BILL NUMBER: S7743

SPONSOR: SCARCELLA-SPANTON
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to requiring instruction
in cursive writing as part of the basic education program

 
PURPOSE:

This bill would require that cursive writing be taught as part of the
basic education program.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section one of the bill adds § 819 to the education law to require that
during the standard course of study cursive writing shall be instructed
so that students create readable documents through legible cursive hand-
writing by the end of fifth grade.

Section two provides the effective date.

              

 
JUSTIFICATION:

When Common Core was implemented in New York State, students were skip-
ping what once were fundamental elements of their educational founda-
tion. Currently there is no requirement that students be taught cursive
writing. Section 801 of the Education Law requires certain fundamental
elements to our education curriculum that result in welt-rounded
students that are versed in things that we have deemed fundamental
throughout the years.

The notion that a pupil could graduate from twelve years of education
without knowing how to sign his or her name in cursive is unacceptable.
This bill would require that this fundamental building block of our
children's education be removed from schools simply because they are not
required as part of any of the numerous standardized tests students are
subjected to.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2019-20: A.2309 - Education

2017-18: A.2701A - Held for Consideration in Education / S.5140-A -
Education

2015-16: A.387 - Education

2013-14: A.8651- Held for Consideration in Education

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None to the State.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to the school
years commencing on the first of July succeeding the date on which it
shall become law.