DeSantis Mandates Teaching Evils of Communism in Florida Schools

In a move raising concerns about academic freedom, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed into law a controversial Republican-backed bill that will require public high school students to study communist rulers and ideologies in intense detail.

The new legislation, passed by the GOP-controlled state legislature in April and set to take effect on July 1st, is part of DeSantis' broader efforts to combat what he deems as "woke indoctrination" infiltrating America's classrooms.

What the Law Requires

Specifically, the law mandates that students entering high school in the 2023-2024 year and beyond must receive at least 45 class hours of instruction on:

• The history, doctrine, and evil policy implications of communism
• The brutal crimes and repressive policies of famous communist leaders
• How the "evil" ideology of communism goes against America's founding principles

While curriculum details are still being hashed out, the law states that courses must include "portraits" examining the lives, philosophies and impacts of influential communist figures like:

• Vladimir Lenin
• Joseph Stalin
• Mao Zedong
• Fidel Castro
• Pol Pot

DeSantis: "Exposing the Evils of Communism"

In promoting the new education requirements, DeSantis has been unequivocal in framing communism as an "evil" anti-American ideology that students must understand to build a united front against.

"We have a task to ensure that students in Florida understand the evil underpinnings of those regimes and ideologies," DeSantis said. "We want renewed emphasis on civics education so students can be patriotic Americans."

Supporters argue that directly confronting the harsh realities and humanitarian costs of communist dictatorships will promote a greater appreciation for democracy, freedom and U.S. founding values among young people.

However, critics from civil liberties groups like the ACLU and some educators have pushed back, alleging the law crosses a line into policing ideologies and curriculum in ways that could actually undermine critical thinking.

A Controversial Part of DeSantis' Education Agenda

The communist education mandate is the latest plank in DeSantis' conservative agenda targeting curricula and policies he deems as unduly exposing children to divisive liberal ideologies.

Last year, Florida passed the controversial "Don't Say Gay" law restricting classroom instruction related to sexual orientation and gender identity. The state also moved to reject new AP courses on African American studies over concerns of illegal indoctrination.

With the Republican governor widely expected to seek his party's 2024 presidential nomination, DeSantis' campaign against so-called "woke" education policies has only intensified in recent months.

But turning high schools into de facto political battlegrounds is drawing sharp pushback from some parents, educators and legal experts questioning the constitutionality of legislating specific curriculum mandates.

"This law is less about ensuring historical accuracy and more about promoting a specific political ideology - anti-communism - that could unconstitutionally filter out other perspectives from an already limited set of hours," said Jerry Redding, a Tampa high school history teacher.

Will Teachers Be Equipped to Meet the New Requirements?

Beyond free speech concerns, there are also pragmatic questions about whether Florida's teaching corps will be sufficiently trained and prepared to offer the type of rigorous, nuanced instruction envisioned by the new law's supporters.

A recent survey found only 21% of Florida's public high school teachers feel "very confident" they have the knowledge required to effectively teach about communism in the depth being mandated.

"As a history teacher, I'm all for educating students about the dangerous philosophies that fueled the rise of communist regimes and authoritarian rule," said Mary Kusiak, who teaches at a Miami high school. "But this law risks going too far by implying communist doctrine itself can't be objectively analyzed or understood within certain contexts."

Kusiak and other teachers worry the law's framing of communism as purely "evil" could necessitate an unbalanced approach that avoids examining any of the socioeconomic conditions, corruption or injustice that enabled populist communist movements to take root in many countries.

Slippery Slope Concerns: "What Comes Next?"

There are also concerns that the law sets a tricky precedent of the state dictating narrow parameters around how particular ideologies and philosophies must be taught.

Legal experts worry that if state legislatures can unilaterally ban positive perspectives on communism, what's to stop conservatives from next seeking similar restrictions around how Nazism, fascism or other authoritarian doctrines are framed?

"This appears to be an attempt by the state to control how political philosophies and ideologies are portrayed in public education," said Bradley Moss, a D.C. attorney specializing in free speech cases. "The problem is that if the government can declare communism as wholly evil and unconstitutional, that could open the door to those in power defining other philosophies as illegal indoctrination."

Only time will tell how the new law plays out in Florida classrooms when the school year begins in August. But it seems destined to face legal challenges - setting up an ideological courtroom battle that DeSantis may relish as he weighs his political future.