Drawing on three decades of research, this study explores the attitudes of middle school social studies teachers toward professional development in Western Tennessee. Social studies educators frequently navigate the repercussions of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, which has led to misguided incentives for states and districts to prioritize English and math, often sidelining vital subjects like social studies. This oversight can diminish the quality of a comprehensive education and restrict funding opportunities for social studies teachers. The main questions of this study investigated how middle school social studies teachers perceive current professional development offerings, their content knowledge, teaching methods, and impacts on student achievement. Nine middle school social studies teachers from Western Tennessee were selected for participation through nonrandom purposeful sampling, and a qualitative case study approach was employed, featuring semi-structured interviews. The researchers identified three themes: 1) Effective professional development should be relevant and applicable to impact pedagogy and classroom practices; 2) Teachers seek professional development opportunities that strengthen their content knowledge and align with state-mandated standards; 3) Traditional professional development practices place a strong emphasis on the examination and interpretation of student data.