A Tale of Two States: California Adds Cursive Instruction as Oregon Hands to Graduates Degrees They Are Unable To Read

Until 2029 high school students in the Beaver State will be spared having to prove basic mastery of reading, writing, or math to graduate.

Poppy Thomas Hill via Pexels.com
Cursive handwriting, a lost skill for many students today. Poppy Thomas Hill via Pexels.com

Starting in January, California’s new law, signed last week by Governor Newsom, will see to it that students in first through sixth grade are instructed in cursive. The style has been used for centuries but is disappearing from curricula in favor of topics deemed more valuable in our digital world.

Oregon is extending its pause on basic reading and writing graduation requirements as neighboring California adds a mandate for lessons in cursive as well as print. The disparity means some youths will be able to read everything from old family letters to the Constitution while others struggle to fulfill their potential.

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