Every philosophy of teacher education presupposes underlying assumptions about teaching and education. These assumptions are not easy to keep in view. As every seasoned teacher educator can attest, the work is all-encompassing, sometimes exhaustively so. The press of time, of building programs, of dealing with bureaucracies, of endless meetings with collaborators, of countless hours with candidates, of getting from one school to another, of applying for grants, and more, can make philosophical reflection seem like a remote luxury, perhaps for sabbatical or a weekend retreat. Moreover, the politicized environment surrounding teacher education generates anxiety, anger, distraction, and confusion. The environment places relentless pressure on teacher educators to showcase and defend their work, however experimental and in transition it may properly be (because dedicated teacher educators, like good teachers everywhere, are constantly seeking to improve their work, it often has an experimental character). This pressure can lead teacher educators to dig in their heels and dogmatically cling to particular values and aims, rather than to subject them to ongoing criticism and judgment. All of these factors militate against calm, tenacious, and honest reflection on purpose.