A RENTS and other citizens who write articles and books about teaching, and teachers who have made a career of working with children, rather glibly categorize teaching as a profession. Is teaching a profession? Saying that teachers are professional does not make them professional. Pointing to the existence of hundreds of so-called "professional" organizations for teachers and administrators likewise begs the issue. In effect, people banded together for a common cause become professional only when they are able to formulate standards which meet