Are Teachers Professionals? An Enduring Question in an Era of Polarization

• In Event: Making Teachers, Making Knowledge: Professionalism, Partnerships, and the Politics of Evidence

Abstract

Despite evidence that a professionalized teaching workforce can lead to improved instructional quality and enhanced student outcomes, many efforts to mandate high-quality teaching have led to teacher de-professionalization, increased teacher workload, standardization of curriculum and assessment, and public distrust. This paper examines teaching professionalization, drawing on commonly accepted attributes of professions. Using critical policy analysis, we analyze three recent policy developments—teacher performance assessments, curriculum restrictions and book bans, and the unregulated rise of generative artificial intelligence in education. We analyze how these developments influence teachers’ roles, autonomy, and professionalism. Ultimately, we consider why the professional status of teachers remains contested and dynamic, particularly in an era of polarization.

Authors

• Emilie Mitescu Reagan, Claremont Graduate University

• A. Lin Goodwin, Boston College