Florida public schools must teach 'evils of communism' under new law

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (CITC) — Florida public schools are now required to teach students the history of communism under a new law signed Wednesday.

Educators are required to teach a history of “tactics” used by American communist movements, as well as negative events that have occurred under communist regimes. Students will also learn about “atrocities” committed in other nations guided by communist ideologies, as well as the “increasing threat” of the political system to the U.S. and its allies throughout the 20th century.

“Today, we’re here fighting tyranny and fighting communism,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis stated. “We are committed to telling the truth about this ideology, and we are going to make sure that people have a very accurate understanding of the human carnage that has resulted from communist regimes throughout history.”

Some of the required subjects include mass killings perpetrated by communist regimes and China's Cultural Revolution.

“We’re going to tell the truth about communism in the state of Florida. We’re going to tell the truth about the evils of communism. We’re going to tell the truth about the unprecedented death toll of the 20th century at the hands of communist tyranny,” Gov. DeSantis said.

Teachers must also lead a discussion on political ideologies like communism and totalitarianism, touching on their spread throughout Latin America. The political, economic and industrial events preceding communist revolutions will receive attention, according to the measure.

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“This bill today gives us the opportunity to ensure that we learn history so that our students in Florida are not apt to repeat that history and really understand the evils of communism,” Florida Education Commissioner Manny Díaz Jr. said. “All of the lives that have been shattered and destroyed, all of the families that have been separated, and [it] continues to go on today ... across parts of the world.”

Florida House Democrats had insisted the legislation include lessons on McCarthyism, pointing to the practice’s perceived current relevance in the U.S. However, it was left out of the final legislation.

“The omission of McCarthyism while listing other aspects of communism is a concern because we have to also remind ourselves how the United States reacted to this,” State Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, expressed last month. “Unfortunately, it is very clear today that that Red Scare that we experienced in our history is also very modern. I think it’s important to include McCarthyism so that we also don’t repeat that part of our history.”

The new curriculum requirements will take effect beginning in the 2026-27 school year.

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