This paper draws on research that has recently been conducted in Australia on the possibility of formulating professional standards for teachers of English in primary and secondary schools. English teachers around the country have played a vital role in the project, writing stories in an effort to capture "accomplished" English teaching, and participating in workshops and consultations that have led to the formulation of Standards for Teachers of English Language and Literacy in Australia. The paper focuses on the teachers' narratives and the interpretive discussions they have generated. Rather than simply illustrating "accomplishment", the teachers have explored various aspects of their professional lives and asked whether standards can actually do justice to the complexities of their work. Their narratives provide a critical perspective on commonsense notions of professional standards, most notably managerial attempts to introduce standards as forms of performance management and accountability. (Contains 2 figures.)