Contact: Lindsey Ross, Senior Press Secretary
Lindsey.Ross@iga.in.gov
317-232-9498
STATEHOUSE (April 16, 2019) – A bill amended by State Sen. Jean Leising (R-Oldenburg) that would require Indiana schools to teach cursive writing today passed the Senate by a vote of 31 to 18.
With Leising’s amendment, House Bill 1640 would require each school corporation, charter school and accredited nonpublic elementary school to include cursive writing in its curriculum.
“Cursive writing was not made a Common Core standard in the past, so numerous schools stopped teaching this valuable skill,” Leising said. “As a result, many of today’s teenagers do not have a signature to validate their driver’s license or sign agreements. People in our community have stressed to me the importance of this skill for years, and I have worked to make it an educational requirement for eight consecutive legislative sessions. If signed by the governor, I believe this bill would greatly benefit our students by strengthening their educational foundations and preparing them for tasks required outside of school.”
Leising also noted that within the last year, Illinois, Ohio and Texas have joined the majority of states in requiring the teaching of cursive in elementary school. Many private schools in Indiana have continued to teach cursive, creating a disparity between public and private schools.
HB 1640 will now return to the House of Representatives for further consideration.
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For a high-resolution photo of Sen. Leising, click here.
