"an incredible step in the right direction"

I am not an optimist by nature, but in a world clogged with so much shit and misery it seems to me that some things -- actually, many things -- are going to have to shift, transform, or simply disappear in global wake of Covid-19.

So here's your ray of sunshine for today -- California (and it's enormous public university system) is getting rid of the SAT (American college entrance exam).

This is very good news:

"Critics of the standardized tests have long argued they disadvantage students of color and those from low-income families because test questions often contain inherent bias that more privileged children are better equipped to answer. Wealthier students are also more likely to have access to expensive prep courses that help boost their scores, which many students can’t afford.

The UC’s governing body, the Board of Regents, voted 23-0 Thursday to approve a proposal by the UC president, Janet Napolitano, that phases the tests out over five years, at which point the UC aims to have developed its own test.

The regents met in a teleconference that lasted several hours Thursday, with expert presentations and lengthy debates that echoed a national conversation about whether the tests discriminate against disadvantaged students or help admissions offices find the most qualified applicants.

'I think this is an incredible step in the right direction,' said the Regents chairman, John Perez."

Yes, the SAT is racist.  Rich folks can send their kids to prep courses, and poor folks can't.  And those courses are primarily how to game the test -- more specifically, when should you guess and when should you leave an answer blank?  This alone can significantly increase your score, and it has nothing to do with an improved command of vocabulary or math.

Next, let's kill the GRE (graduate school entrance exam).  It's absurd to think an MA or PhD program can't judge your potential based off of a 20 page writing sample and two letters from your college professors.