Florida communism classes will get new update later this year

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – After a “History of Communism” curriculum was approved for later this year, the Florida Department of Education has announced a new update ahead of its official release.

FDOE officials said the standards were developed by educators and content experts in the state, and they’re set to be implemented beginning in the 2026-2027 school year.

“With the resurgence of communist ideologies across the United States and throughout the world, it is more important than ever for students to understand the catastrophic failures and human suffering caused by communist regimes,” said Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas.

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The curriculum comes as part of a law passed last year (SB 1264), which requires public schools to teach about the “atrocities” committed under communist regimes throughout history.

WHAT TO KNOW

The coursework involves instruction on communist movements in places like Russia, China, Cuba, and even in the U.S. itself.

According to Legislative analysts, instruction must include “age-appropriate” content about the following:

• The history of communism in the U.S. and domestic communist movements
• Atrocities committed in foreign countries under the guidance of communism
• Comparative discussion of political ideologies, such as communism and totalitarianism
• The increasing threat of communism in the U.S. and to its allies
• The economic, industrial, and political events that have preceded communist revolutions
• The communist policies of Cuba and the spread of communist ideologies throughout Latin America

The subject is slated to be taught as part of a school’s social studies curriculum.

Standards show that the topic will be taught as early as Grade 6, with education on the matter continuing through high school. Each grade level focuses on different facets of communism and communal societies.

NEW UPDATE?

But even before this curriculum has been officially introduced, state officials declared an update to the lesson plans.

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On Friday, a memo was issued to superintendents across the state, explaining that the standards will now also include education on the “autocratic rule and subsequent fall of the Nicolas Maduro Regime.”

“They include the human rights abuses inflicted upon the Venezuelan people; ties between the regime and the Cartel de los Soles, the Iranian government and other terrorist organizations; and recent events including international sanctions and other legal actions,” the memo reads.

WHAT ELSE IS IN THE CURRICULUM?

You can find the full grade-by-grade breakdown of the “History of Communism” standards below.

• GRADE 6
  • At this stage, students will learn about ancient communal societies and the impacts of their systems. Instruction includes:
    • Spartan Communal Life
      • Sparta’s dependency on helots (slaves)
      • The Agoge system
      • Sparta’s limited trade and innovation
    • Roman Society
      • The latifundia
      • Reliance on slave labor
      • The role of the Cura Annonae

• GRADE 7
  • Students will begin to assess the effects of communist governments on individual freedoms, political participation, and the economy. Instruction includes:
    • Censorship
      • The use of censorship to restrict free speech, the press, political dissent and religious expression
    • Central Planning
      • The failures of central economic planning (e.g., the Soviet Union’s Five-year Plans, China’s Great Leap Forward)
    • Political Comparisons
      • A comparison of political violence between communist and democratic states

• GRADE 8
  • Students will examine early attempts at communal living in American society and their effect on economic stability and societal prosperity. Instruction includes:
    • Colonial America
      • Early attempts of collectivism (i.e. Jamestown and Plymouth Colony)
      • Reasons for shifting to private ownership (e.g., a lack of incentives to work, mass starvation)
    • Utopian Experiment
      • Failures of the Brook Farm Experiment

• GRADES 9-12
  • The remaining standards for grades 9 - 12 cover around 30 pages. They can be read below.