This paper explores the political dimensions of the introduction of Chartered Teacher status in Scotland at a number of different levels within the education system and examines their interconnections. It tracks the contestation of different discourses of teacher professionalism at national policy level and the way in which contradictory framings of the ‘good’ teacher give rise to political problems in the field. The paper draws on evidence of the interplay of different forms of power and framings of meaning based on a study of one of the Chartered Teacher programmes and on case studies carried out in schools where chartered teachers have sought to enact the active professionalism that they believe the Standard for Chartered Teacher signals.  We argue that the case reveals the current lack of consensus and consistency about what the future role of Scottish teachers and schools should be, coupled with an avoidance of the overt consideration of issues of power and control, that is not peculiar to Scottish phenomenon.