Choosing to Teach in Urban Schools Among Graduates of Elite Colleges

According to the research literature, there are three reasons that draw teachers into teaching: (1) gender-related reasons, (2) altruistic reasons, and (3) monetary rewards and job flexibility. Based on data from three teacher preparation programs, this article argues that teachers who were trained at elite colleges and who chose teaching in urban schools rarely referred to any of the three reasons. Instead, these teachers tend to (a) conceptualize teaching around issues of social justice and social change, arguing they joined teaching to improve society, and (b) seek leadership positions in urban education. Using Bourdieu's concepts of field and capital, these arguments are theorized and hypotheses for further research are developed.