One is easy, the other is not

I had to laugh a little when I read Anthony McDermott’s letter (“Follow simple rules or forget about it,” Monday). I agree with his message, but he suggested that voting is as simple as a fourth-grade Washington Assessment of Student Learning test. Just fill in the circle and an optical scanner will score it.

Apparently he isn’t familiar with a WASL test and all the controversy that surrounds it. You see, fourth-graders spend weeks of valuable class time learning how to answer WASL questions. Most questions require written answers. Because of this, the WASL must be hand scored. This is one reason why the cost of a WASL test is about 20 times the cost of other tests. The scoring of WASL is very subjective and prone to human error.

If WASL testing ever makes it on the ballot, I’ll fill in the circle and vote against it!

Kathy Robinson

Edmonds