Based on J. Dewey's philosophy of education, this study discusses the images of ideal teachers and explores and tries to resolve the problems facing the mentor teacher program implemented by the Taipei City Government. The results show Dewey knows the active functions of schools so profoundly that he hopes teachers can achieve the following goals in pursuit of a better society: selecting and sophisticatedly constructing experiences, employing and heavily cultivating science, as well as practicing and effectively deepening democracy. However beginning teachers in Taiwan are strongly conditioned by standardized demands, political ideologies, centralized decision-making, entrance examinations, administrative burdens, and social problems, so they can barely accomplish such divine missions. Since intellectual freedom is necessary to successful instruction, it is suggested teachers' working conditions and instructional needs should be examined, the impacts of social problems on schools should be considered, teaches' rights of and avenues to expression should be respected, and a new philosophy of education fit for contemporary society should be established. Also, the current mentor teacher program should be transformed into a formal advisory organization to truly improve the future quality of education.