Corporation To Clarify Stance On Teaching Cursive Writing
Posted
David Slone-dslone@timesuniononline.com
Indiana Department of Education no longer considers cursive writing to be a state standard, but Warsaw teachers are being told different things about whether or not they can still teach it.
Monday night at the Warsaw School Board meeting, Vice President Dan Robinson asked Chief Academics Officer David Hoffert about cursive writing in the schools.
Hoffert said that at no time has cursive writing been taken out of Warsaw’s curriculum. The state, however, has taken it out of its standards.
Because third-graders need to know keyboarding for testing purposes, keyboarding has been implemented in the curriculum. All testing is going computer-based, Hoffert said. The Warsaw administration looks at cursive as an enrichment activity.
Terry Sims, a Madison Elementary School teacher, said at his school building teachers were told they were “forbidden” to teach cursive. His wife, a Madison third-grade teacher, was going to teach cursive at the end of the school day, but was told not to do it. Sims said there apparently is no consistency among the school buildings regarding teaching cursive.
Hoffert said it will be discussed with the building principals to clarify the matter.
Deb Wiggins, school board president, told Hoffert to bring the matter to the board at its December meeting.
“Absolutely,” Hoffert replied.
Superintendent Dr. Craig Hintz reported Warsaw Community Schools has 7,009 students, an increase over this time last year when Warsaw had 6,838 students.
“We are the envy of many school corporations around us because we have increased our numbers,” Hintz said.
The school board also approved an easement request for the city of Warsaw.
Jones & Henry Engineers Ltd. contacted the school corporation in summer 2010 regarding the city’s forced main project. The plan included running underground pipe through the property that today is known as the Gateway Education Center, previously Madison Elementary School on Union Street.
Soil boring work occurred this spring.
The city is ready to move forward and prepared a document for a temporary construction easement and a permanent post-construction easement. The easement is away from the building, parking and drives.
The school board approved Hintz to sign the easement agreement on behalf of the board.
