Chapter Overview

Chapter 10 brings a contemporary perspective to the issues raised in Chapter 3 on schooling as a public institution. Chapter 10 explores the meaning of the "professionalization" movement to improve schools by improving teachers and teacher preparation. A key consideration in this discussion is whether teaching is a profession. This chapter points out that, unlike other occupations called professions, teaching serves the entire youth population and is both publicly funded and publicly controlled. In

addition, most of its practitioners are women, who have historically earned less and have had less professional autonomy than men. A critical analysis suggests that the professionalization of teaching may be a solution proposed by educational reformers rather than teachers themselves and is therefore symptomatic of the lack of control teachers have over their employment. This chapter concludes by reviewing recent data on the status and rewards of teaching in a democratic culture. Finally, as an example of the professionalization movement, a Primary Source Reading makes a strong case for regulation of the teaching profession.