Abstract
The concept of "middle tier" or "middle layer" (ML) is one of the most frequent terms in current education policy. The importance of the middle structures in educational governance is increasingly emphasized and conceptualized in concepts such as "leading from the middle" (Hargreaves and Shirley 2020).
It is also in many jurisdictions being implemented. Yet, the literature on the topic is fragmented and the concept itself is defined in several different ways which hinders effective discussion.
Most importantly, the concept relates mostly to Anglo-Saxon countries. The keynote speak strives to critically review the current theoretical and empirical knowledge on the concept with special emphasis on Europe, and the Czech Republic in particular.