{"id":91417,"date":"2026-01-06T19:39:08","date_gmt":"2026-01-06T19:39:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/91417\/"},"modified":"2026-01-06T19:39:08","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T19:39:08","slug":"fuzzy-math-flushing-high-school-under-investigation-by-nysed-as-teachers-claim-they-are-forced-to-pass-failing-students-qns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/91417\/","title":{"rendered":"Fuzzy math? Flushing High School under investigation by NYSED as teachers claim they are forced to pass failing students \u2013 QNS"},"content":{"rendered":"

Teachers at Flushing High School<\/a> claim the school\u2019s grading system is forcing them to pass students who are actually failing their math classes. <\/p>\n

According to three Flushing High School teachers who spoke to QNS on the condition of anonymity, they have made several attempts to bring their concerns to the attention of the math department\u2019s assistant principal, as well as the principal of the school.<\/p>\n

Not only are students chronically absent from classes, Flushing<\/a> teachers claimed, but many students who do attend class don\u2019t participate in classwork or complete homework assignments. Students regularly fail tests and other assignments, teachers continued, but still receive passing grades even if they fail the New York State Regents Exams.<\/p>\n

\"\"The Flushing High School campus. Photo by Ramy Mahmoud<\/p>\n

\u201cIt just seems like expectations have become lower,\u201d one teacher told QNS. \u201cIt\u2019s becoming easier to get a passing grade just based on what the administration expects teachers to be doing.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to the teachers, the passing rate for their classes last year was around 70%, but only 30% of those students passed the Regents. \u201cIt\u2019s a huge disparity,\u201d another teacher said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In an email sent to QNS on Jan. 5, the New York State Education Department<\/a> said it was \u201cactively investigating this specific math grading issue.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAt New York City Public Schools, rigorous academic instruction is a top priority,\u201d a spokesperson for the NYSED wrote. \u201cTo support this, we have a robust, publicly available grading toolkit that schools use to create their individual grading policy.\u201d<\/p>\n

As of press time, neither Flushing High School Principal Jassica Lee nor Math Assistant Principal Chaunte Thompson responded for comment.\n<\/p>\n

Flushing High students see through the system<\/p>\n

Students who do make an effort in classes are often discouraged, some teachers pointed out, because they know their peers who aren\u2019t putting in the work are still passing the classes. <\/p>\n

Teachers said they are worried that the grading system sets a bad precedent for students, suggesting that minimal effort will be rewarded.
\n\"\"One of the Flushing High School campus buildings. Photo by Ramy Mahmoud\n<\/p>\n

\u201cStudents have mentioned that it\u2019s not fair that they\u2019re trying and then they see classmates show up half the time and have nearly an equivalent grade,\u201d the teacher said. \u201cThey get frustrated, which will then demotivate them from doing work because they think it\u2019s an unfair policy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another teacher said some freshmen show effort in their first year of high school, but by the time they\u2019re juniors, they\u2019ve given up. When they talk to students, the teacher said, they often say \u201cI don\u2019t care,\u201d or \u201cWhat\u2019s the point?\u201d <\/p>\n

Even if a student says they will try harder, the teacher continued, the student is often saying it just to appease them.\n<\/p>\n

Grading policy\n<\/p>\n

In December 2024, the grading policy detailed by Math AP Thompson was dictated in an email to the Flushing High math department. QNS obtained copies of the email.<\/p>\n

It showed that class participation, which accounted for 35% of students\u2019 final grades, was evaluated on a scale from 0-4.\n<\/p>\n

Students who received a 1 on a class assignment would still receive a 65, which is a passing grade. Students who earned a 0, which means they attended class but did not participate, still received a 55. Students who did not attend class got a 45.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Last year\u2019s mastery grading policy stated that students would be given multiple opportunities to complete assignments until they achieve mastery, with a focus on homework and assessment corrections. It also stated that any grades a student receives that are not 100 would not be included in their grade.<\/p>\n

Teachers argued that the mastery grading policy meant students only have to receive one grade of 100 in order to pass that portion of the class, which many students achieve through test corrections that are completed in class. The mastery grading system was removed from this year\u2019s policy.<\/p>\n

\"\"Flushing High School classwork and mastery grading policy for the 2024-25 school year.Obtained by QNS
\n\"\"Flushing High School late work grading policy for the 2024-25 school year. Obtained by QNS<\/p>\n

In October, however, Thompson emailed staff detailing a grading structure for a 26-point assessment scale. Students who answered 13, or half, of the questions correctly would still receive a passing grade, while any student who got 12 questions or fewer correct would still receive a 55. It did not specify grades for students who did not get any questions correct or did not take the assessment.<\/p>\n

Classwork policy remained the same but included a few more task-driven evaluations, although quizzes are now graded on a scale of 1-3, with 0 still representing a 55 and 1 representing a 65, and homework is now graded on a scale of 1-5, with 0 representing a 55 and 1 representing a 60.<\/p>\n

\u00a0
\n\"\"Flushing High School grading policy for assessments and classwork emailed to math department teachers in October. Obtained by QNS
\n\"\"Flushing High School grading policy for quizzes and homework emailed to math department teachers in October. Obtained by QNS\n<\/p>\n

One teacher said that when they first encountered the grading policy outlined by Thompson, who stepped into the role in September 2024, they immediately felt the instructions were vague and unclear. <\/p>\n

While teachers maintain the ability to draft their own syllabi, they said that many teachers have been forced to adjust their expectations over time due to the current school administration. \u201cI was guided in trying to avoid failing students,\u201d the teacher said.<\/p>\n

Thompson\u2019s guidelines also changed frequently, another teacher claimed, making it difficult to implement her strategies into the classroom in a meaningful way.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt doesn\u2019t sound like a big thing, but it starts to seep into teacher observations,\u201d they said. \u201cWhen you mess with observations, you mess with our livelihood.\u201d<\/p>\n

When teachers got low scores on observations, the teacher continued, they would be put on Teacher Improvement Plans, which adds more work to the teacher\u2019s load. Teachers would also be asked to fill out trackers for failing students, including detailed steps taken to handle the issue, on top of their existing 55 minutes of parent outreach per week.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s often seen as a punishment,\u201d one teacher said. \u201cAdministration 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\u2019 lives miserable.\u201d<\/p>\n

The teacher also said that if they did not reach a certain percentage of students passing the class \u2014 80% \u2014 they would be called into a meeting with the administration to discuss how they could improve the grades of students.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cAll I know is I have kids that I\u2019ve had to pass \u2014 and they had no chance of passing the Regents \u2014 because I\u2019ve been given very vague guidelines about how I should be trying to promote kids to pass in general,\u201d the teacher said.<\/p>\n

The teachers said they approached Thompson, but she told them to keep passing the students. According to one teacher, Thompson has told staff that as long as a student shows up to class, they should be passing \u2014 even if they don\u2019t do the work.<\/p>\n

The teachers have escalated the issue further in the past, as well, notifying the teachers\u2019 union and other school officials of their concerns over the grading policy.\u00a0<\/p>\n

One teacher said they\u2019ve taken all proper steps to escalate the issue to parents, guidance counselors, the assistant principal and the dean, but it has still resulted in no action. <\/p>\n

The teacher has even reached out to coaches of student-athletes who are absent from class but still show up to practice. \u201cThere really isn\u2019t anything holding the kids to come to class,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n

Chronic absences\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

In addition to students failing to participate in class, teachers said that Flushing has suffered from students\u2019 chronic absences for years \u2014 and not just in math classes.\u00a0<\/p>\n

One teacher said out of around 100 students, they haven\u2019t seen over 20 of them all school year. If they must pass 80% of the students, that means anyone who shows up to class must pass in order to achieve that goal, regardless of whether the students do any work.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI have no flexibility in terms of passing or failing students now,\u201d they said. \u201cI can\u2019t as a teacher focus on getting students to do well if I\u2019m being told that I just need the students to pass.\u201d<\/p>\n

When students don\u2019t show up to class, teachers said they are forced to call their homes and speak with parents about their children\u2019s absences. As a result, the teachers generate paperwork and documentation that must be completed after school hours.<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, many teachers said this often does not result in any changes in the students\u2019 behavior \u2014 and they still do not show up to class.\n<\/p>\n

One teacher suggested one of the reasons why parents struggle to ensure their kids are attending class is that the parents work evenings, meaning they could be asleep during the time their children are supposed to be going to school.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Another teacher suggested it was because there is a language and cultural barrier that causes misunderstandings regarding student expectations. According to U.S. News and World Report<\/a>, 67.7% of students at Flushing High School are Hispanic, which the teacher said could contribute to miscommunication if parents\u2019 first language is not English.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The teacher said that sometimes immigrant parents express that their child told them there was no school on a particular day. Because school systems in their home countries might have operated differently, the teacher said parents don\u2019t always realize that school is regularly in session according to pre-determined calendars released at the beginning of the school year.<\/p>\n

Teachers said the extra work of wrangling absent students, such as holding one-on-one meetings and maintaining constant documentation, results in 12-hour workdays and pulls their focus away from the students who actually attend class. \u201cThe expectation is pretty much solely on us,\u201d one teacher said.<\/p>\n

Student impact\n<\/p>\n

The teachers said their goal in changing grading policy is not meant to serve as a punishment for students, but for students to improve learning outcomes and be more successful in the future.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve tried to have conversations with my students and explain to them the benefits of trying to pass all three math Regents in terms of college preparation,\u201d the teacher said. \u201cBut they\u2019re pretty much being told it doesn\u2019t matter.\u201d<\/p>\n

For the students who put in minimal effort, the teachers say they\u2019ve tried to ensure they don\u2019t get a \u201cfree pass\u201d and truly reflect the work they put into the class. Teachers said they rewarded behavior for the students who do put in the work and attempt to learn.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m just trying to get the kids to learn at this point rather than trying to fight the school,\u201d one teacher said. \u201cI\u2019m more worried about my students\u2019 performance overall because I want to see these students succeed long-term instead of just graduating.\u201d<\/p>\n

One teacher said that staff are always understanding of language barriers and learning disabilities, so it\u2019s rare a student will fail when they\u2019re giving full effort and attention to their schoolwork. <\/p>\n

They said the real reason they are worried about the students who don\u2019t show up to class or try is because they don\u2019t want to see them unable to live up to their potential.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Students will often drop out of college after their first semester of college, the teacher explained, because they are not ready for the workload and hard deadlines. After they drop out, they continued, the kids won\u2019t have certain professional skills and end up jumping from job to job, sometimes getting fired because they don\u2019t show up on time.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s disheartening,\u201d they said. \u201cWe put a lot of work into our profession. We plan, we try to make things creative. You really try to form relationships with kids to hope they don\u2019t fall through the cracks. A lot of teachers are leaving the profession within three years because of this entire situation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Regardless of administration, another teacher said, the students are mostly respectful and pleasant to talk to. Even if kids give them attitudes, the teacher said they never feel threatened and after talking further often finds that they\u2019re good kids.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have good students overall,\u201d the teacher emphasized. \u201cThey\u2019re good-hearted and very nice. I think they would be more motivated if the administration treated them like they should be so they can reach their full potential.\u201d<\/p>\n

The teacher said they don\u2019t blame students for having poor attitudes toward their education, however, because they\u2019re young and don\u2019t understand the impact it has on their future. It\u2019s up to the administration to set a positive example, the teacher explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want them to be proactive and take a role in their education,\u201d they said. \u201cI feel like it\u2019s going to be a complete disaster in the future when these same students act like this in the real world.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Teachers at Flushing High School claim the school\u2019s grading system is forcing them to pass students who are…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":91418,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[310,43273,6925,9,24,13640,63,122,124,123],"class_list":{"0":"post-91417","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-queens","8":"tag-daily-newsletter","9":"tag-flushing-high-school","10":"tag-math","11":"tag-new-york","12":"tag-new-york-city","13":"tag-new-york-state-education-department","14":"tag-nyc","15":"tag-queens","16":"tag-queens-headlines","17":"tag-queens-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91417","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=91417"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91417\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/91418"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=91417"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=91417"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=91417"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}