The debate about the effectiveness of alternate route teacher preparation programs continues in K-12 schools and institutions of higher learning. As alternate route teacher programs continue to prepare more and more teachers for the K-12 classroom, these programs will continue to face scrutiny regarding their effectiveness. This current study interviewed K-12 teachers across several disciplines to understand their perceptions of the effectiveness of alternate route teacher preparation programs when compared to traditional teacher preparation programs. Half of the teachers interviewed were trained through a traditional teacher education program while the other half were trained through alternate route programs. The findings of the study indicate that while both methods of teacher preparation programs are effective, placing teacher candidates in the classroom as much as possible to gain experience is the best way to train future teachers.