In the near future, we will introduce legislation to ensure Pennsylvania students receive clear, fact-based instruction on the historical, economic, and social dangers of communism. Despite a century of evidence—from the Soviet Union to China, Cuba, and North Korea—too many young people lack basic understanding of the repression, economic failure, and widespread human-rights abuses associated with communist regimes.


What the bill does
 

• Curriculum requirements: Directs public schools to include age-appropriate lessons on the history of communism and its impact worldwide, contrasting communist systems with American democratic principles and the protection of individual rights.
• Reliable materials: Provides schools with updated, fact-based resources, including historical accounts, survivor testimony, and scholarly analysis to ensure accuracy.
• Teacher support: Offers professional development to help educators teach this content effectively, encourage critical thinking, and facilitate open, civil classroom discussion.
• Public awareness: Supports initiatives that help students, parents, and educators understand the dangers of totalitarian ideologies.

This legislation will equip our students with the historical literacy and critical-thinking skills necessary to recognize threats to freedom and to uphold the values of liberty, justice, and human rights.

We respectfully ask for your co-sponsorship for this important piece of educational legislation.

If you have any questions concerning this legislation, please contact Legislative Director Aaron Bashir (abashir@pasen.gov), Chief of Staff Don Beishl (dbeishl@pasen.gov), Legislative Director Joshua Paul (jpaul@pasen.gov), or Legislative Director Sean Moll (smoll@pasen.gov) in our offices.