NJ Schools Must Teach Cursive Writing Again, Essex County Legislators Cheer For New Law

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — A pair of state legislators from Essex County have helped to usher in a new law that will require local school districts to teach cursive handwriting again.

On Monday, former Gov. Phil Murphy signed a flurry of bills before his term ended. Read More: Murphy Signs 100+ Bills Ahead Of Leaving Office

The new laws include S1783/A3865, which will bring back cursive instruction for students in grades three through five. The requirements take effect immediately and apply to the next full school year.

Primary sponsors of the bill in the New Jersey Assembly included two Democratic lawmakers from Essex County: Rosy Bagolie (NJ-27) and Shanique Speight (NJ-29).

“Cursive writing is not about nostalgia—it’s about development,” said Bagolie, who represents Livingston, Millburn, Montclair, Roseland and West Orange in Essex County, as well as Clifton in Passaic County.

“From a learning-science perspective, handwriting engages neural pathways connected to literacy, attention and memory,” said Baglolie, the superintendent and principal of the East Newark school district.

“Research shows that handwriting instruction supports writing fluency and learning, particularly when students are developing foundational literacy skills,” she added.

Speight, who represents Newark in Essex County, and East Newark and Harrison in Hudson County, also said the return of cursive in the state’s schools will be a boost for local kids.

“For those of us who grew up handwriting our school papers, it’s hard to imagine that some children can no longer read or write using cursive,” Speight said.

“Requiring that cursive be taught in our public schools will benefit our students and prepare them for the future, so I am pleased to see this bill signed into law,” the assemblywoman added.

According to a statement from the governor’s office, years of decline in national cursive instruction followed the 2010 adoption of the Common Core State Standards, which omitted handwriting from its curriculum. Many other states in addition to New Jersey, such as California and New Hampshire, are now reversing course by requiring cursive instruction in schools, citing benefits for students.

“The return to including cursive instruction is especially meaningful as New Jersey celebrates the upcoming 250th anniversary of our country's founding – giving our students the skills they need to read our nation's founding documents and complete tasks like opening a bank account or signing a check, in addition to offering cognitive benefits,” Murphy said.

“We owe it to our students to give them a well-rounded education that ensures they have the tools to fully understand our rich history and become competent leaders,” he added.

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