Florida public schools are beginning the first year of a state law that substantially expands required instruction on the history and consequences of communism.
The law requires age-appropriate instruction on communist movements in the United States, atrocities under communist regimes, Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution and other mass killings, conditions that preceded communist revolutions, and communism in Cuba and Latin America.
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 1264 in April 2024 and the State Board of Education approved the specific standards in November 2025, with instruction beginning this school year.
Six districts—Orange, Osceola, Broward, Hillsborough, Escambia, and Duval—told The Epoch Times that instead of offering either of Florida’s two dedicated History of Communism electives this school year, the required material is being taught through courses students already take, including history, civics, government, economics, and personal finance….