Tales from the School Bus

Answering Questions - Assigned Seat Issue.

noreply@blogger.com (The Bus Driver) — Thu, 02 May 2013 21:53:00 +0000

AJ wrote:

Hi well I'm ticked off right now because I'm a 13 year old who got switched seats because this little girl's parent said a girl my age said shut up to her. Their is not even a 13 year old girl on the bus! So now I have to sit next to a second grade boy who will not shut up and keeps punching me. In my old seat I sat next to my good friend kayden who is my age. So I would love to know why bus drivers do this stuff aimed at teens

AJ -

Sometimes bus drivers have to swap some seats around just to change things up, or accommodate a situation that you are unaware of. There may be a bullying situation on the bus that we are trying to put a stop to, or prevent, by having a few kids move around.

Today, I had to move a few children around because they would not keep their hands to themselves. I let both children off with a warning not to do it again.

You mentioned that the new boy you are sitting with hits you. Let the bus driver know this and ask for a change of seat. If you are polite and ask respectfully and the bus driver can accommodate you, you will be able to move seats. Sometimes we do have to be strict though and follow through with current assigned seats. If the second grade boy does not stop hitting you, AND the bus driver does not do anything about it (either moving the boy or you to a separate seat) then I would go to your parents and ask them for help in the situation.

We don't target teens specifically, and I'm sorry you feel targeted. Ask your bus driver what you can do to be able to go back to where you were sitting before. The bus driver may be looking for good behavior and just making sure that the language on the bus is not offensive.

Hope this helps AJ!

The Bus Driver

Discipline issues?

noreply@blogger.com (The Bus Driver) — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 13:34:00 +0000

Something really irked me this morning. A parent cussed out their child causing their child to be upset during the week where there are these BIG IMPORTANT STATE TESTS.

Parents - YOU are the role model for your child. If your child cusses, they've probably heard it from YOU. Cussing at your child for misbehavior is NOT solving the problem, but rather upsetting your child in ways you don't even know. I don't care if your child is in pre-k or is almost 18, you DO NOT cuss out your child!!!!

I often talk about ways to get children to behave, but what if the parent is the one that is out of control? Stories pepper the news with titles like "Parent arrested for threatening a bus driver" or "Mother slapped a child that was not hers." Whatever happened to personal responsibility? The blame shifts from person to person, but no one ever takes responsibility. As a parent, you are in control of the situation at hand and you are often the one who can be the biggest advocate for your child or cause the most harm to your child.

Your child looks up to you!!!! REMEMBER THAT!!!!

I am not saying that children never misbehave or do not deserve to be disciplined, but think about HOW you are treating your child when it comes to discipline. Is it fair and unbiased? Is the discipline going to harm your child more than help them? I'm not saying you need to pussyfoot around the issues either. Strong positive discipline works better than negative discipline and can take a child further in life. Having a child accept responsibility for their actions in a positive manner rather than making them afraid of the consequences for their behavior will bring about responsible adults instead of adults who deny everything because they don't want to face the reality.

EMF's "Children" really brings this home.

Be a Role Model!

The Bus Driver

I swear....

noreply@blogger.com (The Bus Driver) — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 02:49:00 +0000

I don't recall blogging about this, but a funny thought recently occurred to me. I blog all about how the kids swear, or misbehave, but what happens if it is the DRIVER that cusses?

Well, I admit... I have cussed on the bus. Truth be told, I am human, and my reaction to a situation was one that was fairly normal given the situation at hand. I have uttered a few choice swear words (usually under my breath and inaudible to passengers) when I've had a close call while driving, or witness something that is completely insane, like someone deciding to nearly sideswipe me while trying their best to get around me in heavy oncoming traffic, but this particular situation was unique.

I cussed loud enough for ALL the kids to hear, moreover, I actually SHOUTED this cuss word. I didn't get fired, though I'm sure I caused my boss some gray hairs afterwards given that the bus that I slipped up on, is known for doing everything under the sun to get bus drivers fired. This particular bus has a rough bunch of children whose parents NEVER take any responsibility for, and when it comes to their children they actively DENY any involvement of said children in questionable activities. Let alone the child in question is WEARING the same thing that the video tape shows!!!! But that's beside the point!

Situation:

Driving down the road on the way to the single stop on this route (a low income apartment complex).

Kid - (stands up and yells at the top of his lungs)... SH*T!!!

Me - (reacting to his obscenity)... WHOA!! I had better NOT hear those words come out of your mouth again or I will take your A$$ - BUTT! back to school.

Whole bus - ooooooooooooohhhhhhhh the bus driver SWORE!!!!!

Me - (still looking at the kid in my rearview) - You got a PASS this time boy!

Even though the kid swore first, and my first reaction was to yell at him for it, in turn, uttering my own swear, I can still get in trouble for it. As luck would have it, I did tell my boss, but he was understanding, and I'm sure fielded a lot of phone calls from parents whose kids went home and said "The bus driver swore at us today"... let alone what those kids actually SAY when they get on the bus. Those kids have a more colorful vocabulary than my own!!!

Cuss Free,

The Bus Driver

Burn-out

noreply@blogger.com (The Bus Driver) — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 23:48:00 +0000

I've been in a blogging mood lately which has been largely refreshing given the fact that I have not blogged a bunch in a good long while. I got to thinking, why had my desire to blog disappeared? Then it struck me. I was burnt out. Not from blogging itself, but my jobs were wreaking havoc on my nervous system that I basically shut down anything that I had been doing as a past time. I didn't even leave my little apartment except for work.

I was working 7 days a week, often up to 60 hours a week depending on whether I had field trips. By the time I got home, my energy was just so zapped, I had absolutely no desire to do anything else. The reality was, Transit was sucking the life out of me. I worked there for 4 and a half years, the cards stacked against me from day 1, which became apparent as the years wore on, but slowly and surely my resistance wore down. Things became a chore. I hated going to work at Transit because I knew there would be some problem or another with the way things were going or how I was performing the job. When I started school in the Fall of 2012 - my time at Transit was further limited due to my course schedule, which caused even more hardships and made my supervisor over there "C" try even harder to do what she could to get me to quit. Well she won. I quit. I don't regret it for a minute. I am finally pulling myself out of the blog "funk" I was in and I am rediscovering my love of blogging, even on days like today.

This morning went something like an Abbott and Costello sketch:

After my normal good morning call to the bus shop to ascertain that I am supposed to be driving bus 69, I drive to the shop to discover that 69 is missing from the parking lot. I circle the parking lot a couple times, and look at a couple of spare buses to see if maybe someone had placed numbers on the side. Having found none, I called the bus shop and the exchange went something like this....

Bus Shop (BS) - Bus shop how can I help you?

Me - Hi, Mr. Mechanic, its The Bus Driver, what bus did you want me to drive on 69's route? Old 14?

BS - No, bus 69

Me - Its not here

BS - Yes it is

Me - No it's not

BS - YES it is, I saw it this morning

Me - Its not here....

BS - Is bus 44 on the yard?

Me - No bus 44 left already... so do you want me to use old 14?

BS - Use bus 69

Me - ITS NOT HERE... I circled the parking lot three times looking for it!

BS - Oh um, BS to 69....... <---long pause.... bus 69 go ahead BS.....

Apparently the regular driver had come and gotten her bus and was already on-route. I went and drove a different bus instead, and managed to get cussed out by middle school and elementary kids - one as young as 5 years old!!! It will be so much fun confronting the parent tomorrow morning about their children's potty mouth.

Whose On First?

The Bus Driver

Bus Accident

noreply@blogger.com (The Bus Driver) — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 02:53:00 +0000

Accident.

The word strikes fear into everyone who hears it. Who is it? What happened? Is everyone okay? The fear seems to double when there is a school bus involved. Bus accidents are scary things, though sometimes the accident can be something as simple as the bus driver hitting a stop sign, getting stuck in the mud, or getting the bus hung up on a fire hydrant (true story!). The accident could be as severe as a roll over or head on collision. These accidents can be caused by the bus drivers, other motorists, and that random garbage can that attacks the bus (they're vicious!!).

The question then becomes, "What to do in the case of an emergency involving a school bus?"

1. Don't panic. - This applies to school bus drivers as well as parents. Assess the situation. Find out what happened and then formulate a plan. If the bus is simply stuck in the mud, and there are no injuries, simply come and pick up your child from the bus or wait for the bus to get pulled out of the mud and resume regular route. The bus driver is trained to do everything in his/her power to ensure the safety of your child, even in the most extreme circumstances.

2. Injuries? If there are injuries, we call the appropriate medical personnel to come and assess your child and let them take the appropriate action necessary to ensure the safety of your child. We already do this for children that have asthma attacks, seizures, and other medical conditions on the bus that may require attention, though those are categorized as medical emergencies.

3. Supply information. Before your child starts riding the bus, we ask that you fill out an information form. This includes your child's name, address, parent's names, phone number, grade level, school, medical conditions, and who to contact in the case of an emergency. Please ensure that all bus drivers that transport your child have this information and that you keep it updated. There is nothing worse than trying to call you to notify you about a problem your child is having and finding out the phone number has been disconnected, or worse, that the school does not have updated information for your child. *** For younger children, writing in a sharpie permanent marker on the inside of their school bag with their name, and phone number, is helpful in helping me identify your child.***

4. Teach your child the basics. One of the best things for a child to know is the basics of name, phone number, parent name, and address. I once had a child who accidentally got on my bus and then realized that she should have boarded a completely different bus. She was in kindergarten and she came up to me and said, "My name is X, My moms name is X, I live at XXXXXXX, my phone number is 555-1234, can you call my mom and tell her where I am?" I contacted the bus shop, they contacted the mother (who as it turned out is also a bus driver) and the situation was resolved.

5. Severity - If the accident is more severe, such as a head on collision or the bus got rear-ended, find out if your child is going to the hospital, and then meet your child at the hospital or come pick your child up at either the accident site or a central location such as a school. Be aware that emotions will be running high as your child is understandably scared. In most cases where the accident was not severe enough to warrant all children going to the hospital, the bus shop will send a spare bus to pick up the children who are fine and just shaken up to either bring back home, or on to school, depending on the time of day. You, as a parent, do have the right to decide whether your child will just get on the other bus, or if you will come pick him/her up at the scene. Often times, we try to remove the children from the scene as fast as possible (once released by medical personnel) as we do not want to frighten them any more than they already are. Additionally for something such as the bus getting stuck in the mud, or a minor fender bender where there were no injuries at all, we will notify you as soon as possible, but rest assured your child will be taken care of and transported to the appropriate place.

Accident free!

The Bus Driver

Things your Bus Driver wants you to know but won't tell you part 2

noreply@blogger.com (The Bus Driver) — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 19:44:00 +0000

A while back I posted a blog entitled Things your Bus Driver wants you to know, but won't tell you and decided it was time to post a second part to this.

1. Patience - Please be patient with us, we may get held up by traffic, trains, other children acting out, other parents who stop us to talk at the stop, etc. It happens, just be patient with us, we will eventually get your child home one way or another.

2. Calling the bus shop the nanosecond your child does not walk through the door is not okay. This irritates the secretaries who are dealing with fights, people running our stop signs, and bus drivers having issues. Adding to their stress by being impolite, or cussing at them because the bus is a few minutes behind will NOT solve the issue. Instead, I suggest watching out your window. If the bus passes by and your child does NOT get off from the bus, then please do call us.

3. Your child may have fallen asleep. Hard to believe, but it happens all the time, especially to your younger children who have not quite mastered the art of staying awake on a moving vehicle. If we pass by your stop because your child is asleep, the child is NOT where I can actively see him/her in my rear view mirror. It happens, we simply circle the block if possible, or return to the stop at the end of the route.

4. If your child falls asleep and misses his/her stop, it is not fair to the other children to make them wait for your child. Accept that once your child has been found and determined to be asleep, you can do one of two things. A. Get your butt out of the house, in your own vehicle, and come GET your child at another stop. OR B. Wait until the bus driver has time to bring your child back. Yes, this means your child will have to ride the bus until the end of the route. If your child is lucky to be on a bus that simply circles the block, coming back by your house, we will stop then.

5. Yelling at us because your child fell asleep is NOT our problem. Put your child to bed. If he/she was in bed and asleep by 7-8 pm instead of out at Wal-Mart at 11 pm when you decide you just HAVE to go shopping, he/she would NOT have fallen asleep on my bus.

6. If you are worried about your child not getting off the bus, STAND AT THE STOP AND WAIT FOR YOUR CHILD!!!! Get a lawn chair and wait. If a driver sees you waiting, he/she is more likely to stop and you will not miss your child getting off the bus. This is especially helpful for "sleeper" children.

To be Continued...

The Bus Driver

Hat Lady and a Reminder

noreply@blogger.com (The Bus Driver) — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 22:00:00 +0000

I was recently called in for a last minute field trip and while I was sitting quietly waiting for the baseball team to complete their game, I took the time to reflect. A lot has happened over the last few years. My life has been sort of like a patchwork quilt. I moved down to where I am now for a job in 2004, the job did not work out, and two years later in 2006, I found the job that I enjoy the most.

Driving a school bus comes with its up's and down's and usually has bumps along the road that can only be described as lessons. Some of them good, some of them not so good, but most of the time lessons learned well. Being a bus driver doesn't pay glamorously of course, so I needed to secure a second job. That's where transit came into play. I was still driving a bus, just my clientele was different. I had people like Negative Ned, Milk Lady, Mrs. Elderly, and most memorable was Hat Lady. I'm sorry to report that Hat Lady has passed away. She was such an influence on my life in that she never wavered in her faith. Rest in peace, Ms. Emma.

So, I'm sitting and reflecting on this rainy day and I recall an interaction that I had with a particularly troublesome student. Bon-Bon Girl is a very challenging girl. This incident happened sometime last year and has stuck in my mind as one of the times that I've been influential as a bus driver. Bon-Bon Girl had a bad habit of disobeying substitutes and refusing to sit in her assigned seat and one hot afternoon, we got into it. She and I had a shouting match, a standoff, and ultimately a stare down in which I won, she lost. She spent the majority of the trip quipping things under her breath and basically digging herself a deeper hole. I had fully intended on writing her up for her awful behavior until she did something that surprised me. Before she got off the bus that afternoon, she stopped, and turned to me and said, "I'm sorry Ms. Bus Driver, I had a bad day at school and I should not have taken it on the bus."

I accepted her apology and drove home that afternoon with her still on my mind. I wrestled with the proper course of action. I did have the video tape pulled in case I decided to proceed and write her up, but then I weighed what would I want someone to do if I had behaved similarly. Ultimately I chose NOT to write her up, though I would have been justified in doing so. A day and a half later, I was riding that same bus with the regular driver, and apparently the incident had been on Bon-Bon Girl's mind because she came up to me and asked me directly if I had written her up for the behavior.

I told her that I know she can behave better on the bus, and that due to her apology, I chose not to write her up. That seemed to have a very DEEP impact on her because further down the line, when I drove that bus again as a substitute, she did not give me any trouble. In fact, she became one of the ones that I can depend on to tell me changes in the bus route. Sometimes the smallest display of kindness can mean a lot to a troubled child. Sometimes children need understanding rather than being written up.

Sometimes,

The Bus Driver

Screamer Boy Returns

noreply@blogger.com (The Bus Driver) — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 04:28:00 +0000

I was reviewing some of my older blog posts and came across this one involving Screamer Boy. For those who do not recall, Screamer Boy was one of the riders who was very obnoxious when he rode the bus. He insisted on causing trouble and giving me problem after problem. Recently though, I had the pleasure of running into Screamer Boy again.

He was placed in Alternative school and had grown up and matured quite a bit from the time I transported him back in 2009. He recognized me when I was driving a different bus over to the Alternative school to drop him and others off, and he came up and asked if I remembered him. I asked him to refresh my memory, and then he mentioned the screaming, and it all came back to me. I smiled and said, "Yes I do remember you!" Then much to my surprise he said, "I'm sorry for the way I acted on the bus those days."

Wow.

For him to apologize was huge. For him to recall what he did in 2009 to irritate me and still apologize was impressive. I was floored by his honest and heartfelt apology. I thanked him for apologizing and joked about how he was really obnoxious. He seemed to be relieved that I harbored no hard feelings towards him and that I could joke around as much as the next person. They really do mature and grow up.

Stunned,

The Bus Driver

The Hair Weave

noreply@blogger.com (The Bus Driver) — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 04:21:00 +0000

Things around here have been fairly mundane. Every now and again I'll have a child who says something cute, but by the time I get home, I'm too far focused on other daily errands that I forget the whole thing. This incident, however, really stuck out in my mind as one of the more memorable ones. It serves to remind me that there is NEVER a dull moment when driving the big yellow limo.

The day started out very normal and in the afternoon, I found myself on a bus that I rarely have to drive. The driver is good about leaving a route description and "cheat sheets" with exact directions on how to turn, and where to stop. The bus serves a full area that requires the bus to do two runs in the morning, and three in the afternoon. I was driving the first run full of elementary kids and they happen to be behaving. Most of them are staying seated and I am fairly able to concentrate on the directions given. I did have to yell a few times to get them to quiet down, but mostly, I'm proud to say that the regular driver has done a fantastic job with those children.

They were quiet... too quiet.... Then chaos breaks loose. A bunch of girls stand up and I hear one of them say - "OOOOHHHH she ripped out her HAIR!!"

Oh boy. Now a hair weave is a very expensive piece of hair that is braided into existing hair. Usually African Americans pay good money (200 some odd dollars - so I've heard) to get hair weaves put in their hair. Why a parent would spend this kind of money on their child's hair is beyond me! As one can imagine, if it is pulled out.. or yanked, in this case, it is VERY painful.

Unfortunately I did not actually SEE anything being done because these girls were fighting below seat level. Though it is disconcerting to see a child walk up the aisle teary eyed with her hair in hand. I felt bad for the kid but really, I can't exactly fix it.

What exactly do you DO in that situation?!

The Bus Driver.

The Day I Quit Transit

noreply@blogger.com (The Bus Driver) — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 23:32:00 +0000

Wednesday, November 7, 2012 was... one big emotional day. I started the day off with a headache, called out from the bus shop, still didn't feel good by the time it was time for class, so took that time off too. I had to meet someone at 10:45 am ish, but the meeting got pushed to 11:30. So I took a few minutes and ran over to transit to pick up my Wednesday night schedule. That's when everything changed.

Usually I am in and out of the office in a few minutes, with a few perfunctory polite words to C the schedule supervisor. Within seconds of me stepping through the door, C says, "I need to talk to you about your time Ms. Bus Driver." I think, "Oh great, what now?" and turn to face her.

Several months back, we had a meeting which was a "get on the same page" meeting where she tried to get me fired for taking time off, violating the time off policy, and basically not doing my job. The meeting was between me, the big bossman J, and her. We each had an opportunity to speak and when it was my turn to speak, C was very rude and disrespectful, and insisted on scoffing and trying to speak over me. I have had a target on my back since I started working for Transit.

I have had incidents in the past where C has complained about one thing or another and where no matter what I do/did, it wasn't going to be enough. For example, two weeks before the November 7 confrontation, she complained about the way I parked at Wal-Mart. Apparently the fact that I pull in the fire lane at Wal-Mart to drop off and pick up just like everyone else does must be wrong. I'm usually only there for a mere 5-10 minutes at any given interval.

Weeks before that it was my uniform shirts, and still weeks before that, it was any number of things such as ... gas in the bus (if the bus is left with less than 1/2 tank people complain and it comes back on me), on my cell phone (keeping in mind, I usually only call people for business on my phone), uniform shirts again (not wearing them on weekends - which again.. is bull), parking at K-mart (fire lane issue anyone?), taking x, y, and z, home and the time it took me to take them home within an hour and a half time frame when they live in 3 different areas of the county all about 12 miles apart and are picked up at 3 different spots as well. But back to the issue at hand.

C has another employee pull my time sheets and proceeds to tell me that I am to record time a certain way on the top part of my sheet while pointing to the top of the sheet. Fine, I can do that, no problem. I tell her that I will. Then she points to the bottom part of my sheet where I put my in and out times. We are supposed to record the time in and time out per stop (or stop set) in order for them to complete payroll properly.

I've recorded my time in and out the same way for four and a half years, and now she is calling into question the WAY I've been doing it. Now she wants times to be exact since after all no one can do it the way I've been doing it. Okay. Fine. Still feeling a little miffed, but no biggie, I can comply and I tell her so, very calmly.

Then she points out on my Monday sheet where I had 30 mins from the time I dropped off my last pick up and got back to transit. I politely pointed out that the bus had less than 1/4 tank of gas in it and needed to be refilled and that the fuel stop was marked down on my sheet. Having not succeeded in frustrating me, she switched tactics and claimed when I took Mrs. G to wherever, it always took exactly 1 hour.

As an aside and to explain how we keep time - Mrs. G lives 20 mins outside of town. So if Mrs. G has a pick up time at 8:30, I clock in at transit at 8:15. I get out to Mrs. G at 8:33 to 36 ish, pick her up, by the time we get back to town its about 8:55 and we are only at the outskirts of town. It takes 7 to 10 minutes to cross town. If she wants to go to Mc Donalds, it takes that time to go across town, so I'm dropping her off by 9:03-9:05, and another 7 to 10 minutes to cross town to go back to transit again, since transit is on opposite side of town than Mc Donalds. I clock back out at 9:15 though I may reach transit any time between 9:13 and 9:17. Again, all depending on traffic. I try to keep it consistent. Since I typically clock in and out on the 1/4 hour marks to make it easy to record time... I may be getting there at 8:18, and getting back at 9:18, but to keep it consistent and easy to calculate i just round down to the 15 minute mark. The same applies if I get there at 8:12... and out at 9:18.... I will round up to 8:15, then round down to 9:15, again keeping it consistent and actually shaving 2-4 mins off my actual time.

Then it dawned on me.... I realized that C was just trying to pick a fight. If there was a real issue with the way anyone was recording their time on their sheets that she should have called a company wide transit meeting in which case the issue should be discussed along with the proper way for recording time covered. I then told C that I was not going to argue and stood up. She said, "Its not about arguing." and I again repeated I am not going to argue and went to walk out the open door. She again tried to call after me and raised her voice to get me back inside the office.

I snapped. I turned around and pointed my finger at her and shouted at her, "C, I AM DONE! EVERY WEEK IT IS SOMETHING DIFFERENT, I AM DONE!" And with that, I walked out to my car while hearing her STILL trying to talk to me and get me to come back in the office.

I lost it. I cried. I had a break down right there in my car. I called my parents. I cried some more. I kept crying all the way to my 11:30 appointment. I cried when I left my 11:30 appointment to go to lunch with my friend. I cried at lunch. I called the big bossman J and told him effective Nov. 7, that I am giving my 2 weeks notice. He asked why. I told him that I could not work with C. I have tried for 4 and a half years and still cannot work with the woman. He said "Okay, that gives you more time to focus on your school, and I'll take care of it on this end. We'll work it out."

I cried after I got off the school bus. I cried off and on for the rest of the day. I am relieved, but at the same time, angry that I let her get to me, upset that I couldn't fix it, and frustrated. I will NOT be bullied! EVER!

I'm free.

Public Service Announcement for Parents and a General Update!

noreply@blogger.com (The Bus Driver) — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 15:24:00 +0000

First off - I want to apologize to anyone still reading this blog for my lack of blogging. I started a new chapter in my life - namely going to school for Accounting, and the time has just not been there to enjoy a past time of blogging. Speaking of Accounting, I pulled a 4.0 GPA for Fall 2012 semester and made the president's list for my achievement. I'm proud of myself. By the end of this semester, I will be in possession of a certificate qualifying me as an "Office Accounting Specialist", which basically means I will have mastered the skills necessary to do basic office accounting procedures. Now, to just get a job in the field!

In other news, I quit transit in November due to some irreconcilable differences between myself and the schedule lady. One day, I will post about what sent me over the edge and caused me to quit. The good news now is that I have plenty of time to focus on college and pursuing a career that will be much better.

Now - on to the main reason for this post. This is a subject that all parents need to read and understand.

1. Your child's regular bus driver will eventually need a day off now and again. Chances are good they got sick and the absence is unplanned. So, usually, buses will have substitutes on them.

2. Please be patient with a substitute. They don't know your child personally like the regular bus driver does.

3. If your regular stop time is X. Please be AT the stop ready and waiting to go. The substitute will try to run the route on the same schedule as the regular bus driver.

4. If you see a bus that is a different number from the normal bus, but you see the bus picking up at OTHER stops that are along the route or near your house, chances are good, the bus route has a substitute who is driving a spare bus. Additionally, there may be a mechanical problem with the original bus, and often a regular bus driver will have to drive a spare. It happens.

5. If your children get on at two separate times, please make sure both are at their regularly scheduled stops. Don't tell me that I picked up your older child on the first run, but that your younger child did not get picked up especially since I come by your house TWICE. Your older child was AT the stop, your YOUNGER child WAS NOT.

6. Calling in on me and lying about the reason your child missed the bus is not an excuse. If you saw me coming and were AT the stop like you claimed you were, clearly I would have seen you and made a concerted effort to press the brake pedal.

7. Telling me how the regular driver does it does not help me. I am not the regular driver. I depend on other children to tell me where to go, and often (as was the case this morning) I only have a route description with ROADS only, no stops on it, so I am forced to look for children who should be AT their stops. (Sense a theme here?)

8. BE AT THE STOP - Not coming out of the house, not waiting at the doorway for the bus to roll by, not expecting the bus driver to beep the horn. Every other child can make an effort to be at the stop, yours should too.

9. Getting upset at me because I did not stop directly at your driveway but only 10 feet from it, is NOT a big deal. Deal with it, I'm not perfect. I'm human.

10. Have a nice day :)

The Bus Driver

Ch..ch...ch....changes!

noreply@blogger.com (The Bus Driver) — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 04:41:00 +0000

Well... I have been a very neglectful blogger as of late. It is not for lack of interesting stories to tell, it is simply for lack of time. I have gone back to college to get an Accounting degree. I am now working 2 jobs, and in college full time. I hope to have a few upcoming blog posts including a book review on "Capture The Flag" by Kate Messner. Scholastic sent me the book and has requested a review. I will have that available soon!!!!!

The Bus Driver

Bullying - The Aftermath

noreply@blogger.com (The Bus Driver) — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 21:43:00 +0000

After posting about the bullying incident where the bus monitor got bullied by a bunch of middle school students, it got me thinking. What punishment would they face for bullying. Is it enough? Would it be too strict, or not enough to make an impression.

One thing that I kept coming across in reading the articles that progressed was that instead of some of these KIDS apologizing to the bus monitor for what they did, their PARENTS are apologizing for them instead. What is that teaching your child when you apologize for them, or make excuses for their behavior? One father was even quoted as saying that his son was sufficiently embarrassed by the publicity of the event and that he felt that was "enough" of a consequence for his son.

Where did the responsibility go? The father certainly did not make his son own up and apologize directly. Instead the "embarrassment" was enough. I was glad to read that the school district is taking this incident into consideration and has delivered an "appropriate" punishment. However, this punishment, in my opinion, has nothing to do with WHERE the incident took place. The punishment in question is suspending the boys from school for one year, allowing them to attend an "alternative" school, and then eventually, if they show good behavior, they can re-integrate into "regular" school earlier than the one year suspension.

What about a bus suspension? Losing their bus riding privilege? Or what about having the boys write apology notes to the bus monitor? One father even went so far as to apologize to the bus monitor FOR his son. What ever happened to the responsibility falling on the shoulders of the student? Heaven forbid any of the responsibility falls directly on the child for the wrong doing. Instead lets all make excuses and give them what they want anyways.

Frustrated,

The Bus Driver

Bullying - Unacceptable!!!

noreply@blogger.com (The Bus Driver) — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 17:41:00 +0000

Recently there have been several news articles about the bullied bus monitor Karen Klein. I am in shock that this was even allowed to go on in the first place, let alone be placed on youtube by the students who bullied her. The youtube video is about 10 minutes long and very hard to watch.

Bullying is unacceptable! When did we decide that bullying would be an acceptable practice? People are questioning what will happen to the kids who bullied. The answer is, very likely, nothing but a stern warning, and maybe a loss of bus privilege. No apologies, no teaching our kids that bullying is wrong and needs to stop.

Unfortunately, the bully issue is not just restricted to certain areas. Kids bully each other and adults. Where do they learn their behavior? From the ADULTS around them. Bullying has become one of those things we have become desensitized to unless it is an extreme case, and then the punishment for the bully isn't as detrimental as the consequence of the bullied student.

Bullied students are more likely to develop depression, become suicidal, and suffer far worse lasting effects from the bullying then the one doing the act. When will it STOP!

Slamming the Brakes,

The Bus Driver

Whirlwind!

noreply@blogger.com (The Bus Driver) — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 14:50:00 +0000

What a busy month! The last 3 weeks of school are always the most hectic for bus drivers. There are field trips galore because teachers are done teaching, the test has been taken and/or passed, and the kids have mentally "checked out" of school. The result is loads of field trips to the bowling alley, movies, parks, and any other random place teachers can come up with.

It is a recipe for unique experiences. Getting lost, traveling down random dirt roads, and seeing Air Force One. The latter happened on a field trip to a television station in a nearby city. The president happened to be visiting the area to sign a bill for the GI's and we happened to be near the airfield where the president flew in and out. We deliberately made a detour after the tour of the television station and watching the coverage live. We passed by the field where they actually had Air Force One in all its glory.

After a short period of time at the local mall, the group was on the way back to the bus when we saw Marine One flying overhead back to Air Force One. I maneuvered the bus back over to the field and we actually got to watch Air Force One taking off. It was an amazing and unique experience that I will never forget.

Three weeks later, I found myself on my own mini road trip. I drove up and down the east coast, visited loads of folks, got lost (this seems to be a theme with me) and followed my GPS through some of the craziest back roads I've ever seen.

When the road sign does that ^^^^ they mean it!!! I couldn't help but laugh. It was unbelievable. I made it back home though and have memories to last a lifetime!

Driving Crazy,

The Bus Driver

Field Trip Craziness!!

noreply@blogger.com (The Bus Driver) — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:19:00 +0000

Wow, so it's been a good long while since I've posted on this blog and its not for lack of material, but for lack of time to actually sit down and type out a blog. In the last three weeks, I have taken 10 field trips mostly back to back. These have gone to several different locations, each with their own unique qualities. I'd like to take the time to remind people of some very important things that need to happen on a field trip, before, during, and after.

1. Please make sure you have all rosters, permission slips, and everything you need signed and done before you board my bus.

2. Please make sure your sweet cherub children go to the bathroom prior to boarding my bus.

3. When explaining to parents how to follow the bus, please make sure they stay behind ALL buses that are driving the field trip. There is nothing more frustrating then getting a gaggle of parents between me and the bus in front of me, especially when our directions may differ from the parents.

4. Explain to the parents that it is not safe nor advisable to tailgate the bus. Also when we get to the location in question, please tell parents to hang back a bit and observe what the bus does BEFORE swinging into a parking space and risking getting a bus bumper through their side door because we have to park the buses in a certain area.

5. Tell your parents "Do not crowd the bus after we have stopped." I promise, your child is not getting off the bus any other way than through the front door.

6. Please please please please please bring directions with you to provide the bus driver with an idea of how to get there if the bus driver does not know. Most of the time I have a GPS that I simply program in an address, and it takes me there, but occasionally, this does not work.

7. When disembarking the bus after the trip is over, please clean up after your students. I know we are expected to sweep our buses and keep them clean, but when you get on a clean bus, please make sure its clean when you exit. This includes all trash, wrappers, sunflower seeds, sand, cans, drinks, and anything that may have been left behind on the bus. Also, offer to empty the bus trash can and your bus driver will thank you and likely take you up on the offer.

8. Plan on feeding your bus driver. We don't ask for much, but a nice drink now and again, or a meal when we are expected to wait on your group for longer than 4-6 hours is much appreciated.

9. Please try to organize your trip. I know sometimes things are unorganized and left to chance, but the better organized the teacher the easier the trip is for the bus driver.

10. The bus only goes 55 mph. It cannot go faster. Don't complain about it or you can walk.

Smooth Sailing!

The Bus Driver

The Day of the Tornado

noreply@blogger.com (The Bus Driver) — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 05:17:00 +0000

Very few things strike pure fear into a bus drivers' mind than weather troubles. We are like the US Postal Service. You know the saying, "Neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow....." We drive in all kinds of inclement and sometimes dangerous weather. We keep control of a busload of children while trying to keep our cool in pouring rain, sleet, hail, snow, and fog. Somehow we also juggle the ever constant CB radio traffic, kids being obnoxious, and parents demanding things from us, while driving and dropping the kids off safely.

The day started out rather normally, although we had an increase in rainy weather over the course of the week. Rain is a fairly normal obstacle, but occasionally we get fronts of some scary thunderstorms that cause us to be on severe thunderstorm and tornado watches. Occasionally, these watches turn into warnings, and it is imperative that we take cover.

My field trip had been canceled, so I was riding along with a friend learning the changes in her route. We had just left the elementary school with approximately 50 some odd children on the bus. We pulled into the middleschool and began loading like normal, when it got very quiet. The principal was making rounds to every bus and saying something.

He got to our bus and said, "We need to get these kids off the bus and into the school NOW.... there is a Tornado warning!"

Pause. Sheer disbelief. Then Action!

We hustled all the kids off at the same time as about 20 other bus drivers. They split the buses in half and we directed the kids into the school and told them to stick together and follow directions. We had mass chaos and panic. Some kids even cried and needed to be held because they were scared. We evacuated the buses at 3 pm, and did not get back on the buses until 45 minutes later.

Luckily the tornado stayed away from the school but it was near enough for it to be a dangerous threat. As soon as we got back on the buses, the skies opened up, and it poured, and flooded.

The good news is we all made it home safe, but in the end, its not something I want to go through again.

NOT Over The Rainbow,

The Bus Driver

Things your Bus Driver wants you to know, but won't tell you.

noreply@blogger.com (The Bus Driver) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 03:51:00 +0000

Every so often I see magazines boasting, "12 things your doctor won't tell you" or " 100 million reasons your mother inlaws brothers wifes cousins fiancee doesn't like you". I thought I would put together a list of things that your Bus Driver wants you to know, but won't tell you.

1. When we tell you your child's pick up time is between 6:15 and 6:30 am, we usually mean that we will get there around 6:40. We tell you the earlier time so that you will actually have your child to the designated stop around the time we ACTUALLY get there. The same goes for afternoon drop off.

2. If you are the parent of an elementary age child, we cannot leave them alone at the stop unless you give us written permission. We also need you to be at the stop or at your door within eyesight of the bus driver.

3. We are NOT babysitters. Being late consistently to the afternoon bus stop will result in your child being dropped off at the sheriff or police station after we have dropped off all other children. If you do this once, we understand and try to work with you, but as a general rule, we do not wait for you to decide when the stop is. Be there when your child gets home.

4. UPDATE YOUR CONTACT NUMBERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I cannot stress this enough. There is nothing worse than a crying child on my bus when I cannot get ahold of you because your FIFTH phone number provided for the child on my emergency contact card does not work because it is "disconnected". Not only that, your child's school often does not have updated numbers because if you changed numbers you likely didn't update either. Please make our lives easier by at least keeping one working number. Tracphone is cheap!!!!!!!

5. If we send a note home, please speak with your child about the behavior listed on the note. We don't write these notes for our own health, but for our sanity, please teach your child the proper behavior on the bus. Often, a note is a last resort and we will generally ask to contact you to discuss your child's behavior on the bus. Please note that we DO try to work with you as much as possible to prevent your child from losing his riding privilege, but if you continually ignore our notes, refuse to speak with us, or decidedly tell us that your child is NOT the problem, I guarantee THAT will be the last time I try to contact you about the behavior. I'll simply write your child up and let the school deal with them.

6. We did not suspend your child off the bus, the principal made that decision. Take it up with your child's school and do not threaten me. If you had worked with me in the first place to correct your child's behavior, you wouldn't be as ticked off.

7. If your child acts out, MY attention is on your child and NOT on the road. That puts the whole bus in danger each time I have to turn my attention to your child for crawling under the seat for the 50th time.

8. If we contact you by telephone at any time other than between the hours of 6 am and 8 am, and 2 pm and 4:30 pm. We DO NOT get paid. Please respect our personal time and our families by being considerate and answering your phone when we do call. When we can't reach you (see number 4) and you call my boss complaining that I never called you, that does NOT gain bonus points with me.

9. Say thank you once in a while. We get yelled at, told we are stupid, and have our stop signs and other lights ignored by people who are just in a rush to get from point A to point B. Sometimes a simple thank you is much appreciated and will go a long way when and if your child acts out on my bus because you have opened that communication line with me.

10. We do have the right to assign seats. Calling me to ask why your child has an assigned seat will not get you an answer, nor will it get your child to change seats. Your child is not the only one with an assigned seat and has probably been assigned a seat for a good reason. Also, asking for your child to switch seats on a bus that is already crowded three to a seat is usually not possible, nor is demanding your child only sit with such and so only in their seat. If the bus is crowded, we do what we can to provide space, but sometimes, its just not possible. Your child needs to deal with it, or stop riding my bus.

To Be Continued......

Be Nice or Leave,

The Bus Driver

The Importance of an Address

noreply@blogger.com (The Bus Driver) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 05:41:00 +0000

On Friday, I took a very long field trip and did not return home until about 2 am. Normally, field trips run very smoothly and have very little if no hiccups. Occasionally we won't know the area, but on those occasions, a coach can give us either an address or very detailed directions. I have a personal GPS, so an address is very handy to have since all I have to do is plug it in, and hit "go".

This concept, however, was lost on the two coaches that I drove on Friday. I show up on time for the field trip and before we set out, I ask them for an address or directions and get told, "Oh we've been there before, I know where I'm going!" I'm thinking, "THIS is going to end well!"

We get to our midway point and about 10 miles prior to getting there, I inquire as to where the coaches would like to eat. One coach asks me, "There's a Subway there isn't there?" I check my GPS and confirm there is a Subway nearby, and then we have the following exchange:

Coach 1 (confidently) - The Subway is over by the Mc Donalds in that truck stop.

Me - I don't think so... the restaurant is on the other side of Burger King.

Coach 1 - No, I'm right, its by Mickey D's.

Me - I think it goes Mc D's, Truck Stop, BK, and then Subway.... all on the same side of the road.

Coach 1 - No, I'm right....

When we get there, guess who was right? Yep, me.

At the end of the stop, I again asked to see the directions. So, Coach 2 has his wife pull the papers out of the TRASH bag. So, directions in hand, we set out again. I finally get the name of the road we are supposed to be on and plug it into my GPS. I figure, if we get turned around, at least I can get us to the road and then we can search for the destination from there.

We finally exit off the highway and I ask which way to go, left or right. Noone seems to know, so I play it by ear, look at the map in my GPS and get us to the road in question. The coaches are freaking out because they think we are on the wrong road when in actuality, the road itself is the same, the name just changes through an intersection. They didn't seem to understand that and insisted I was wrong and had them on the wrong road. Remember, THEY had been there before and obviously, I was wrong. Their directions read, "As soon as you pass a fire station on the right, the destination will be the next road to the right." Sure enough, I pass a fire station and I point out the destination, and they deny it is because after all noone knows if this road is the correct road, even though my GPS says it is. So, we drive around to Timbuktu and finally end up right where we started where they made me go the wrong way.

I ended up turning around, getting back on the SAME road that I told them was the right road, and to the same place I told them was the destination. Of course I had to listen to the coaches gripe about ME making THEM late and how its all MY fault that I didn't know the destination. Right.

"Turn Right Ahead"

The Bus Driver

Is there an AED available? (Updated)

noreply@blogger.com (The Bus Driver) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 15:25:00 +0000

This weekend has been one heck of a weekend. Saturday, I had to pick up an elderly gentleman from dialysis. I had transported him once before and had issues then. Last time, he tried climbing the steps of the bus only to fall backwards and ONTO me. I luckily caught him and set him down gently. I ended up calling the fire department to help get him off the ground since I could not lift him, nor could he help me lift him. After that fiasco, I prayed I would not have issues this time. I was wrong.

I got to dialysis, and the nurse comes out and tells me he had pulled one of his own needles. He bled everywhere inside dialysis, and they were getting the bleeding stopped and him cleaned up. I had one other pick up from dialysis who had already boarded the bus and was waiting for transport. The gentleman finally comes out, pushing his walker. He seemed to be walking okay, and I escorted him out, let down the lift, and he walked on. He got himself settled, gripped the handrails of the lift and I pressed the button to raise the lift. We made nonsense chat the whole time. The lift got to the level of the bus (about 4 feet off the ground) and he went to put his hands back on his walker, and suddenly stopped talking to me.

He fainted, fell forward and to the left away from me. I was able to grab him to stop him from toppling completely off the lift. I called his name out trying to get him to respond, and yelled to the person on the bus to get help. He came to, and I told him to hold still and help was on the way. The nurse from dialysis came out, saw him, and helped me get him back on the lift, so he wasn't dangling off the lift. I thought his arm had started bleeding again, so the nurse and I switched spots, and then the nurse told another nurse to get a bag of saline and to call the ambulance. I was holding his leg which he had scratched and it was bleeding slightly. He told us he was going to faint again. They started a line and pushed fluids. Then he stopped responding all together.

The nurses told me we needed to let the lift down and get an airway on him. I was still holding his leg so I told a third nurse how to press the button to let the lift down. Once he was on the ground, we flipped him and I elevated his legs. They were still trying to get him to respond. The main nurse shouted for a stethoscope and told the other nurse to call the ambulance and tell them we needed them NOW! They couldn't get a heartbeat or a pulse and started CPR compressions. I asked if there was an AED (Automatic External Defibrillator) available, and the fire chiefs truck arrived. The firefighters got out and asked the same question. The nurse told the firefighters where to find the AED. At that point I got up and set his legs down gently and asked the nurses if they had his daughters phone number. They didn't have it, so I called the one number on my transit sheet praying that the number worked.

I got ahold of someone of the family who was able to get in touch with his daughter. I explained the situation really quickly, while listening and watching them work on him. The AED shocked him 4-5 times. His eyes were open and vacant and he was not responding. The ambulance arrived and they continued chest compressions and went to get him on the stretcher so they could intubate him. They secured him to the backboard and immediately loaded him into the ambulance after it was clear he was NOT reviving. They went off to the hospital.

Turns out, he did not survive. The coroner said his heart stopped. May he rest in peace.

Sending up Prayers,

The Bus Driver

Blind Confidence

noreply@blogger.com (The Bus Driver) — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 21:09:00 +0000

One of the most valuable lessons was one I learned on my first day as a bus driver.

"Go Slow... Eventually, they all get off."

Sometimes I have absolutely NO CLUE where I'm going. Kinda bad considering I'm the driver! I can't tell you how many times I have to rely on the children to tell me the route, the coaches to tell me how to get to the fields, and the teachers to tell me how to get to the museums. Most of the time, I am able to get a general idea of where we are going prior to leaving on trips or driving bus routes, but many times, I fake it.

Yes, I fake it. I pretend like I know what route I'm on when I'm driving a bus route, I pretend like I know how to get there when driving a trip, and I pretend that I know each and every child's parent or legal guardian especially when they are causing trouble. I go everywhere with Blind Confidence. It enables me to set aside my worries and just go with the flow. I don't concern myself with extra problems and simply "let it ride."

I have too much else to worry about than figuring out exactly where the stop is, or what time we'll be back from a trip. I don't worry about the child on my bus nearly as much as the PEOPLE outside my bus. Don't get me wrong, I worry about the kids too, but so many drivers are distracted with cell phones, texting, and other things that they often don't "SEE" the big yellow bus with flashing lights that cannot stop on a dime.

Pull out in front of me and cut me off when I'm traveling fast? I can't stop. Failure to maintain YOUR lane? I can't help that I'm in my lane and making my turn as wide as possible. Slam on your brakes for that cute little dog? This bus cannot stop as quick as your little car, and we have upwards of 60 precious lives on board.

All I ask other drivers to do is to be more aware of whats around them. Think before you run that flashing stop sign on the bus. The life you spare may just be your own kid.

Deep in Thought,

The Bus Driver

Can I get some Lift Assistance please?

noreply@blogger.com (The Bus Driver) — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 05:15:00 +0000

Today, I went to pick up an elderly gentleman to take him to dialysis. On my sheet, it said that he had a walker. Most folks with walkers that we pick up can at least climb up and down the steps with very little assistance, though we do have those who use the walker who know they cannot get up and down the stairs, so they request use of the lift. We have no problem letting the lift down for folks who need it and require it. It can be operated while the client is standing, holding onto the support bars on the side for stability, or while the client is in a wheelchair.

This gentleman came out with his walker and was pushing it down the ramp. He gets to the bus and I ask him if he can get up the stairs, or if I need to let down the lift for him to get on. He tells me, "I can make it up the stairs." So, taking him at his word, we progress to the entrance of the bus. He lifts his right leg up to the first step and grips the handrail of the stairs, then he tries to push and get his left leg up. He can't quite make it so he asks me for, "a little push."

I position myself behind him and go to help stabilize him to get his second foot up and he curls up and pretty much leans back into me, letting go of the hand rails of the bus. I caught him under his armpits and gently lowered him to the ground. I then got in front of him and positioning the walker with a seat behind him, I thought if we could at least get him up to the walker seat, he might be able to scootch himself up onto the seat and back up to standing position. Then I could let the lift down, and let him ride up on the lift.

No Dice.

Down to the ground he goes again. He wanted to try crawling to the bus stairs and getting up that way. He still couldn't get himself up. By this point, I had made the judgement call to call someone for help. I dialed the non-emergency number and let the dispatch lady know that, while he was NOT hurt, we needed someone to come and help lift him up from the ground. About 10 minutes later, the fire chief and two of his firefighters showed up to help get him up off the ground. He rode the lift up and we got him to dialysis where I borrowed a wheelchair from the company and pushed him into the building.

In retrospect, the ramp should have been a clue that he could not manage stairs. I called the bossman and notified him of the incident and he informed me that I made the proper decision.

Lifting Up,

The Bus Driver

Inspiration

noreply@blogger.com (The Bus Driver) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 23:29:00 +0000

I recently came across this poem by Taylor Mali and felt I needed to share it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuBmSbiVXo0&feature=related

Feel free to click on the link and check it out. I'm not entirely sure how to post a video on here and its not mine anyways, so I mean no copyright violation.

Please Pass on the Left

noreply@blogger.com (The Bus Driver) — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 23:19:00 +0000

Normally, this is not a hard concept. Passing on the left is something you learn in drivers education. It is enforced in the practical part of driving on a highway. It is reviewed on the written test! Again this is a fool proof concept, yet people still insist on passing on the right. I'm even guilty of passing on the right but only when there is an idiot who won't get out of the passing lane and is going painfully slow.

Our most common problem is people passing our stop signs while we are loading or unloading children. When they are caught by the police, they always claim they never saw the big yellow bus or thought they could "beat the bus". Sadly, this means they play chicken with children's lives. We can lecture children all day on the proper way to cross a street, board a bus, and debark from the bus, but the fact of the matter is, children get excited, forget instructions, and often dash out in the road without any regard for their own safety. What appalls me even more is when people insist on passing on the right (door side) of the bus as we are letting children off. Several children have either had close calls, or been struck in their own driveways due to the carelessness of ADULT drivers.

You would think bus drivers understand this concept more than the regular driver. Right? Wrong! This morning, a bus driver came around my bus on school property, coming between my bus and the school bus loop sidewalk on the RIGHT side of my bus. She got within 4 feet of my door, noticed it was open and stopped, but only momentarily. I saw her out of the corner of my eye, and grabbed the middle school child getting off and told her to STOP. After the driver of the other bus determined we were not letting any children off due to her reckless behavior, she continued up past the door. She did not call us over the cb radio to apologize or ask if we were letting children off.

Naturally, I took this incident to the bossman.

Astounded,

The Bus Driver

The First Day of School!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (The Bus Driver) — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 04:30:00 +0000

Today was wonderful. I felt right at home on the big yellow bus. It felt totally natural behind the wheel. I had about 20 kids on the bus this morning and I greeted all of them with a good morning and a smile on my face. They were all excitedly chattering and ready for the first day. I found myself realizing that I missed the kids!

Things went very smoothly for the morning. Some kids did get left at their stops (or the driver forgot them), but overall the kids got to school safely. On my bus, I had a 7th grader who rode to the High School. His sister had informed me that he did not go to Middle School A, served by the bus, and instead is attending Middle School B across town by the High School. Unfortunately due to school zones, buses are only allowed to go to the schools they are assigned. We are not allowed to deviate out of school zones unless we are directed to by the Dispatcher.

When I got to the High School, the 7th grade boy tried to get off, but I stopped him and made him wait until I figured out what to do with him. Eventually I took him over to Middle School B and dropped him off for the day. Apparently he is considered a "School Option" child. When our schools do not make AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) as defined by test scores by the state, then the school has to offer other school options. We have 5 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, and one high school. Middle School A did not make AYP so kids that normally would attend Middle School A have the option of attending Middle School B instead.

Apparently there is supposed to be a bus that transports School Option children from one middle school to the other. This was not told to us at the meeting we had on Monday, nor did I receive a list of children whom have elected to participate in the school option.

Anyways, that was the only hang up I experienced today. The afternoon went equally as smoothly with very little time delays. Students got home relatively close to normal time and it seemed we operated as a well oiled machine. People just fell into place, kids did what they were supposed to, and parents seemingly stayed calm. Unfortunately, the real chaos will occur in a few days when parents stop taking their children to school and buses start to fill up. Parents will complain, buses will get crowded, and kids will fall out of honeymoon stage.

Honeymooning in bliss!

The Bus Driver