The letter was not intended for the parents to force the kids to do it, it was to inform them of what had happend, that I had asked the kids to do it and that I had been working with them for weeks.
I do not force the kids to police others, some of them just want to help so we have a safe ride. It is over with and everyone is safe so I am happy. By the way the sub driver wrote the kids a note back saying thank you and that she is looking forward to driving for them again, She knows they are usually not so roudy and they really loved that. I am sorry but not all in life is fair and sometimes you have to do what you think is best at the time. I really think some of you missed the point of this and I am sorry if I have offended any of you. I guess you would have to be a bus driver to understand that some times you have to try different things. The last 2 times they acted like this for a sub I did punish just the offenders and it did not fix it so I thought I would try something else.
As a parent anyone has a choice to drive their kids to school if the driver does not handle things to their liking. I have never had a parent chose this so I guess I am not as harsh as you seem to think I am.
Next time I will find a bus driver forum to post this stuff because this is an issue for more drivers than me, mine are mild compared to some.
By the way, as the bus driver I can punish the kids in the way I see fit as long as it is not abusive. A letter and being quiet is not the worst thing I could have done. I could have written a bunch of kids up and got some kicked off the bus then they could not get to school because some parents dont have cars, and that write up stays in their file and goes to the next school with them till they graduate. I chose not to do those because to me that is abuse.
Its abuse to write up a child for bad behavior?? Huh??