This collaborative action research effort was designed to assess whether a change in university students' attitudes toward inner city children and schools could result from interventions in selected graduate and undergraduate classes in teacher education and educational leadership. Three faculty members used writing exercises, texts, videotaped presentations, field site visits to inner city schools, and other learning activities to confront racial and social stereotypes held by both preteacher candidates and inservice teachers. The study revealed that the very term "inner city" triggered deep-seated myths reinforced by media images. Researchers saw significant shifts over time in self-reported perspectives toward more complexity and openness with respect to the inner city. Teacher educators are urged to deal with the reality that preteachers of the dominant culture are astonished that an inner city school can be clean, bright, and orderly, and that inner city children are positive and highly motivated in school if learning is structured in a way that respects and affirms them. (Contains 12 references.) (JDD)