Parents sometimes worry that their child's teacher may not be able to manage the classroom, may not be able to inspire students to reach higher levels of learning, or simply may not be up to the job. The responsibility for these worries often falls on a state's teacher preparation programs, so it is crucial that the programs admit only the best candidates. This is especially true because after a candidate is admitted to a preparation program, he or she will probably face few hurdles for entry into the profession. Recognizing the importance of high standards for these programs, from 2011 to 2015, many states and the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) made signifcant progress in toughening up formerly lax admissions requirements. Unfortunately, in the past year, some of that progress has been reversed, largely because teacher education's accreditor was forced to retreat from its rigorous 2013 admissions standard. Those states that did not rely only on CAEP, but which acted on their own with new laws, appear to be standing firm. CAEP retreated from its previous position largely due to pressure from preparation programs that raised fears over teacher shortages and the critical need to improve teacher diversity. This paper stands firm in making the claim that in reality, setting lower standards for program admissions will not resolve these problems; and a strong argument can be made that lower requirements for program entry exacerbate, rather than solve, shortages. The paper also calls into question CAEP's retreat, demonstrating that most states have programs that are already meeting the strengthened admissions standard, leaving only a fraction of programs that are not likely meeting a higher bar for entry. In light of this nation's urgent need for high-quality teachers and the evidence that weakening standards is not necessary to solve the problems raised by opponents, this paper argues the case for states that recently raised their admissions standards should stay on course or restore a higher bar for entry into teacher preparation.