New York Sun – December 21, 2006 via Overlawyered.com:

“Seat-time credit,” a policy that allows failing students to earn points toward passing a class just by sitting in their seats is treated as an acceptable practice in city high schools two years after Mayor Bloomberg declared the end of social promotion in lower grades.

The policy, which city Department of Education officials say is allowable under state regulations, says failing students may pass as long as they have good attendance and complete an independent project assigned by their teacher. Some teachers are criticizing the policy as veiled social promotion that allows schools to hide failure rates.

We don’t think you should get credit for just being alive,” the United Federation of Teachers high school representative, Leo Casey, said. “It just seems to be a way for students to accumulate credits without actually doing the work.”

“It’s been used as a pejorative sense about students who just come to school, sit in a seat, may not do the work, don’t show a high standard.… Yet they get credit, they get a passing grade,” he said. “If it’s up to the teacher, and there are no standards, that is tantamount to seat-time.”



  1. Nick says:

    And we wonder why there are more and more dumb-asses in the world every year.

  2. James says:

    It’s just making official what has gone on for years. So long as you show up, it’s easier to graduate high school than not. It doesn’t affect what anyone would have learned; it just means having a diploma (and increasingly even a college degree) doesn’t mean much anymore.

  3. B. Dog says:

    It prepares them for real life, which is 85% just showing up.

  4. SN says:

    4. “It prepares them for real life, which is 85% just showing up.”

    I want your job!

  5. Grrr says:

    #2 – Nothing new, alright – but legitimizing and institutionalizing it is another sign of our culture’s accelerated decline…

  6. Curmudgen says:

    ‘No child left behind’– What does that mean? Does it apply here?

    I ask with mixed emotions, but I really would like to know.

    Now I’m sad!

  7. Bryan says:

    Meh, another person to wash my car or bag my groceries …

  8. Mucous says:

    #3 – Which is why 85% of the work is performed by 15% of the workers.

  9. Miguel says:

    4, you don’t want 3’s job, you want my bosses job!

  10. Gregory says:

    Oh come on, this is what most schools do: provide an incentive to actually attend school. Except most schools do it in reverse – you get penalized for the less you attend.

    However that system can actually shut out kids – because after a certain point they figure it’s not worth turning up at all!

    It might be implemented badly (though the article is mostly sensationalist crud rather than details on implementation), but it’s not an awful idea.

  11. jim says:

    And people try to defend the public school system with this crap going on. I’m sorry but this is unacceptable. It is a waste of money and it makes the high school diploma worthless.

  12. Mr. Fusion says:

    My theory,

    50 % of students learn quite well with the current set up.

    30 % can learn, but have difficulty with the current set up.

    10 % can not learn under the current set up. They need tutors or special education to subsist in the school “system”.

    10 % can not learn in a structured environment. Some are just not intelligent, have severe learning issues, mental problems, dysfunctions, and or even physical disabilities that prevent them from learning.

    In years past, the 50 % that could learn quite well, were the ones that graduated and went on to higher education. The rest dropped out. As society’s requirements for an educated labor force grew, we worked a little harder to include the next 30 %. Because the labor force now required a GED for everything but the most menial jobs, we want to make sure even the last 20 % get an education. Otherwise, they will get their education behind bars.

    Just my theory, no proof and the numbers may vary according to your local bigotry.

  13. Mr.Newton says:

    i want to comment but i just can’t find the words,,how about, “you have to be kidding”,and this is acceptable?you pass just for showing up?why have teachers?i keep wanting to say you have to be kidding,,are you that stupid that you allow this to go on?obviously yes!!

  14. TJGeezer says:

    Mr. Fusion (#13) is right – as the need for educated workers grew, it was inevitable that pressure would increase on schools to educate kids who once would have dropped out. Parents want their kids to have tickets to reasonably good jobs, and educators are caught in the middle. It’s a real problem, especially in areas where public schools aren’t well supported and have trouble attracting teachers who aren’t themselves part of that lower 50 percent. Damned if I know how to solve the problem, but I do know getting pissed at the educators won’t accomplish anything.

  15. Mr.Newton says:

    #15..you are trying to justify the unjustifiable..you don’t pass a grade by being alive,,you pass on your knowledge.or you fail from lack of knowledge,,oops,my bad , i forgot which coumtry i was commenting on,keep doing what you are doing..as you will..your lose.

  16. OhForTheLoveOf says:

    What most people actually know about the public education system would not fill the front side of an index card, and half of what was on the card would be wrong.

    Being outraged about this anomoly is okay…

    Assuming this is true across the US is simply stupid. This is another non-story about an isolated thing that is likely not properly reported, and is being used to slander educators. Read the story… Teachers are saying its a bad policy. One department of Education officials seems to say its okay… but I don’t know what all he actually said and in what context…

    Without more info, I just can’t care… and with all the known and verified bullshit in the country, it is misdirected energy to aim self-righteous indignation at this issue.

  17. Mr. Fusion says:

    #16, #15..you are trying to justify the unjustifiable..you don’t pass a grade by being alive,,you pass on your knowledge.or you fail from lack of knowledge,,oops,my bad , i forgot which coumtry i was commenting on,keep doing what you are doing..as you will..your lose.
    Comment by Mr.Newton — 1/9/2007 @ 11:51 am

    Although I am not part of the grammar police, I couldn’t help but think about how you must have been alive in class. Or not. I don’t always agree with TJ, but I give him credit for being capable of writing a coherent paragraph and using a spell checker.

  18. Mark says:

    “Although I am not part of the grammar police,” Oh yes you are. Youve had me arrested more than once. Now put the gun down.

  19. buford of the county says:

    I did it differantly. I showed up for the tests and skiped the rest of the time. Busy working. There was a group of teachers who seemed to think showing up was as important an knowing the subject matter. I was flunked several times for poor attendence never for not knowing the subject. Except spelling. Never have mastered that. If I told you what my job was you whould be appalled. It requires grammer and spelling accuracy.


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