We believe this book shows we have lots of reasons to “bother” with critical pe- gogy in teacher education, as current educational policies and the neoliberal discourses that vie for the identities of our own local contexts increasingly do not have education for the public good in mind.

Contexts for Critical Pedagogies in Teacher Education.- Social Reconstructionism and the Roots of Critical Pedagogy: Implications for Teacher Education in the Neoliberal Era.- Contextualizing the Madness: A Critical Analysis of the Assault on Teacher Education and Schools.- Standards Talk: Considering Discourse in Teacher Education Standards.- Policy Failures: No Child Left Behind and English Language Learners.- Issues in Critical Teacher Education: Insights from the Field.- Enacting Critical Pedagogies in Teacher Education.- A Critical Pedagogy of Race in Teacher Education: Response and Responsibility.- Anti-Oppressive Pedagogy in Early Childhood Teacher Education: A Conversation.- Integrating Macro- and Micro-Level Issues in ESOL/Bilingual Teacher Education.- Standards, Critical Literature, and Portfolio Assessment: An Integrated Approach to Critical Pedagogical Development.- Leaders-Cloaked-As-Teachers: Toward Pedagogies of Liberation.- Regulation, Resistance, and Sacred Places in Teacher Education.- Small Openings in Cyberspace: Preparing Preservice Teachers to Facilitate Critical Race Talk.- Teaching for Democracy and Social Justice in Rural Settings: Challenges and Pedagogical Opportunities.- Adjusting to Rose-Colored Glasses: Finding Creative Ways to Be Critical in Kentucky.- Becoming Critical in an Urban Elementary Teacher Education Program.

The chapters in this edited collection make it clear that critical teacher educators are aware of neoliberalism and its profound impact on public schools and university-based teacher preparation programs. They know the deleterious effects of macro-level, neoliberal forces on the local and particular teaching contexts where they are trying to do critical pedagogical work. The authors describe the havoc NCLB has wreaked, especially on minority and ELL students; the pressures university-based teacher preparation programs feel to align themselves with neoliberal agendas; and the frustration of knowing that critical work is not always valued, supported, or understood in academe. Yet all of the authors in this book persist, finding or creating "small openings" in their contexts that foster the critical reflection, intellectual engagement, and examination of alternative paradigms that help beginning teachers pursue deeper understandings about schooling in a democratic society. They describe these openings here.

A comprehensive review of empirical work related to critical teacher education is presented The book is by and for those interested in applying critical perspectives in diverse education settings The book takes a strong position against the dominant ideologies that currently control education policy and decision making, calling for resistance whenever and wherever opportunities can be found