth; (7) RISE physical resources; (8) advisors and consultants; (9) teacher center policy board; (10) preservice education; (11) children's learning; (12) adults' learning; (13) career satisfaction; and (14) life plan. Three interrelated themes emerged from the responses as essential issues; these themes reflected the teachers' views of themselves as professionals and as individuals. In spite of the differences evident from individual beliefs, the interviews supplied useful findings for the teacher center, the overriding theme of which was that RISE provided a composite of attributes, the most important of which was teacher advocacy. (FG)