The achievement of students in urban schools across the United States lags behind that of their counterparts in rural and suburban schools, a disparity that is at the core of current public school reform. Although socioeconomic factors, such as poverty and its attendant variables, often hinder academic achievement, there is one critical factor--the teacher--that can positively impact students' performance, regardless of their socioeconomic background. This is the research-supported tenet around which the Urban Teacher Preparation program at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) began to develop over 10 years ago. The major assumption of urban teacher preparation program is that teachers can make a significant contribution to the academic achievement of children in under-served communities even if the children's cultural backgrounds are dissimilar to theirs--if their preparation is firmly grounded in the principles and approaches of multiculturalism; and if they have developed a framework for interpreting their students' realities that will not permit them to lower expectations. With this model, they are less likely to experience "burn out." Most teacher candidates need a deeper understanding of the cultural dynamics in schools and society as well as awareness of the often subtle, but powerful forms of cultural discrimination. Likewise, they need to know how to design culturally relevant instruction and apply multicultural principles in their classrooms and lives. In this article, the author discusses how to apply multicultural principles and approaches in urban teacher preparation and the importance of infusing them into all aspects of teacher preparation programs.