Reforming teachers' pay systems: the Advanced Skills Teacher in Australia

The authors findings point to a fundamental dilemma for those who might attempt to introduce professional career paths for teachers in the future. Fundamental improvements to teachers' pay systems and career structures undoubtedly depend on initiatives within the industrial relations arena. However, this arena proved to be an unsuitable context in which to develop the kind of teaching standards and performance assessments that are essential for career paths based on quality of practice. They conclude that these tasks require instead the creation of stable, national, expert professional bodies that embrace all stakeholders.