The steady growth of commerce, together with the rise of the liberal state, led to the emergence of a philosophy of knowledge which stressed the basic contingency of ideas, and the utility of testing the value of ideas in terms of their capacity to stand up under the competition of other ideas.  While academic freedom has by no means achieved universal acceptance in the contemporary world, it is accepted as the normal expectation in most countries of Western Europe and in the United States.

Academic freedom is usually described as the right of each individual member of the faculty of an institution to enjoy the freedom to study, to inquire, to speak his mind, to communicate his ideas, and to assert the truth as he sees it.

The fundamental case for academic freedom has always been that while it confers desired benefits upon the professors who enjoy it, it is defensible mainly on the ground that the unhampered search for the truth is for the benefit of society as a whole.

Thus it has been asserted that academic freedom exists “in order that society may have the benefit of honest judgment and independent criticism which otherwise might be with-held because of fear of offending a dominant group or transient social attitude”

Where academic freedom is well-defined and respected, the teaching profession understands that the principle protects the professor against the devastating consequences of arbitrary dismissal. It is recognized that the teacher can be dismissed only for adequate cause, as established in a proceeding which measures up to the requirements of due process, including a hearing before a tribunal consisting of his academic peers. It is well understood that the security of the professor depends not so much upon the substantive definition of what constitutes adequate cause, as upon the procedures which are followed. That proper procedure is an indispensable element of justice in the life of the state is a commonplace observation. Proper procedure is equally essential if academic freedom is to remain a viable concept.

Some of the most contentious battles over intellectual freedom are fought in elementary and high schools, where the protections of academic freedom are often much weaker.  What tenure does is protect a tenured teacher from being fired if s/he puts forward a controversial reading assignment or otherwise exposes students to “inappropriate” material.  Administrators and the school board can declare that the material is inappropriate and require that teacher not teach it.  But they cannot terminate the teacher for it.  A tenured teacher can be dismissed only for those reasons set forth in the statute, and after a due process hearing.

Additional information:

Myths About Teacher Tenure (May05)

Teacher Tenure Frequently Asked Questions

Reference Guide  Teacher Tenure in Alaska

Messages on Teacher Tenure