This article provides the field with a voice from culturally and linguistically diverse beginning teachers who have entered special education through an alternative certification program. These teachers serve as co-authors for this article to share their thoughts related to why they entered teaching, what they feel has assisted them with the induction process and what they feel is needed for them to be retained in the teaching field. Specifically, these teachers are future leaders who are committed to students with disabilities in urban settings and are potentially future leaders in our field. These co-authors bring creative and powerful energy to the field of special education and provide comments that reflect the marginalization of secondary special educators in urban settings. Primarily the focus of this article is about listening to the voices of the consumers of our teacher education programs.
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