There have been many attempts recently to define the term "teacher education center." Perhaps the most popular definition embodies the following three assumptions: (a) that centers contribute to the improvement of schools as demanded by society; (b) that centers specifically increase the competence of individual teachers according to preestablished criteria; and (c) that centers meet the expressed needs of teachers and provide the environment which facilitates their improvement on their own terms. Teacher education centers in Florida involve teachers, school districts, and teacher education institutions. There are several functions involved in teacher education, and many different agencies have assumed major responsibility for carrying them out. An acute lack of coordinated, shared decision-making, however, inhibits the accomplishment of each function, as well as the process as a whole. These functions and processes are interdependent and require collaboration. This collaboration is not an attempt to make joint decisions concerning the governance of a school of education or the operation of a local school board. Each agency retains its internal autonomy but recognizes the external interrelation among involved agencies. (PB)