ABSTRACT
Education in the United States has historically been organised in thousands of school districts, and the professional status of teachers, reflected in levels of formal education and experience, has varied from one such context to another. Much of this was dictated by economic development and market forces, as teachers with better professional credentials were found in more affluent settings. Rural teachers exhibited lower status credentials than their metropolitan peers, and suburban districts eventually employed more highly educated teachers. Historical discrimination against women and minority group members also dictated lines of segmentation within the profession. Male teachers had greater attainment than women, partly reflecting the higher status of secondary teaching. African American and Latinx educators trailed White teachers in professional standing, reflecting long-standing status distinctions. These different dimensions of segmentation have contributed to a divided profession in a decentralised system of education, likely aggravated by policies in recent decades altering teacher credentialing requirements.
