Proposed changes to Arizona's Math and English Language Arts Standards will require students to learn cursive at an even earlier age than previously sought by Arizona legislators.
The Arizona Board of Education is proposing new 2016 standards that would require students to be able to read and write in cursive by third grade.
According to the new standards, third-graders should be able to demonstrate and apply handwriting skills including the abilities to "read and write cursive letters, upper and lower case" as well as "transcribe ideas legibly in cursive and manuscript, with appropriate spacing and indentation."
Gov. Doug Ducey vetoed Senate Bill 1197 in March which would have required students to learn cursive by fifth grade -- two years later than the current proposed standards.
Ducey said the Board of Education should be responsible for deciding how cursive is taught -- not lawmakers.
In his veto letter, the governor said he "strongly believes that cursive handwriting must be taught in our public schools," but added they already had a process to ensure this.
"In March 2015, I directed the State Board to review, revise and replace the state's academic standards with input by Arizona parents, teachers, principals and content experts," Ducey wrote.
The Board of Education is asking for public feedback on the updated standards. Arizona residents are invited to provide comments at one of the 17 public hearings being held across the state in September or on the draft standards website.