This newsletter describes one college of education's experiences in selecting field placement sites for preservice teachers, examining the possibilities and limitations students faced when sent to suburban versus urban schools. Site selection criteria included school characteristics (size and grade levels, neighborhood, library and computer facilities, and community involvement); principal characteristics (leadership style and ability, discipline and facility management, and community relations); teacher characteristics (degrees held, inservice training, and role in decision making); and student characteristics (class size, composition by race and socioeconomic status, academic achievement, and role in learning). Though student teachers assigned to suburban and urban schools were very similar at the beginning of the semester, by the end they were qualitatively different in their views of literacy teaching and learning. Urban school limitations included negative teacher attitudes, whole group lecture instruction, and limited student involvement. Teachers were isolated from other professionals and had decisions made for them. Teachers' attitudes affected student learning. Suburban school characteristics included use of authentic assessment, comfort with peer coaching strategies and feedback, and belief that children were active learners. Preservice teachers at suburban schools saw teachers as colleagues and decision makers and learned that the teacher's role is to model and facilitate learning. (SM)