This study takes place at a Professional Development School (PDS). This PDS opened as a pre-K-5 public charter school, and as a PDS in collaboration with a local public university in Southern California. This qualitative study examined the challenges of teaching in a new PDS as expressed by the teachers' voices. Interview and survey data were collected and analyzed. Results indicated that the opportunity to work at the school is attractive and competitive. However, the appointment brought challenges: to create culture, build collaborative teams, provide innovative curriculum in a multi-age, dual language setting, craft professional development and meet the myriad demands of a PDS. These challenges were situated in an environment of institution building and constant teacher turn-over. Some faculty members were stimulated by the complexity and were motivated to seek solutions to the constant challenges. Others found the setting too complex and the challenges a constant strain, leading to return early to the home district thus compounding the predicament of teacher turnover. Supported by the principal, an organizational structure was designed and implemented to support self-governance, increase leadership capacity and reduce attrition.