Colleges and universities are accredited on the backs of their faculty, on their degrees and academic achievements. But what if the qualifications that secure college and university accreditation instead secured accreditation for individual scholars, allowing them to offer accredited courses as private-practice professors, thereby opening the door to a host of free market innovations? With some imagination, this simple but radical innovation could mark a path for true education reform.
Several years back, I decided it was time for my teenage daughter to study philosophy. Being a philosophy professor, I was able to offer the necessary instruction. I determined that she would take my standard Introduction to Philosophy class one night a week. I was confident in her intellectual abilities, so there was no need for a new curriculum; I’d use the syllabus, assignments, and lectures I had…
