Florida could soon be teaching students about the “dangers and evils of communism” under proposed new academic standards that some argue amount to “propaganda” and wrongly aim to rehabilitate the reputation of Sen. Joseph McCarthy, who pushed the “Red Scare” communist panic in the 1950s.

The new standards for middle-and-high-school social studies classes stem from legislation (SB 1264) Gov. Ron DeSantis signed in 2024. The law mandates instruction on the “consequences of communism” and aims to prepare students to “withstand indoctrination on Communism at colleges and universities.”

The Florida Department of Education drafted the proposed standards and released them publicly last week. The State Board of Education is to vote on them Nov. 13.

The proposed standards cover 30 pages and mo

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