Standardized tests are still the most objective way to measure student learning across schools, and removing them would make it impossible to compare educational outcomes fairly. I've seen how teacher-assigned grades vary wildly for the same level of work, even within the same district, which suggests that without a common metric, we're just guessing at who's actually prepared for college. Sure, they create stress, but isn't some pressure useful to push kids to study harder and for teachers to cover essential material?