This article examines three ways that social movements have worked to stratify public education over the past century, with each movement experiencing an ideological shift in response to the civil rights movements of the mid-1900s. Three theoretical lenses help to differentiate what are really overlapping movements—namely, neoliberalism, Christian fundamentalism, and neoconservatism—that make attacks on public education and teacher education seem like “common sense.” Implications for reframing teacher education conclude the article.