Back in the day, I knew Al Shanker, the founder of the American Federation of Teachers. No one has ever been more of an advocate for teachers' rights - or for their professionalism. At the same time, no one was more of an advocate for evidence as a basis for teaching. He saw no conflict between evidence-based teaching and professionalism. In fact, he saw them as complementary. He argued that in fields in which professionals possess unique knowledge and skills, backed up by research, those professionals are well respected, well compensated, and play a leading role in the institutions in which they work.