On today's show you had a caller who found that his students could not read his cursive writing. You seemed to have forgotten that being able to read cursive writing requires your ability to write it. I remember in the third grade I couldn't wait to learn cursive so that I could read my mother's letters. Students are not being taught writing and it makes for a horrible impression when they are called upon to write a note. We think that everything that we need is in a computer...a great recipe for a people to become dominated by a giant television screen overlord.
You mentioned the Common Core State Standards which most of the states have adopted as their "handbook" on what teachers NEED to teach to children in a given grade/year. You are right in that cursive handwriting is not a required standard anymore. In Ohio, where I teach in a public school, cursive handwriting was a required standard under the heading of Language Arts. That meant it had to be integrated into the curriculum in the second grade. Then, within the past 10 years (or so), the Ohio State Standards were revised and the cursive handwriting standard was moved to the third grade curriculum. Presently, I teach cursive to my third grade students. The students come to school wanting to learn cursive as it is a mystery to them almost up to the time they master every single letter of the alphabet! On the first day of school I am always asked "When will we do cursive?!" Of course I do it that very first day!
I have noticed in the past 5 years or so that our fourth grade teachers did not require the students to write in cursive. The result? Use it or lose it! The students lost their proficiency at writing and reading cursive. I am sad about this! There are so many benefits for children to learn to use cursive and to read cursive that has to do with their coordination, speed and efficiency. It boils down to a value now. Because I value cursive as a means of communication I will continue to teach it, even though the Common Core Standards no longer require it.
Phyllis & Laurie, welcome to the forum!
I couldn't agree more with your assertions about cursive. While I taught science, I ran into an analogous scenario with kids not able to "read" metrics.
But I think cursive trumps metrics in the need-to-know category.
I believe I learned cursive around 3-4th grade … and this was back in the 50s, before "state standards." These days I have lost it for lack of use. I do all my writing on a computer. I still have a fairly legible signature, but if I try to write in cursive, it looks pretty bad. So I usually print "personal" notes. Never did get the hang of that cursive "Z." 
The expectations about cursive vary by state and even by school district. My district wants it taught (and I agree) but doesn't really check on this, and even discourages cursive, as it takes time away from test-able curriculum. Ever since No Child Left Behind (and No Child Gets Ahead) subjects like cursive (art, music, PE...) have slid in importance as they are not "tested". And, as some kids really struggle with cursive, keyboarding (also supposed to be taught but isn't) is considered acceptable. It's pretty haphazard.
I'll refer you to this link
< http://www.educationnews.org/commentaries/insights_on_education/106583.html>
Ms. Garner lists several reasons why teaching cursive is valuable.
My wife is a dyslexia therapist and she has learned that teaching cursive is absolutely essential for dyslexic students. That being so, I've got to believe that it could help any student, not only with reading and writing, but with nearly any subject he is studying.
I say all that as a person who never uses cursive myself except to sign my name, and that is unreadable. But I learned it in elementary school and I am convinced it made me a better student.