The role of international and comparative education in teacher education must be informed by the needs of American students which include overcoming cultural parochialism due to racial and cultural isolation and inadequate schooling. The urgency of economic and cultural survival for certain groups such as African-American, Appalachian, and Latino students can impede their willingness to explore the complexity of the international community and how their daily lives are impacted by global events. American teachers know little of the forces that drive and/or deter schooling globally. They are unaware that for many other societies schooling is a privilege, not a right. Immigrant students not only place a high value on education but carry the added burden of representing their village or town. These differences in the priorities and preoccupations of immigrant students compared with native-born students, contribute to their academic engagement, fear of failure, and resultant success. Teachers in training are ill-prepared to address the parochialism of American students, the connections between international and national oppression and competition, or the differences in needs and orientation of students from diverse backgrounds. Curriculum changes in teacher education to address these issues would lead to a needed improvement in all schools. (JB)