As a parent would this make you mad or would you under stand it????? I am the bus driver

[cassie]

Back in the Dark Ages when I was in high school, one frustrated bus driver delivered the whole bus load of rowdy kids directly to Juvenile Hall rather than taking them to high school. He got in trouble, but I thought then that he was right. Still do. Some schools install video cameras on the buses, and then when the parents say their precious darling would never do such a thing, they can be shown the film that shows that their precious did indeed do that and worse. I think the idea of stopping the bus until the kids shape up is a good one. So is banning troublemakers from the bus, permanently if necessary.

Unfortunately, too many school administrations are far more interested in keeping the peace and not making waves than they are in safety or backing up their staff. A friend of mine, now retired, once received a credible death threat from a student. When the spineless principal refused to to anything about it, she called the cops and had the kid hauled out of class. The principal was furious, but since she was tenured there wasn't a whole lot he could do about it. My friend further told the principal to transfer the student out of her class because she wasn't going to endanger herself or her other students by allowing this kid to stay in her class. The principal then proceeded to tell my friend that he wasn't going to do that and that she was going to just have to continue to teach that student. My friend pointed out that she had a LOT of sick leave built up and that she would just take it immediately and he could hire a substitute for the rest of the term. The principal transferred the kid. My friend's instincts were good. If memory serves that particular student, who is no longer a kid, is now serving a stretch in the big house for attempted murder.

 

[Stacykins]

Dear Route 7 Parents,
For the last few weeks I have been working with our students about their behavior on the bus. We have had many days that I have had to remind them of the regular rules and that they are for safty, not to take away the fun.
Yesterday afternoon I was ill and we had a substatute driver. Ms. Kathy drove our bus and some of the students were very loud, disrespectful, and would not follow the rules even after being asked to.
I was not there so I can not say which students were doing these things, so I feel that all the students should write Ms. Kathy a note of appology. It may say anything they feel they need to say, even if it is just, "I am sorry the bus was so loud".
Thank you
Ms. Kimberlee

I have included and copy of some of the safty rules incase you would like to refresh the students on how they should be acting on the bus.

Just a bit of editing, here is a a version with some of the spelling errors corrected, commas n stuff, and a bit of wording changes for clearer understanding and adding some active voice, rather than passive (saying "I ran" is active, where "I was running" is passive). I'd also suggest adding a good point, added in with green, if you feel that works and is true (I dunno the situation and if the kids have improved). Kind of like flattery, then getting to the actual issue, you know?


Dear Route 7 Parents:
For the last few weeks I have been working with our students about their behavior on the bus. While bus behavior has been getting better, we have many days that I needed to remind them of the regular rules, and that the rules are for safety, not to take away the fun.
Yesterday afternoon, I was ill and we had a substitute driver. While Ms. Kathy drove our bus, some of the students were very loud and disrespectful, and would not follow the rules despite being asked to.
I was not there, so I can not say which students misbehaved, so I feel that all the students should write Ms. Kathy a note of apology. It may say anything they feel they need to say, even if it is just, "I am sorry the bus was so loud". I have also included and copy of some of the safety rules in case you would like to refresh the students on how they should be acting on the bus.
Thank you
Ms. Kimberlee


Does this look OK to you? I am not an expert at editing, but just did what I could to help a bit.

 

[Melinda35]

I would clear it with the school first as well. I would not want this to backfire on you. Parents just don't care and that is why these kids act like this. Sadly it is everywhere. I would never allow my children to behave like that and they know it. When I go to parent conferences I hear all the time how well behaved my children are. I care and I don't put up with this kind of behavior from other children at my home or in public. I was in Wal-Mart one day and there were two high school boys probably 16 or 17 wrestling in the aisle where I could not get my basket threw. I immediately spoke up to them to "Stop. There are other people in this store and you need to show some respect." Their mother came flying from the grocery department and was mad! Not at me but at them. She was not paying attention so they took advantage of that but they were definitely old enough to know better. One small child (under 10) threw a football in Academy and hit my child in the head with it. My child was only about 5 at the time. I was livid. I could only give dirty looks because the parents did not speak English but I think they got the hint.

Sorry about the ramblings...I would definitely tell the parents. Sometimes there needs to be embarrassment to get any results.

 

[dewey]

I have tried candy, games, prizes and everything I can think of to get them to be better for me even. Nothing seems to work

Your concern for the kids and your efforts are commendable.

Unfortunately, and this always amazes me, some parents won't hear it or step up to correct their kids until their own lives are effected by their kids' bad behavior...such as, now the parents have to go out of their way to find a means of getting their misbehaving kids to school...but that does seem to suddenly develop excellent hearing in the parents.

 

[redhen]

Well, call me a jerk,..but....candy, games, prizes?? And its still not working..
You say you don't like to write up the kids...why? Maybe that's why they know they can keep misbehaving and taking advantage of your bus route??
How long until one of these kids causes an injury or an accident to happen? By not addressing this problem with real consequences you are putting others kids at risk on your bus. ( you mentioned it was a safety risk)..
If I was a parent of a child on your bus and you let my children continue to be at risk on your bus i'd have some serious words with your boss. I'm sorry. But that's how I feel about it.

 

[dainerra]

That sounds much nicer than what when on when I rode a bus. If we were loud, the bus driver would pull over in the park and make us sit for 5 minutes without any talking. If someone even spoke a word, it was another 5 minutes. I remember we were close to an hour late one time. He was eventually fired, but not after many 6th graders would hop off the bus and just walk home if they were close enough. This was in 1996 though.

my bus driver would just slam the brakes and throw us into the floor. And then, when he got home, he'd call our parents and then we'd all get in trouble again.

Now, my girls' school will suspend students for misbehaving on the bus. They use the same point system as the classroom teachers.

 

[kimisfishing]

my boss does not back us up, I do have them write sentances and do write them up for serious offences,( had one taken off for spitting today) If you don't ride the bus you don't know what danger they are in. I do everything I can to keep these kids safe. I gave out the letters and I know some will not do it, but I think it is important for all children to take responcibility for what happens on their bus and I I do also. I ask my kids all the time if it is really bad or if I am just crabby. I also appologize if I have been extra crabby. One parent called and said her kids were not on the bus that day, I told her I was not there so did not know but they did not have to do it. She said she thought it was right for all the kids to get the letter no matter what. I had some kids that never get in trouble ask what they had to write, I said nothing, but if they did anything would be great so the driver knew that we were sorry. The reason we are having problems is we are getting new kids all the time and they are testing me. They were all silent tonight and not one complained because they all know I am doing the best for all not just one. I also appologize to the kids that were good and tell them that I can not pick and chose who can talk and not so this is the best way. They agree. I also tell every one of them I Love Them every day. All my parents have my personal phone number and can call me at any time. I feel if I work with the parents and kids I have a better chance of fixing things then just writing them up and it going on their record that are trouble on the bus. I have had very few parents not like the way I do things and I have been doing this 15 years. I even have High School kids come hug me when they see me out in public ant tell me I was the best bus driver they ever had. So I must be doing something right. I also am the frist to tell my boss if I do something wrong. These kids mean alot to me and I have some with serious medical issues, I can tell by the sound of their voice or the look in their eyes if there is a problem. I am not doing this just for the pay check, this is what God has made me for. I am not perfect, but I do the best I can and the kids feel safe and the parents feel safe when I have them. For the last 3 years sub drivers have been fighting over who gets to drive my route because my kids are always good. My spelling does not matter I am a driver not a teacher LOL and most of my parents are lucky they can even read. I reward my kids all the time and if they have not been as good as the others I just say * this is for you trying* and next week you wil try harder. I REALLY LOVE MY KIDS!!!!

 

[KristyHall]

Thanks, I have stopped the bus and had a * Come to Jesus* meeting and stopped and played angry birds for 10 minutes with out saying a word. They really get the angry birds thing LOL. But the more I do that the longer I am in the bus. I just want to know what happened to my GOOD KIDS??? I really love these kids but I would never allow my own children to act this way. They are making the job no fun and not safe. Every day I hear about bus accidents and I do not want it to be me next. I could never live with myself if I ever let one of them get hurt.

"Come to Jesus meeting"? I don't understand. Is that a saying or reference to something?

 

[kimisfishing]

just a saying, I live in the bible belt LOL it means we stop and have a talk about right and wrong LOL

 

[KristyHall]

just a saying, I live in the bible belt LOL it means we stop and have a talk about right and wrong LOL

Living in Alabama, I know what you mean by bible belt but I hadn't heard that term before. I figured that is what you meant but I wanted to be clear. I had this mental image of organ music being played by that Peanut's kid in the back and you holding a book that says " The bus bible" and speaking in a charismatic hellfire brimstone voice about the sins of screaming on the bus.