Accounting educators operate at the intersection of rapidly changing professional standards (financial reporting, assurance, sustainability, digitalization) and evolving expectations for learner outcomes, assessment quality, and stakeholder impact. Continuous professional development (CPD) for accounting educators is therefore not optional—it is a core capability for maintaining program relevance, ensuring student competence, and meeting quality assurance expectations. This paper synthesizes global guidance on lifelong learning and competence maintenance, particularly the International Education Standard 7 (IES 7) concept of CPD, which emphasizes ongoing development to sustain professional competence and public trust. (education.ifac.org) It further integrates business/accounting school accreditation logic that requires systematic faculty qualification and engagement processes aligned with mission and outcomes. (AACSB) We propose a practical CPD architecture for accounting educators: a competency map, structured learning pathways, an evidence-based CPD portfolio, and institutional governance mechanisms. The paper concludes with metrics and evaluation methods to move CPD beyond compliance toward demonstrable teaching effectiveness and curricular responsiveness