The men and women charged with educating the nation's young people occupy a special place in American society. Teaching has long been considered more than just a job--even a calling.

Next month: The history of private education has been shaped by the tension between diverse beliefs and the quest for common values. The series to date: Part 6 June 16, 1999: New ways of measuring intelligence and achievement have changed classrooms. Part 5 May 19, 1999: Parents, educators, and politicians never lose interest in what children are taught and how. Part 4 April 21, 1999: The debate continues between progressives and those who seek a return to traditional academics. Part 3 March 24, 1999: The struggle to integrate the nation's schools left its mark on education and the American public. Part 2 Feb. 24, 1999: The place of teenagers and children in society and school has long been in flux. Part 1 Jan. 27, 1999: Americans opened the school door to children across all segments of society, but the struggle to provide the same quality of education to all continues.

Yet, even though teachers are at the heart of the educational enterprise, they've had to struggle to gain competitive salaries, decent working conditions, and manageable class sizes.

They've also waged a broader, cyclical battle throughout the century for the respect and autonomy commanded by other professions. Collective action in the form of unionism has yielded clear benefits, but it has also cost educators dearly. Much of the public was dismayed by the rise of a more militant brand of teacher.

Outside pressure on what takes place inside the classroom has also been a perennial issue. Often, teachers have balked at being told what to teach--a debate that persists with today's standards movement.

The seventh installment of "Lessons of a Century," a yearlong Education Week series of monthly special sections, looks at "The Course of Teaching."

Funding for this series is provided in part by the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the Ford Foundation.