I appreciate Sarah Kelsey’s interest in continuing the practice of allowing freshman students to take the sophomore WASL. (Monday letter, “Dumb to not let freshmen take test.”) However, I agree with state Superintendent Randy Dorn that only those required should take the test. The sophomore class curriculum is set to accommodate the WASL but the freshman curriculum is not. My son chose not to take the WASL last year as a freshman so he could concentrate on his classroom studies. As he is an honors student, we have no doubt that he would have passed the exam. We believe he made the correct choice.

In retrospect, had we known the disruption the WASL would have on the freshman class, we would have chosen differently. Class studies ground to a near halt so the absent freshmen, who elected to take the sophomore WASL, would not fall behind. Superintendent Dorn, please discontinue the disruption. The money saved will be a bonus.

Don Shagam

Lake Stevens