We provide an interpretation of authority in schools among a convenience sample teacher candidates. We analyzed responses of a convenience sample of thirty-one undergraduate interns enrolled in two cohorts of block methods courses at a southern urban university. Approximately four of five students consented to have their reflections analyzed. The process considered candidates' reflections about a prompt concerning school authority and conditions under which it should be respected. We observed that responses lay along an acceptability spectrum. Among other conditions, we found authority to be acceptable when related common good and unacceptable when associated with patterns of abuse. (Contains 1 table and 2 figures.)