The attempt to reform education using performance-based accountability may eventually be applied to teacher education. If so, it poses a potential challenge to those in social foundations as well as to other teacher-educators. Among other things, it requires that we think clearly about our mission and the kinds of effects we would like to have. Some difficulties involved in responding to this challenge are outlined in the following. A conception of the mission of social foundations that makes it easier to develop a coherent response is suggested. Central to the analysis is the notion that social foundations is dedicated to fostering adaptive reconceptualization of educational activity all the way down.