As a long-time libertarian and former public high school teacher, I generally resist mandates designed to micromanage how educators perform their craft.
However, I am also well aware from my years in the classroom, coupled with declining national test scores and the sheer ignorance among most young Americans on the topic of socialism, that the state of social studies education in America’s public schools has reached a crisis level.
According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, also known as the Nation’s Report Card, “In 2022, the average civics score at eighth grade decreased by 2 points compared to 2018,” the first-ever decline in the average score since the test was launched in 1998.
The report continues: “In 2022, the average U.S. history score at eighth grade decreased by 5 points compared to 2018 and by 9 points compared to 2014.” Also, in 2022, the average score on the U.S. history assessment dropped to 258, the lowest score ever recorded in the 28-year period of the test.
In 2018, “there was a 3-point decrease in the average geography score at grade 8” compared to four years prior, marking the lowest average score since the geography test began in 1994.
While decreasing test scores are cause for concern, I am much more worried about the fact that most young Americans have a very warped view of socialism, often due to the influence of their teachers.
Based on a 2025 survey of likely voters aged 18 to 39, more than half said their teachers or professors favored democratic socialism when they attended school.
This should not be all that surprising given that social studies departments in public schools across the country are dominated by teachers with leftist political views, according to the teachers themselves. Even most parents, when polled, think their public schools lean liberal.
The perception that social studies teachers have been indoctrinating millions of susceptible students with socialist propaganda has become reality.
Numerous polls show that young Americans support socialism, and outright socialist programs, more than ever.
Consider: Last year, a Heartland/Rasmussen poll showed that more than half of Americans aged 18 to 39 want a democratic socialist to win the White House in 2028. Nearly 60 percent “support government-run grocery stores in every town in America,” and more than 60 percent “support more government housing and a nationwide rent freeze.”
Far from an outlier, the results above are par for the course when young people are asked about their views on socialism and communism. A 2025 Cato poll found that “62 percent of Americans aged 18–29 say they hold a ‘favorable view’ of socialism, and 34 percent say the same of communism.”
Even worse, a 2025 Axios poll shows that “67 percent of college students hold a positive or neutral association with the word ‘socialism.’”
Given the sheer scope of the problem, I have come to believe that the best possible solution is a targeted effort to ensure that teachers, whether they like it or not, must teach the truth about socialism.
Because education is mostly controlled by state legislatures, ideally, this will be achieved at the state level. So far, one state, the Sunshine State, has passed a law that addresses this urgent issue in a focused, effective fashion.
In 2024, Florida lawmakers passed a bill signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to “ensure students in Florida are taught the truth about the evils and dangers of Communism.”
In November 2025, the Florida Board of Education approved “new History of Communism standards” to equip “students with a truthful, in-depth understanding of how communist ideologies suppress individual freedoms, abuse power, and inflict widespread suffering.”
“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,” Commissioner of Education Anastasios Kamoutsas said.
“Florida’s new History of Communism standards will ensure that students learn the truth about the brutal realities of life under communism and gain a deeper appreciation for the blessings of liberty that define our nation,” he added.
The future stakes for generations of Americans could not be higher; socialist indoctrination in public schools must cease before it is too late.
Chris Talgo ([email protected]) is editorial director at The Heartland Institute.
Editor's Note: President Trump is fighting to dismantle the Department of Education and ensure America's kids get the education they deserve.
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