For the past seven years, Seattle public high schools haven't issued a single failing grade. That would be an impressive statement if it was based on student academic performance, rather than a bureaucratic decision to call what would have previously been called an E (the Seattle public schools' equivalent of a F) an N (for "no credit"). The lovely thing about an N grade is that it didn't count against your GPA like that ugly E grade does. The school district is reverting back to the E grade because they found the no-credit mark they'd created actually violated school board policy. Oops...talk about a move that deserves a failing grade. more ›