U.S. News
NYC Teachers Pressured to Pass Failing Math Students
Clear Facts
- Teachers at Flushing High School in New York City allege they are being directed to pass students who are failing math.
- The school’s grading policy allows students with poor attendance or low participation to earn passing marks.
- New York City Public Schools launched an investigation into the grading practices in January 2025.
Educators at Flushing High School claim they are required to pass students who are absent, do not participate, and repeatedly fail exams. This policy reportedly led to 70% of students moving toward graduation, even though only about 30% passed the state Regents Exams in the past academic year.
“It just seems like expectations have become lower,” one teacher told QNS. “It’s becoming easier to get a passing grade just based on what the administration expects teachers to be doing.”
The grading system lets students who participate minimally, attend sporadically, or miss class altogether still receive passing or near-passing grades, as shown by a guide obtained in December 2024. In addition, teachers say even failing assignments or chronic absenteeism do not prevent students from passing math courses.
Some teachers expressed concern that the school’s demographic—primarily Hispanic students—might contribute to absentee issues, noting that language barriers between parents and the school could impact communication about attendance and academic expectations. Teachers worry that students who put in effort are discouraged when others pass with little to no work, which they say leads to lower motivation among hardworking students.
“Students have mentioned that it’s not fair that they’re trying and then they see classmates show up half the time and have nearly an equivalent grade,” a teacher told QNS. “They get frustrated, which will then demotivate them from doing work because they think it’s an unfair policy.”
The grading rules under the “mastery policy” let students continue redoing assignments for higher grades and allow only 100% scores to count toward passing. Homework, class participation, and even late work are not strictly penalized under this approach. The lowest grade a student can receive for work in any category is 55%, and getting half the questions right still delivers a passing grade.
The grading rubric stated, “Every effort students make is a step towards growth,” and advised teachers that students may provide minimal input.
Teachers who fail to pass students are required to justify their decision in detail, with risk of being put on Teacher Improvement Plans, a process described as punitive. Some teachers say their attempts to voice concerns to administration are met with directives to pass anyone who comes to class, regardless of actual work completed.
“Administration is more worried about numbers than actual teaching accountability. They make claims they want students to be college-ready, but when we try to do that, they chastise, penalize, and make teachers’ lives miserable,” one teacher told QNS.
“We want them to be proactive and take a role in their education,” another educator said. “I feel like it’s going to be a complete disaster in the future when these same students act like this in the real world.”
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