This article originated from a single question: do the restrictions that various accrediting agencies place on teacher educators limit, or entirely eliminate, academic freedom? Considering that question makes it apparent the problem is much broader than academic freedom. The issue has two foci: personal identity and the impact of market influences, and the attendant model of rationality, on education. The argument here, however, is that restricting teacher educators' academic freedom really signifies a deeper and more-systemic problem facing society today. Although academic freedom's history is elusive, the nineteenth-century introduction of the freedom to teach and learn has allowed academicians the freedom to teach what they think appropriate using whatever pedagogical methodology they prefer. The assault on academic freedom is only a symptom of a deeper and more-insidious problem in higher education in general and teacher education in particular. As teacher educators construct syllabi, they no longer act as arbiters, based on expertise and competency, of the content and methodology of their courses and programs. Instead teacher educators must meet standards imposed by the various accrediting agencies. The implication is clear: accrediting agencies can deprive institutions, faculty, and students of academic freedom by attacking the individual's self-identity.