The results of state wide science testing are in, and the results are bad.  Barrington did well, and after them there was quite a drop off.  From reading the story in today's Providence Journal, I doubt the problem will ever get straightened out.  One of the people quoted said the students shouldn't take the blame, and neither should the teachers.  It's the school system's fault! 

     Here's my problem with this evaluation.  Shouldn't the students take some resposibility for performing so horrendously on this test?  What if they aren't taking school seriously, not doing homework, or disrupting class?  Wouldn't this make them responsible for their poor performance?  Now let's take a look at someone who is rarely mentioned: Parents.  Are the parents keeping an eye on their children's school performance?  Did they instill the importance of education from a young age?  Do they work with their children?  Finally, we have the teachers.  If children and parents aren't doing there jobs, then even the best teachers will fail.  What about the ones that are not doing there job?  It needs to be easier to get rid of them.

     I know that my view of things isn't popular.  Forcing people to look in the mirror and realize that they are the cause of their own problems seems to be out of vogue.  Here's my advice for parents who are concerned about their child's current or future performance in school: Emphasize the importance of education, spend time with them while they do homework, discuss what they have learned, and try to engage them in intellectually stimulating activities.  Parents and students need to take responsibility for their education.