This paper begins with a description of my work in a Canadian school of education, where I now realize that I was well insulated from the US context, where many are highly critical of teacher education. My recent move to Stanford University immediately immersed me in the highly controversial practices being imposed on schools and schools of education through the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation. I suggest that it was almost impossible for me to fully appreciate the impact of NCLB while working in Canada. I argue here that teacher educators must maintain their integrity yet be mindful of the political agendas or risk being completely marginalized. I suggest that, while the development of self-study has been affected by the discourse and legislation, self-study can play a key role in restoring balance to discussions of the importance of teacher education. In order to achieve this influence, we must continue to expand our research methods to enable us to participate in the language of evidence-based research.