I heard a co-worker lamenting recently that her daughter's elementary school wasn't teaching cursive any more. I was stunned at first. I have horrible handwriting, so I probably should be glad that it's not one of the hot subjects any more.

This is an article from USA Today  on the subject. Students have a broader curriculum now, and sometimes, the time is not there to focus on handwriting. Back in the 70s, we had a PBS show on handwriting that we watched twice a week. We had to do the exercises just like Miss Virginia on the TV. I never mastered the "color in the lines version." Some of my letters have been customized.

There aren't that many people who do speed writing or short hand any more. When I taught at a technical college in the early 90s, we were still teaching dictation and transcription. In my office, that went the way of the Dodo when PCs and email appeared on the scene.

Long hand is one of those thinks like book jackets and typewriters that's being replaced. For me (and everyone who has to read the notes that I jot, it's probably a good thing.)