The purpose of the study reported upon in this paper was to determine what graduates of a teacher education program designed to prepare teachers who will work toward goals of equity and social justice were encountering in their schools and how they felt they were doing with regard to these aims and why. Eleven graduates in their second, fourth or fifth year of teaching at a variety of grade levels and contexts were interviewed and surveyed. One of these new teachers responded to the interview questions in a more narrative mode. Her story is featured in the results not only because it is representative of the summarized findings from all interview transcripts, but also because it paints a more complete picture of her situation and her reaction to it. Thus it provides us with valuable information both about what new teachers prepared for equity education believe and value and about what in their contexts helps or hinders their efforts. Through her story we can feel and understand her deep caring for her students and her commitment to help them all reach rigorous and important standards and to be held accountable for it. Thus, we are helped to realize an idea fundamental to social justice education that is hard to make clear to new teachers, policy-makers or the public in more declarative terms--the goals of caring and rigor are complementary, not contradictory. Her despair with regard to the negative influences of high stakes standardized testing and the threats and punitive measures that accompany them, especially in poor schools like hers, are palpable and illuminating. (Contains 2 notes.)