Focusing on social studies, this paper asserts that taking traditional content courses by themselves may not necessarily significantly enhance teachers' subject matter competence. It suggests that preparing social studies teachers to enact curricula is more than a matter of assuring that they have enough work in the traditional academic subject. Three proposals are presented for improving teacher subject matter competence. The first proposal is facilitating a better alignment between the academic courses preservice teachers take and what they will be expected to teach. The second proposal is, in places where it is feasible, a blurring of the lines between subject matter and professional education. The third proposal is blending work done in teacher methods courses, educational foundations courses, and possibly even academic courses. (Contains 21 references.) (SM)