The K12 standards are very politically charged. As are the textbooks that public school systems use. California is in an uproar over teaching or not teaching calculus. The phonics wars. Back to the new math controversy.
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I put that under the âfaithâ part of my exception above, but long ago we learned how to deal with it. We tell kids we teach evolution, but as with anything, they are free to believe whatever they wish. We teach it because itâs the dominant belief in science right now - and at the very least - kids graduating from our school should know what the dominant belief is. Personally, I havenât heard a peep of resistance after that and I have taught Bio full time before.
I suspect parents who are adamant about their kids not being exposed to evolution homeschool. We have a lot in our district who choose that path - though not necessarily for that reason (as we, ourselves, didnât back in our homeschooling days).
I rarely pay attention to what other states are doing TBH. I know in our state each school district selects their own books. I certainly havenât always agreed with what my school chose, esp in math - it was a major decision in my starting to homeschool when my oldest hit 9th grade (youngest went to the high school). But still, itâs each school making the choice, not our politicians in PA.
No wonder 50% of NCF graduates are still unemployed one year after graduation, while those who do manage to find work earn well below the median of other students graduating from Floridaâs public colleges and universities.
If NCF was a private school no one would care. But when it is a school paid for mostly by taxpayers, this curriculum, for the most part, isnât creating value.
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Our school board is probably the most political (dysfunctional, out of control) unit we have. They had to go to counseling to be able to sit in the same room. One member, a ~22ish man was arrested for inappropriate behavior with teenage high school students and wasnât allowed to go into any school for about a year. He is an activist (a violent one, IMO) and was on TV constantly during the George Floyd riots encouraging the rioters. He will turn his back on speakers at school board meetings and not listen to people he disagrees with, which is just about everyone.
The superintendent of schools is a very political position. A prior one is now a US Senator, where he was appointed to fill out a term and the appointment came from his friend, the then governor who is now the other US senator.
All political.
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Definitely glad thatâs not my school board!
Places obviously vary.
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And your problem with these senior thesis topics is what, exactly?
Please realize that ncf has a virtually unique academic program, where every student, basically, is in a self-directed course of independent study culminating in a big (for undergrads) original (for undergrads) thesis project.
So actually, if you are doing it right, these are the kind of topics you get. Take a look at titles of Honors or Senior theses at other top schools before starting a bun fight over what ncf students are doing. 
Iâm a retired Classics teacher who worked a lot with the Honors Program at my Liberal Arts College (with, btw, a couple of great colleagues who were ncf grads). So, just to look at the Classics titles, youâve got topics on things like painting of ancient statues, Euripides, Herodotus, ancient ideas about sexuality â 100% mainstream stuff. But not for everyone, and hard to pull off starting out as a 17 or 18 year old US high school grad. Thus the enrollment, retention, and cost problems. But what a sense of achievement for the rare student willing and able to explore independently from the get go.
For a bit of comparison, check out Senior Thesis topics at Princeton, which also requires them of all grads (and is much better resources, and MUCH harder to get into, than ncf).
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My post above is a reply to Gator88NE above âŠ
Sure, my problem is this is the list published as examples by NCF itself and itâs a âWOKEâ clichĂ©. Like some right wing comedian come up with the list. It clearly signals to any prospective student what type of culture NCF has, and based on enrollment, itâs not a winning message.
I appreciate that NCF has an unique academic program, and on paper it sounds great. However, over 20% of the freshman each year are dropping out, less than 60% graduate in 4 years (66% in 6 years), the acceptance rate is 71%, and the % of students in the top 10% of their HS class has dropped from the 56% in the 2001 to 21% today (top quarter of HS class was 91% in 2002, itâs 50% today). Thatâs not an honorâs college by any means. And that doesnât even touch on the outcomes where the employment #s, post graduate rates and avg salary #s are the worse in the state. Not acceptable for an âHonorsâ college.
The only comparison with Princeton, may be related to cost, since the state of Florida is spending over $200,000 per degree.
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small nit: the 79% Frosh retention rates does not necessarily mean 20-21% drop out of college, but some/many of those could be transfer to other colleges that they like better.
In fact, NCF has a 26% transfer out rate per ipeds. (Terrible for a so-called Honors college.)
IMO, DeSantis has a great opportunity to use the outrageous costs to taxpayers to restructure NCF and then turn it into a liberal arts school with a Great Books Core curriculum for the first two years. And/or align it with FSU or UF.
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It was very interesting to see what the students of New College had to say about this. From some of the comments on this thread, I was expecting a bunch of unprepared whiny kids majoring in warlock studies and brainwashed into being dimwitted followers of new aged philosophies. Yet, these young adults seem exceedingly bright, well rounded and ready to take on the world. New College students steadfast in defiance of DeSantis buzzwords and politicized agenda
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They may be, and are welcome to join the tens of thousands of similar students at UF, UCF, USF, etc, so the state can close this money pit.
No state should be paying for a college for 600 students.
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The current enrollment at New College is 689.
BestColleges.com lists New College as having the 9th highest graduation rate among 30 public colleges in Florida.
Their 66% graduation rate is slightly above the national average.
The approximately 1/3 of their students who do not graduate are not necessarily college drop outs. Especially coming from such a small school, many of those may be transferring to other colleges to complete their degrees when they zero in on a field fir which the major is not offered at New College. That doesnât mean that their years at New College were wasted.
I had a conversation recently with an admissions officer from the public liberal arts college in my state about their graduation rates. She told me that fir many of their students, finances are a big issue. She went on to explain that the financial issues do not just involve the cost of college. She said that many of their students come from low income homes. They leave college to go to work to help the family pay their bills so that the family can simply survive. These are factors which are beyond the collegeâs control. I expect that the same issues occur at New College.
I am sure many students at UF have most of the same financial problems. But UF is paying $50k per student to educate them for 4 years versus $250k per New College student. There is no rational basis for that gross inequality.
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So the State of Florida could educate 3445 students for the cost of educating the mere 689 currently at New School. For taxpayers, it is a clear choice.
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I wonât respond because their are rules against debating on this site. I just wanted the facts and information to be out there
Thatâs after a 21% transfer out rate (79% retention). In other words more than a fifth of Frosh opt not to return and go elsewhere (or drop out). In comparison, FSU has a 94% retention, and UF is 97%.
Grad rates for FSU and UF are 83% and 91%, respectively.
So the New College has a poor retention rate and poor graduation rate and costs the state 5x as much.
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Yes, that sums up the facts.
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As a âHonorsâ college, and a liberal arts college, they should be doing a better job of graduating students in 4 years (58%) vs 6 years (66%).
This isnât really on the students, as much as I think itâs a knock on the administration. They are not keeping the students on track to graduation.
You also have to consider that NCF has a major advantage over most private liberal arts collegesâŠitâs very affordable with low tuition (about $6.3K a year in tuition) and access to bright futures scholarships. Cost and economic stress is a major driver to students dropping out before graduation.
When the degree is costing the state $200K, you really, really want those students graduating in 4 years.
Increasing graduation rates, also allow the school to admit a greater number of students (faster turnover).
If you can get the graduation rate higher, the cost per degree plummets (for the state and the students).
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Except that DeSantisâ plan is not to close NCF or merge it into another state university, but to change it into something else. That would mean continuing to spend the money on it.
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