Bill Overview
Title: Crucial Communism Teaching Act
Description: This bill directs the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation to develop a civic education curriculum and oral history resources for high school students to promote understanding of certain political ideologies (e.g., communism and totalitarianism) that conflict with principles of U.S. democracy.
Sponsors: Sen. Kennedy, John [R-LA]
Target Audience
Population: High School Students
Estimated Size: 15000000
- The bill mandates the development of a curriculum for high school students, making them the primary target population.
- The bill focuses on U.S. high schools, which limits the primary target population to the United States.
- According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2020, there were approximately 15 million students enrolled in high schools across the United States.
- Potential indirect impacts might also include educators and school administrators responsible for integrating and teaching the new curriculum.
- Globally, the impact would be minimal as the curriculum is designed for implementation within U.S. high schools only.
Reasoning
- This educational policy targets high school students in the U.S., estimated to be around 15 million. The budget allows for a robust creation of curriculum materials and training, yet individual impact on students could vary widely based on how they engage with the materials and their pre-existing knowledge.
- To assess the impact, I included students from diverse backgrounds and locations, educators who implement these teachings, and even individuals who are uninvolved to show a comparison.
- The people selected reflect a mix of directly affected individuals (students and teachers) and those indirectly or not impacted at all, such as parents or unrelated professionals. This provides a spectrum of opinions, showcasing the policy's reach and limitations.
Simulated Interviews
high school student (Richmond, VA)
Age: 16 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 4.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I think it's great to learn more about different political systems, even the ones that contradict what we practice.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
high school student (Austin, TX)
Age: 17 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm not sure how much this new curriculum will matter but learning is never bad.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 4 | 4 |
high school history teacher (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 42 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Implementing a new curriculum is challenging, but it’s an opportunity to engage students on important topics.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
high school student (Seattle, WA)
Age: 15 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Discussing different ideologies makes us think critically about our own beliefs.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
high school principal (Chicago, IL)
Age: 55 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Incorporating different perspectives in education is crucial but requires careful implementation.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
college freshman (Miami, FL)
Age: 18 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I think more structured learning on politics would have prepared me better for college discussions.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
high school student (New York, NY)
Age: 16 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 4.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Learning about these ideologies is important, but it should be presented neutrally.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
first-year college student (Salt Lake City, UT)
Age: 18 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Reflecting on high school, more clarity on such ideologies would have been useful.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 4 | 4 |
high school student (Pittsburgh, PA)
Age: 17 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 2/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Authorities should be careful with how these subjects are taught to ensure accuracy.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 4 | 4 |
software engineer (Birmingham, AL)
Age: 30 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I doubt this will affect me as I'm far removed from school settings.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $10000000 (Low: $8000000, High: $13000000)
Year 2: $6000000 (Low: $5000000, High: $8000000)
Year 3: $4000000 (Low: $3000000, High: $5000000)
Year 5: $2000000 (Low: $1500000, High: $3000000)
Year 10: $1000000 (Low: $500000, High: $2000000)
Year 100: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Key Considerations
- The development and implementation of the curriculum must be standardized across diverse state educational requirements.
- While promoting understanding, the content must adhere to educational standards and avoid political bias.
- The distribution of the curriculum will require collaboration with local and state education authorities.