The transformation of Florida’s education system under the leadership of Governor Ron DeSantis demonstrates that it is possible to raise standards, support students and parents, boost teacher compensation, fight radical ideologies, and win the broad support of the public.[0] But, in order for this type of change to be successful, reform is needed at the state and local levels to ensure that education is an opportunity for all students, not just those that fit into a one-size-fits-all model.
Nowhere is the clash between civilizational order and postmodern anarchy on greater display than with New College of Florida, a tiny liberal arts college in Sarasota.[0] The New York Times recently described the reaction of “students, parents, and faculty members” to Governor DeSantis’s reforms of the college as “a political assault on their academic freedom.”[0] In January, six of the thirteen members on the college’s board of trustees were replaced with conservative allies, including Christopher Rufo, who has fought against Critical Race Theory, prompting student protests and fear of the governor’s potential political gain.[1]
At the high school level, vocational training and apprenticeships should be encouraged, and companies should be incentivized to hire and train high school graduates directly.[0] Moreover, the majority of graduates should no longer pursue a college degree, as it is unjust to force young Americans with a variety of backgrounds and interests into a one-size-fits-all program that burdens them with debt and poorly equips them for professional, familial, and civic life.[0]
For liberal arts colleges, first and foremost, the classics must be put back in their rightful place in the core curriculum, allowing students to step outside the confines of the 21st century.[0] At the Intercollegiate Studies Institute, they are meeting this challenge head-on in the Free State of Florida, where they are partnering with the Claremont Institute and the Heritage Foundation to host their first ever national faculty conference, the American Politics and Government Summit, which will convene professors and teachers from across the nation to explore the question of “Justice and the American Regime.”[2]
Parents of all political stripes want the best education possible for their children.[0] It is desired that they become moral individuals, competent parents, accomplished in their professional lives, and courteous and benevolent towards those in their vicinity.[0]
0. “Education: Civilizational Order vs Post-Modern Anarchy” Black Hills Pioneer, 23 Feb. 2023, https://www.bhpioneer.com/education-civilizational-order-vs-post-modern-anarchy/article_6dc51d3f-d6a4-58f2-adb0-09a416a0fa01.html
1. “Gov. DeSantis’ conservative takeover of a liberal arts college could silence diversity, critics say” kwwl.com, 15 Feb. 2023, https://www.kwwl.com/news/politics/gov-desantis-conservative-takeover-of-a-liberal-arts-college-could-silence-diversity-critics-say/article_555faf35-2072-5990-813b-45b915134028.html
2. “Education Today Pits Postmodern Anarchy vs. Civilizational Order. Florida Shows What Can Be Done About It.” Daily Signal, 23 Feb. 2023, https://www.dailysignal.com/2023/02/23/education-today-pits-postmodern-anarchy-vs-civilizational-order-florida-shows-what-can-be-done-about-it/
