EDITORIAL: Legislators: Focus on economy, not school curriculum

We will focus on just one example: The bill introduced Jan. 7 by state Sen. Jean Leising, a Republican (from Oldenburg) serving the Rush County area. Her bill would require cursive writing in the curriculum of public and private schools.

(1) Language arts: English; grammar; composition; speech; and second languages; and cursive writing

(2) Mathematics

(3) Social studies and citizenship, including the constitutions; governmental systems; and histories of Indiana and the United States, including a study of the Holocaust in each high school United States history course

(4) Sciences

(5) Fine arts, including music and art

(6) Health education, physical fitness, safety, and the effects of alcohol, tobacco, drugs, and other substances on the human body

(7) Additional studies selected by each governing body, subject to revision by the state board

Mastery of cursive writing is a worthy goal. Learning how to write in cursive helps improve eye/hand coordination; enables students to take notes rapidly on paper; provides the ability to read the Declaration of Independence in its original form (despite the cursive “s” sometimes looking like “f”) and enables people to sign checks and tax forms so that revenue keeps flowing to the government.

Speaking of revenue … as school budgets are tightened, we are asking more each year of our educators. Teachers have larger classes and, sometimes, fewer students who are ready (or willing) to learn. Students may be lacking sleep, adequate nutrition and even a basic knowledge of good manners.

Maybe it would be a good idea to add the instruction of good manners to the required curriculum. We’d happily trade cursive instruction for “lack of cursing” instruction.

Continuing with the fantasy, we could have a bill requiring foreign language instruction at the elementary school level, when a person’s brain is most receptive to acquiring a second language. If more of our graduates have an excellent command of a second language, it can help our state and nation in this global economy.

But no, we are not suggesting more legislative fine-tuning of what teacher’s teach.

For long-term, positive impact we want our legislators to focus on economic growth. A resolution introduced in 1999 by then state Rep. Dennis Kruse, R-Auburn, promoting “Character First!” programs “to make Indiana a State of Character” decried the rise in crime”especially among our youth,” the growth of “single parent families,” the increase in “peer dependence, drugs, promiscuity, and gangs,” the “breakdown in the clear understanding of what constitutes right and wrong, the lack of moral teaching in our schools,” lack of adequate rehabilitative programs available for juvenile offenders and the burden on business and industry because of “the consequences of the breakdown of the moral fabric of our society.” That resolution 13 years ago correctly noted: “Government itself is powerless to overcome these cancers on society.”

Character education begins in the home. Ideally, a home in which the parents have the stability that comes from good jobs.

A growing economy can help provide adequate funding for education so that our teachers — preschool through university level — are of the highest quality. We must respect and empower well-trained educators. With parental support, they will provide our young people with the best academic foundation possible.

The handwriting is on the wall — cursive or printed, we don’t care, as long as our legislators can read it: Focus on growing the economy. Not growing intervention in the classroom.