Lansing — The Michigan Assembly voted 103-4 Wednesday to approve legislation recommending that the Michigan Department of Education develop a connected curriculum that could be adopted by local public schools, but teaching would not be required.
The Michigan Department of Education wasn’t immediately sure when Michigan stopped enforcing the written instructions. But the previous analysis Saw a drop in instruction starting around 2010.
Rep. Brenda Carter, D-Pontiac, introduced the legislation a second time in the House, arguing that children can retain more information when writing than when writing. She also argued that learning the manuscript would allow students to read historical documents such as the Declaration of Independence.
“We have to start encouraging children to learn handwriting in school again, not just write,” said Carter, who, noting her granddaughter’s ability to understand the manuscript, allowed her to read a letter from her dead father.
The Michigan Department of Education supports the bill, but stressed that the program would be optional for schools. The administration said the bill “elevates the conversation about the body of research associated with the manuscript, and other values of practice that local areas should consider.”
“Should the bill become state law, the Michigan Department of Education is aware of a number of high-quality connected programs that we will offer to districts that decide to teach cursive,” said department spokesman Bill DeSisa.
Right now, 21 states still require snotty education in public school curricula, Carter said.
When the bill was initially introduced in 2020, the Michigan Department of Education estimated that developing the program would cost the department more than $150,000.
In 2020, analysts saw that declines in scriptural education coincided with adoption of the Common Core curriculum and increased use of computers.
“Overall, since the introduction of the Common Core Standards in 2010, and the removal of handwriting and correspondence from the list of standards that students are expected to reach in each grade, these skills have been offered less frequently in schools,” Carter said. “Some trace the decline as far back as 2005 in relation to increased access to computers.”
The 2020 bill passed in the House of Representatives, but stalled in the Senate.