Abolishing the SAT

Re “For Equality’s Sake, the SAT Should Be Abolished,” Commentary, Jan. 24: Let me see if I’ve got this right--Julian Weissglass thinks we should get rid of the SAT because it’s culturally biased, “disrespectful” to student’s feelings and causes them to have “anxiety” by “coercing” them to “memorize” instead of “learn.”

If academic aptitude cannot be judged by standardized tests, then why don’t we form a government-sponsored fairness commission, to decide objectively and without prejudice which students get to go to Harvard and Yale?

Better still, scrap grading systems altogether and give everybody a PhD from the university of his or her choice. Does that sound fair enough? To quote Bart Simpson: “Dude, get a clue.”

GREG MARAGOS

Glendale

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Not only does the SAT test continue to promote and preserve economic inequality, as so ably presented by Weissglass, it encourages students and their parents to learn how to beat the system. And this kind of behavior is used by many of the students all through their college or university days. And as Weissglass so wisely said, “No person’s understanding can be reduced to a number.” Yes, the SAT tests should be abolished.

SELMER O. WAKE

Santa Barbara

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Weissglass apparently wants to join the crowd in the “dumbing down” of America. Instead of abolishing the SAT, how about preparing students so well that the SAT is a “piece of cake” for everyone. With new learning techniques like those described in the excellent book, “Superlearning 2000,” we have the tools to turn out vastly superior students instead of continuing the 100-year-old failed practices of professors regurgitating boring lectures to sleeping students.

What’s wrong is not the SAT; it’s the antiquated teaching methods used in our failing public school systems.

TOM FRANKLIN

Los Angeles