Some principles on which the school was founded upon were academic freedom and the need to reinvigorate democracy. These core principles remain the same. As stated in the mission of the school today, “The New School’s future will be shaped by the core values that have defined our past: academic freedom, tolerance, and experimentation. In the proposal of 1919, it mentions “we need teachers who have a first-hand knowledge of the world of actual endeavor and are prepared to apply their several specialties to the current issues of the day.”

Today, teachers who work in the field are still being hired and the school offers courses called “Currents,” which are classes that are always changing to meet the issues of the time. The school also brings in guest lecturers to talk about the situations at hand. The early years of the school focused on labor organizations and training for a public service job but, today, there’s less of that and more on sustainability and the global economy. Also, rather than just political and social sciences, there’s now art and design, dance, music, drama, and liberal arts: all of these subjects are still used to try and shape society.

However, today, there are presidents and deans (which the founders didn’t want to waste money on), and buildings and equipment (more things the founders didn’t want to waste money on). Both mission statements, though, end by saying New York City is integral to the foundation of the school because of the people it attracts, how many places it connects to, and what it offers. A hundred years from the founding in 2019, the school will probably still continue to follow the core values. It will continue to change its courses to keep current, and it will still continue to experiment. There will probably be more courses being offered because more problems and curiosities will arise.

Compare the 1919 and 2013 mission statements!

Proposal for an Independent School of Social Science for Men and Women

Mission and Vision