query re: american education titles

[burntcopper]

At what point does someone earn the right to be called 'professor'? I've seen it applied to high school teachers in the US, which makes bugger all sense to me.

In England, 'professor' is normally only used as the title of someone at the head of a *university* department. (unless it's a college of music, where it can be the title of a tutor) You have to earn that fucker. Any other time you hear it, it's normally a teasing nickname.

So..er... what is the American usage?

In other news, The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus is a work of inspired lunacy. and is proof that if you put Christopher Plummer in a horribly disreputable beard and outfit, he finally stops being someone I fancy in a horribly guilt-ridden fashion.

Comments

[clanwilliam.livejournal.com]

Also, you can be head of a department without being a Professor.