NH Senate Votes Not to Require Teaching of Cursive

New Hampshire senators have watered down a bill that would have required public schools to teach cursive writing and memorization of multiplication tables.

The bill, passed Thursday, only encourages districts to teach both rather than requiring them. Republican Sen. Nancy Stiles, the original sponsor of the bill, proposed the change on the Senate floor. She introduced the bill at the request of two constituents. She says being able to read and write cursive is essential for reading historical documents and that multiplication tables provide a strong foundation for later math. Some opponents of the Common Core say the educational standards move away from teaching both.

But opponents of the requirement said curriculum decisions should be made locally. Nothing now in state law prohibits or requires schools to teach either.