Although high-needs schools rarely provide extensive scaffolding for beginning educators, liberal arts colleges that are committed to the moral and intellectual development of teachers can serve a pivotal role in helping their candidates choose such schools and commit to serving in them for the long term. This article describes ways in which programs at AILACTE institutions can prepare their candidates to meet four challenges commonly experienced at schools located within communities of poverty. These four challenges include frequent administrative turnover, the lack of essential instructional materials, limited curricular and pedagogical options and low levels of parental participation.