ABSTRACT
The last few years have seen quite radical changes in the management of public services, and thereby of the professions within those services. This chapter attempts to develop the argument through the particular case of teaching. But in essence the story is much the same in medicine, nursing, social work and other professional areas within the public services – a change of balance of power and control between a greatly increased central administration and diminished professional bodies, reflected in a rarely articulated but powerful system and language of accountability. The chapter briefly outlines a changing view about the management of public services – and thus about the relation of such management to professional practice. The framework within which performance is measured according to standards is comprehensive: at the levels of initial training, of newly qualified teachers, of the main career threshold, of subject leadership or middle management, of advanced skills teacher, and of school leadership.
