[sionnsar]

Hmkmm... a local teeeveee station was touting "their" research into this last night. (Didn't watch it, only heard the promo on KVI 570 AM). Did they leverage off of EFF's work, I wonder?

[Mr. Jeeves]

Regarding the problem with diploma mills, Alan Contreras, Administrator of Oregon's Office of Degree Authorization recently said: "We as a society treat the idea of a college degree as though it means something. If everybody's got a Ph.D., then where are you? We all run around calling each other doctor. But the effect on society is profoundly negative."

Yes, but...this concept is true of college "education" in general these days, not just diploma mills. ;)

[elmer fudd]

Hmmm. My guess is that if no one could detect the difference between teachers with legitimate degrees and illegitimate ones without a background check then the value of the legitimate degrees is mighty dubious as well.

It's time to start paying teachers according to their results. Personally I don't care if a teacher has a PHD or a GED so long as his pupils learn.