Common Core Killed Cursive, but it’s Making a Comeback

If the numerous reasons to despise Common Core since its introduction in 2010 weren’t enough — the pornographic sex education, ridiculous math standards that teach political activism rather than math, low English and science standards, including failed reading instruction, et al — students have also been denied the ability to learn cursive handwriting.

Common Core (CC) standards removed cursive writing from the curriculum, allegedly due to a need to focus on all things digital. Standardized testing and teaching to the tests were part of the mix, and cursive writing was a traditional skill the CC reformers thought they could dispose of with little fanfare or pushback.

In Your Child’s School Library:
Dinosaurs, Owls, and Condoms, Oh My!

To introduce the premier of her May 25, 2025 podcast, pro-life activist and president of Live Action, Lila Rose, stated that “dinosaurs, owls and condoms are just a few of the topics sitting side by side on the shelves at your local library.” She might have added that these same books can be found in public-school libraries, not only at the high school level but in elementary and middle schools as well.

Rose’s guest that day was Karen England, president of the Capitol Resource Institute (CRI). She is the founder of CRI’s Take Back the Classroom (TBTC) and Take Back The Community projects. Known also as “The Kitchen Table Activist,” England has spent “over 27 years advocating for parental rights, religious freedom, and the sanctity of life.” Her mission is to empower like-minded parents and citizens to “make a difference at the local level.”

Parents Can R.E.M.O.V.E.
Offensive ‘Children’s’ Books from School Libraries

“Parents are the first and strongest advocates for their children. When we stand up and speak out, we can take back the classroom, reclaim our rights, and protect our kids from state-sponsored grooming.” — Karen England

The Capitol Resource Institute (CRI) is recruiting volunteers to help audit school libraries and expand the organization’s database of bad books as part of its Take Back the Classroom initiative.

Just this month, Education Reporter and Phyllis Schlafly Eagles Director, Kurt Prenzler, spoke with CRI Program Administrator, Dana Fought, who explained how CRI trains volunteers to audit public-school libraries to determine if they stock pornographic books. Once identified, the titles can be included in CRI’s school-specific database of inappropriate books.

Some Good News for Protecting Kids

In an important victory for children and parents, the U.S. Supreme Court on June 18 voted 6-3 to uphold Tennessee’s common-sense SAFE Act, SB1 (Save Adolescents from Experimentation), which protects minors under age 18 from undergoing gender transition procedures, including puberty blockers, hormones, and surgeries. This ruling supports a lower court decision that SB1 does not violate the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which was the primary complaint. (See Education Reporter, December 2024.)

A CBS News report on MSN.com lamented that the decision in U.S. v. Skrmetti — the Biden Administration’s challenge to the Tennessee law — “restricts gender affirming care for minors experiencing gender dysphoria,” which “is likely to have broad implications in half of the country.”