The value of teacher education is being questioned at the same time as schools are facing the challenges of budget shortfalls and unfunded mandates. Efforts to professionalize teaching are being undermined by overly authoritarian control of the curriculum and test-driven reforms. But schools of education do know how to stay the course. This article is a portrait of one teacher education program working with the local community schools to bring about change and to prepare teachers who are culturally competent discipline experts.