Florida has become the first state in the nation to adopt the Phoenix Declaration, a conservative education framework developed by the Heritage Foundation—the same organization behind Project 2025, President Donald Trump’s second-term policy agenda. The Florida State Board of Education voted unanimously in November to implement the principles in public schools statewide.
The Phoenix Declaration emphasizes parental rights, curriculum transparency, personal responsibility, and instruction rooted in objective truth. It also supports teaching students about Judeo-Christian traditions and moral virtues—components that align with conservative priorities for education reform.
Ryan Petty, chair of the Board of Education, praised the decision as a commitment to academic excellence and freedom. “It will challenge us, as leaders, to resist complacency and ensure that Florida remains a national model for academic freedom, parental partnership and educational excellence,” he said.
The plan, backed by more than 50 education experts and scholars, was unveiled earlier this year and is now positioned to reshape Florida’s public school curriculum with a focus on foundational American values and traditional civic understanding.
However, secular progressive groups swiftly denounced the move. The Freedom From Religion Foundation called the Phoenix Declaration “a vague but ideologically loaded framework” and accused it of promoting “Christian nationalist ideology.” Co-president Annie Laurie Gaylor claimed the plan would undermine public education and shift schools toward a religiously driven agenda.
Critics argued that public schools already provide civic instruction and patriotic content. They demanded that education remain “secular” and free from what they described as “religiously infused political programs.”
In addition to the declaration, the Florida Board also approved new standards for teaching students about the dangers of communism. Set to be implemented in the 2026-2027 school year, the curriculum will focus on how communist ideologies “suppress individual freedoms, abuse power, and inflict widespread suffering.”
The Florida Education Association, a left-leaning teachers union, opposed the changes, claiming the new standards promote a single viewpoint and discourage critical thinking.
Despite progressive resistance, Florida continues to lead the nation in education reform rooted in conservative principles, setting a precedent for other states looking to prioritize parental rights, patriotic instruction, and moral clarity in public schools.
