The cursive writing requirement is just one part of a sweeping education bill that Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law on Monday.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A new law will ensure that cursive doesn’t become a lost art for students in the state of Florida.
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a sweeping education bill (SB 182) on Monday that, among other things, will require students to learn cursive writing in elementary school.
Under the new Florida law, public schools must provide specified cursive writing instruction for grades 3 through 5. By the end of grade 5, students will be required to demonstrate proficiency in cursive.
“Proficiency” means being able to write upper and lowercase letters in cursive, write words and sentences legibly with proper spacing and alignment, read and apply cursive writing to literary development, and write essays and other assignments in cursive.
For those who remember learning it, Florida used to require that cursive be taught in public schools, but stopped in 2010 when it adopted Common Core standards.
The new law will also require that portraits of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln be displayed “in a conspicuous place in each public school.” Another provision aims to support teachers at struggling schools through a School Teacher Training and Mentoring Program.
The program will allow school districts to place retired or current classroom teachers in schools earning a “D” or “F” grade to serve as mentors. Qualified teachers can earn a stipend of up to $3,000 for serving as a mentor.
The law takes effect on July 1, 2026.
However, one major question remains hanging over the bill: How will it be implemented?
Under the bill, the Department of Education (DOE) will select the portraits of Washington and Lincoln and make them available to the school districts. But the provision is “subject to legislative appropriation,” and the House and Senate are engaged in a standoff over the budget, making it uncertain whether the DOE or the districts will have the funds to put the pictures in place next year.
The teacher training program, too, will rely on budget decisions by lawmakers. The bill allows school districts to use funds from a segment of the Florida Education Finance Program, the main funding formula for K-12 schools, to pay for the training program, but that will need to be agreed to by the House and Senate as well.
Budget talks have stalled, and next week, lawmakers are poised to return to the Capitol for congressional redistricting, artificial intelligence regulations and vaccine law changes. Negotiations on the state spending plan aren’t on the agenda.
The News Service of Florida contributed to this report.