As part of his crusade against “woke” ideology, Florida Governor DeSantis is focusing on a public college. In January, DeSantis made new appointments to the New College of Florida board of trustees. Trustees have cut an equity and inclusion office and will accept a Christian SAT alternative. Something is loading.
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Governor Ron DeSantis is leading his crusade against “woke ideology” in higher education, targeting a small public college known for its LGBT-friendly community.
His target: New College of Florida, a liberal arts school with fewer than 700 students, outside of Sarasota, Florida.
In January, DeSantis named six conservative education leaders to the school’s board of trustees of 13 in total. In February, the newly appointed board hired a new chairman, Richard Corcoran, according to The Herald Tribune. Corcoran previously served as Florida’s commissioner of education under DeSantis, lobbying against teachers’ unions and advocating for greater parental influence in schools.
Under Corcoran’s leadership, the New College of Florida has eliminated the school’s “Office of Inclusive Outreach and Excellence,” reported, and will now accept an alternative faith-based SAT test centered on “great classical and Christian tradition”.
Insider previously reported that the exam, known as the Classic Learning Test, or CLT, is touted as being “infused with intellectually richer and more rigorous content than other standardized tests and entrance exams. in college”, and is widely used in private schools and home-school environments.
The test questions are structured similarly to the SAT and ACT questions, with reading comprehension questions oriented toward faith-based texts and themes.
Although Jeremy Tate, the test’s founder, has previously stated that he doesn’t want the CLT “to be a Trumpy or conservative test”, the CLT is currently accepted in place of SAT scores at several religiously affiliated institutions in the whole state, including reform. Bible College and Trinity Baptist College.
The New College of Florida is the first public school in Florida to accept the CLT as an alternative to other standardized tests. College approval of the test paves the way for standardizing its use relative to other tests regulated by the College Board, the nonprofit organization that oversees the SATs.
Corcoran said in a statement announcing the change that SAT and ACT scores will be accepted in addition to CLT.
“Not only is this a tremendous opportunity for New College, but with the growing popularity of CLT among Florida homeschoolers and classically trained students, we believe this is an exciting step for educational choice. and freedom in our state as well,” Corcoran said. .
The Herald Tribune reported that the changes prompted protests from students, who held their own commencement celebration and booed Scott Atlas, who spoke at the official ceremony. Atlas was a special White House adviser to Trump during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Representatives for Governor DeSantis and the New College of Florida did not immediately respond to Insider’s requests for comment.