This exploratory grounded theory study examined teacher perspectives of social competence in urban alternative high schools. Research questions elicited teachers' conceptualizations of social competence and descriptions of how their views on students' social-emotional behaviors influence pedagogy. The specific school context was behavior-focused alternative schools, which serve a disproportionate number of Black students and students with disabilities. Findings indicated urban alternative high school teachers highly value and prioritize within their classrooms the learning and application of specific social competencies perceived to influence post-high school employability. Implications are discussed.