Is the early childhood teacher a babysitter and the banker of knowledge lling empty-headed children with meaningless information? Or, is the teacher of young children a facilitator, guide and co-learner at the round-table of learning with competent children and educational community participants? Ex- amining teaching and learning, organizational leadership, politics and policy, and educational research, this paper explores the image of the teacher as a theoretical discussion in educational leadership with a fundamental question: How can teaching and learning, organizational leadership, politics and policy, and educational research inform and bolster the image of the early childhood teacher? Solutions are suggested to combat teacher image problems which include utilizing a constructivist paradigm; engaging parents, teachers, sta , and community to collaborate on the subject of teacher image and classroom learning practices; adopting the teacher, parent and child's voice in the political arena; and, supporting teachers as researchers through documentation, collaboration, re ection and narration.