An Open Letter from Tax Policy Experts Concerning TaxEDU

Abstract

An Open Letter to Educators:

The Tax Foundation has produced a set of materials called TaxEDU, which it describes as “a comprehensive crash course ready for the classroom.” The TaxEDU series includes primers, lesson plans, assessments, videos, and other materials. Among the stated goals for this package are to give “teachers the tools to make students better citizens.” The lesson plans, for example, are geared toward high school students in grades 9 through 12. 

In its 2023 Annual Report, the Tax Foundation offered information on the reach of TaxEDU. Of particular note is the claim that TaxEDU has been used in nearly 1,500 classrooms and that its usage is growing at a rapid rate.

The few pages attached to this open letter present excerpts from TaxEDU alongside passages from some widely used educational materials pertaining to tax policy. One consistent theme across these comparisons is that, relative to the more mainstream materials, TaxEDU offers a particular perspective on complex and controversial issues without offering any competing views. The signers of this letter all teach tax policy and are writing to warn educators that in its current form the TaxEDU materials are not fit for use.