Desantis unveils new Florida education standards on the history of communism, highlights improved civics and history scores

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced new state standards on the history of communism, which his office says are the most comprehensive curriculum in the country on the subject.

The new guidelines, as detailed in the report, aim to provide students with a comprehensive education on the history and global impact of communism while reinforcing the importance of individual liberty and the United States' constitutional principles.

"As the new school year gets underway, Florida's new History of Communism education standards ensure that students receive comprehensive instruction on the historical reality of communism," DeSantis wrote on X. "Thanks to legislation I signed, all high school students are now required to learn about the damage that this ideology has caused around the world and the experiences of those who suffered under communist regimes."

The governor added: "It is our duty to make sure that the next generation understands the truth about communism, so they are less susceptible to the false promises of 'socialists' who seek to subvert our way of life in service of a radical and dangerous agenda."

The new standards are part of a series of measures that Florida has been implementing since 2022, when DeSantis signed HB 395, which established Victims of Communism Day and required high schools to include instruction on communist regimes and their victims. In 2024, the governor signed SB 1264, which expanded mandatory instruction on the history and global impact of communism, and in 2025, the State Board of Education approved the new standards, which have already been incorporated into various social studies courses.

The state also created the "Portraits of Patriotism" and "Stories of Inspiration" programs, aimed at incorporating firsthand accounts from victims of communist governments into educational materials, and established the Institute for Freedom in the Americas at Miami Dade College in collaboration with the Adam Smith Center for Economic Freedom at Florida International University (FIU). In addition, funds were allocated to restore and preserve Miami's historic Freedom Tower, a symbol of the refuge found by Cubans who fled the Castro regime.

Along with these initiatives, Florida also expanded its investment in civics education. The state allocated $162 million to this area from kindergarten through 12th grade, implemented new standards and instructional guidelines for civics and government, and more than 22,000 teachers have now completed the "Civics Seal of Excellence" certification program, which awards a $3,000 stipend. The Florida Civics and Debate Initiative, for its part, grew from fewer than 60 teams in 11 school districts to more than 350 teams statewide, and a record 748 students participated in the program's most recent championship.

According to data released by the governor's office, these efforts coincided with the best results ever recorded on the state Civics and History assessments in the United States: 76% of students scored at or above their grade-level standard in Civics, six percentage points higher than in 2025, while in U.S. History the figure reached 73%, three points higher than the previous year.