Some months ago, NYC Educator admitted that he agreed with something in this space.  I suppose it’s time I returned the favor.  Because I, like him, find this ridiculous:

"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."

"Hey, boss: I’m sitting here at my computer, but I’m not doing any actual, you know, work.  I still get paid, right?" 

I’m not necessarily a critic of mayoral control of schools, but practices like these do a great deal to discredit the practice.  (Hat tip: this week’s Carnival of Education, hosted by Right on the Left Coast.)