The high frequency of beginning teachers’ being young females is traced in a brief review of the history of teacher education. The argument is made that the high turnover of beginning teachers, particularly in schools serving diverse students in poverty, is too costly to the schools and too harmful to the students to be continued. Teacher recruitment practices in the schools and candidate selection into teacher preparing institutions that maintain this situation are identified. The stages of adult development according to three theoretic formulations are presented. The nature of young adulthood in these theories is contrasted with the developmental needs of young adults hired as beginning teachers. The process by which school students shape and control the behavior and practice of young teachers is analyzed. Suggestions for altering the quitter/failure rate of young beginning teachers are offered.