This book offers the premise that staff development plans are often based on politically naive assumptions about authority prerogatives. Three sources of authority: the public trust, the bureaucracy, and colleagues, are traced from colonial times through the progressive era. An analysis is given of the forces that have had an impact on educational decision making and authority relationships in the contemporary era. Teachers' claims for more professional autonomy and authority are analyzed. A discussion is presented on how knowledge obtained by research on school change can be used to formulate a comprehensive model of staff development. In the final chapter a model for staff development is presented. (JD)