Editorials

Amidst current discussions and controversy about the merits and challenges of the new “Core Curriculum,” a less dramatic yet equally important issue is the trend away from teaching “cursive” in our schools. As a retired teacher and current voter, genealogist and sports fan, I think the loss of the ability to write (and therefore read) cursive is another step in the increasing “depersonalization” of our culture with potentially disastrous consequences. I was further reminded of this as I went to vote by mail, where, on the envelope, you are told emphatically to sign your name (not print it) for your vote to count.

Walk into any classroom in Gilroy today and you’ll see more than textbooks and worksheets. You’ll see students coding simple programs, building bridges from craft sticks, experimenting with sound and light and using creativity to solve real problems.  That’s STEAM in action—science, technology, engineering, arts...