Florida’s Anti-Communism Education Standards Face Criticism from Academic Experts

Florida’s education system is poised for a significant shift as proposed academic standards would require students to learn about the “dangers and evils of communism,” sparking debate among educators and historians who question the approach and content of the new curriculum.

The standards, set for a State Board of Education vote on November 13, stem from legislation (SB 1264) signed by Governor Ron DeSantis earlier this year. The law mandates instruction on the “consequences of communism” with the stated goal of preparing students to “withstand indoctrination on Communism at colleges and universities.”

Released publicly last week, the 30-page proposal contains more than 100 benchmarks covering topics including death tolls under communist regimes, how communist policies affected quality of life, and the “dangers of pro-communist propaganda in entertainment and media industries.”

However, historians have raised concerns about the standards’ portrayal of Senator Joseph McCarthy, who is listed alongside Richard Nixon and President Harry Truman as “anti-communist politicians.” The House Un-American Activities Committee receives similar treatment in the document.

David Oshinsky, a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian at New York University and McCarthy expert, expressed alarm at this characterization. While describing himself as “anti-communist,” Oshinsky noted that McCarthy and the committee conducted “one-sided” and “corrupt” investigations that “failed miserably as anti-communist organizations.”

“If McCarthyism isn’t a pejorative, what exactly is it?” Oshinsky questioned. “Are we going to have people in the classroom saying that he was right?”

The historical record shows McCarthy was censured by the Senate, with some of his accusations deemed “a fraud and a hoax.” Yet Florida’s standards suggest critics of McCarthy overreached, requiring students to learn that “McCarthyism” was unfairly used as “an insult and shorthand for all anti-communism.”

This represents a potential revival of Cold War-era educational requirements in Florida. From 1961 to 1991, state law mandated 30 hours of instruction on communism’s evils and methods to fight it before the Legislature repealed the curriculum.

When signing the bill in Hialeah Gardens at a museum honoring Bay of Pigs invasion veterans, DeSantis declared, “We will not allow our students to live in ignorance, nor be indoctrinated by Communist apologists in schools.”

Then-Senator Jay Collins, now Florida’s lieutenant governor who sponsored the legislation, stated on Instagram that “Communism ALWAYS leads to loss of life, pain, trauma, and the destruction of families. It’s time to teach our children the truth.”

The Florida Department of Education has not responded to requests for comment about the standards or questions regarding who helped develop them.

Critics like Robert Cassanello, a history professor at the University of Central Florida and president of the United Faculty of Florida, view the standards as a “rewriting” of U.S. history. Cassanello, who was also critical of Florida’s 2023 revision of African American history standards, called the new proposal “propaganda.”

“They don’t want young people to be critical thinkers and independent thinkers. They want young people to repeat the talking points of the right-wing lawmakers,” Cassanello said. He noted the standards take a particular political stance rather than approaching the subject neutrally.

State Rep. Anna Eskamani, who voted against the bill, found irony in Republicans opposing “indoctrination” while mandating a specific political viewpoint. “Ironically, it was communist regimes that dictated what can and can’t be taught in schools; we should counter that — not mimic it,” she stated after the vote.

Practical concerns also exist. Andrew Spar, president of the Florida Education Association, worries about implementation. While supporting teaching about communism, he questions how teachers will incorporate hundreds of new standards into an already “crowded curriculum” within a 180-day school year.

The DeSantis administration previously declared November 7 as “Victims of Communism Day” in 2022, requiring schools to dedicate one day to teaching about communism’s dangers.

The state is currently accepting public comment on the proposed standards ahead of next month’s vote.