For almost as long as teacher education programs have existed, there has been controversy about the appropriate balance between liberal arts and pedagogy, theory and practice, and university experiences and school-based experiences. The author of this article, a member of the American Educational Research Association's Panel on Teacher Education, identifies a number of promising developments: For example, the public is recognizing the importance of teachers' work; new research is focusing on the complexity of teacher education; a culture of research and evidence is emerging within teacher education; the new accountability is focusing attention on the outcomes and consequences of teacher education; and a small but growing cadre of educators is working to change the system. These promising developments may be undermined, however, if policymakers continue to define teacher quality in terms of test scores, place all the responsibility for student learning on teachers and schools, and view labor force supply as the sole purpose of education.