Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro Bringing Cursive Back To Schools

Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is bringing cursive back to schools.

Shapiro signed a bill requiring a cursive handwriting curriculum in all Pennsylvania public schools, Wednesday. The bill, introduced by Republican Pennsylvania Rep. Dane Watro, was co-sponsored by three Democrats and fifteen Republicans. (RELATED: ‘Utter Bullsh*t’: Josh Shapiro Lashes Out At Kamala Harris Over Memoir Tales)

“I’m definitely rusty, but I think my penmanship was okay!” Shapiro’s office wrote on Facebook, posting a photo of Shapiro’s cursive signature.

Pennsylvania’s former education secretary, Khalid Mumin, “said cursive instruction is not vital for public classrooms,” according to Penn Live Patriot-News.

“Secretary Mumin encourages schools to determine the best paths for their students to learn to communicate effectively in writing and achieve success, regardless of the mode of writing used to get there,” said Education Department spokesman Taj Magruder to Penn Live Patriot-News.

Cursive is valuable in and of itself, and as a means to other ends.

A pupil practices cursive writing at Triadelphia Ridge Elementary School in Ellicott City, Maryland on October 15, 2013. For third-grade pupils at Triadelphia Ridge Elementary School, learning to write joined-up letters is a no-brainer, but outside the classroom, grown-up Americans are debating whether the nation’s children should be studying cursive at all. (Robert MacPherson/AFP via Getty Images)

In the first place, cursive is beautiful. We should teach children to recognize beauty and to produce beautiful works. And there’s ample opportunity to practice one’s handwriting in middle and high school (especially if schools opt for blue books and computer-free coursework, which they should).

Cursive is time-saving, too. I still prefer to write in cursive as an adult — It makes jotting down notes or fleeting thoughts easy. (RELATED: STEPHEN MOORE: Why Johnny Can’t Read)

There are ample historical documents written in cursive: The Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, to name two. Yes, these documents have been transcribed to text. But students should have the ability to read primary source documents written in English, should they choose — What if they encounter an obscure text written in cursive?

Good on Shapiro. Other states would do well to follow his lead in this regard. Now, if only we could mandate phonics. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: ‘The Mississippi Miracle Is Real,’ Gov. Tate Reeves Says Of Soaring Educational Outcomes)

Follow Natalie Sandoval on X: @NatSandovalDC

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