The twin rationales for this study are: (1) that the educational implications of metropolitan conditions deserve further study; and (2) that these implications transcend national boundaries. The study focuses on two facets of metropolitan school systems located in four metropolises: the characteristics of teachers and the patterns of perceived success of the respective school systems. In an attempt to use some sub-national unit, this study considers selected elements of the educational systems of Amsterdam, London, Paris, and New York City. It is hypothesized that in both respects, the four cities not only differ from the norms of their respective national settings but they differ in the same direction from nation to nation. It is predicted that both metropolitan teachers and what is termed the perceived success of their school systems are marked by features peculiar to the metropolitan setting: its heterogeneity, mobility, concentration of expertise, and so on. The purpose of this study is, however, not limited to identifying similarities and differences within and across countries. Explanations of findings are suggested, by considering why certain differences between metropolitan and national norms are less marked in some countries than in others, and why the differences are sometimes in unexpected directions, or inconsistent. (Author/JM)