School Board Approves Multi-Route Bus Plan

Saw this on wmpm... I think it is a great idea IF the school system had bus drivers. With teacher assistants having to double as bus drivers, I'm guessing this new plan will find the teacher assistants on the road longer and in the classroom less. When will the board realize the school system needs teacher assistants and bus drivers? Those are two separate jobs and one should not be required to do the other.

 

I agree on the bus driver/TA issue. Both Johnston and Harnett counties have a horrible time finding quality TA's that will run those routes. Think if it like this:

TA has to be at school by 6:15
TA starts picking up kids at 6:30
TA runs multiple routes for the next 2-2.5 hours
TA leaves school 45 minutes prior to dismissal to begin route at 2:30
TA wraps up at 5:00-5:45

So... we overwork underpaid staff. In addition, think of the lifestyle this person would need to have: No kids, No life, No free time

Would you work 12 hours a day for a whopping $20-25K a year???

 

I don't get why teenagers (who love to sleep in and can take care of themselves in the morning) are sent to school earlier, and the little ones are sent later.

It makes more sense to the working family that elementary children should go to school earlier and home earlier since they are "burnt out" by early afternoon. Working parents must get their little ones ready before they head to work, so they end up needing early daycare. Elementary students cannot be left alone to eat breakfast and get on the school bus themselves. So, why not have buses pick them up earlier when most parents are still there?

A teenager can get himself up, eat breakfast, and put himself on the bus. As a teenager, I was not a morning person so I was half-alsleep during my morning classes but did much better during my afternoon classes.

Just seems like odd planning to me. Maybe there's more to it that I don't understand?

 

The argument always is that starting later would interfere with after school sports, band, jobs for high schoolers, etc...

 

Thing is, older children do better if they work later. Elementary age children do better if they start earlier. SO... we have older children starting early and vice versa.

Great logic on the job rationale... Shouldn't academics come first and Burger King second? Well, they're to smart for us. I guess that why we don't make the big bucks!

 

Positive note: At least they are looking at ways to save money. I don't mind the staggered bus schedule, it actually makes sense.

I did notice that Larry and Donna are the only two board members, yet again, that are worried about what parents think. It seems this is the pattern for all things. When I was having problems two years ago keeping my elementary aged daughter at her current school, versus a transfer, they were the ONLY two how cared and helped me with it. I can tell you they are the only two on that board who actually gives a crap.

 

Reality is that many highschoolers have after school jobs or are needed to care for younger brother and sisters until mom or dad gets home from work. After school jobs aren't always just frivolous spending money, often they supplement the family income or is money for college. This, along with trying to allow the highschoolers to participate in team activities/extracuricular with other schools means they need the early start time. Plus it is good preparation for the real, working world, which for many of them starts in June at the end of senior year.

 

I couldn't imagine having my son work after school to supplement the family, I think I would get a second job before I depended on one of my children to help support the family - same goes for babysitting siblings - not his responsibility. I think more focus should be on academics than clubs/teams/band. All of those groups could meet early in the morning. When I was in band we met around 6AM in the morning - not afterschool.

 

:iagree:

 

I'm not for sure on this but I am thinking it is going back to how the school year calendar was first made up when there were so many people farming back in the day.

The older kids needed to be home in time for the afternoon chores of milking the cows whereas the little ones were just too little for that.

 

Me either Cleo, but we are lucky enough in our lives that this isn't needed. Now my 14 yo does babysit the 10 yo when we go out and next year she will need to keep an eye on the youngest after school. Next year is the first year that my youngest will be allowed to ride the bus home (middle school) so the oldest will need to keep an eye out for about an hour until I get home.

I bet if the band met at 6AM, there'd be a lot less members...LOL

Of course, I know the WJH football teams are at school at like 6AM for workouts, etc.

 

Here's my $.02:

Bus drivers - Drive buses
TAs - Assist teachers

Is it that difficult for the school board to understand? There's a better way, and it seems like many of US get it...why can't the school board see it?

My wife's a TA and this is a major reason why she will probably not be a TA in this county for long - driving a bus. It's too bad because she works with EC kids which she really enjoys.

 

Is there a special license to drive a bus? A CDL or something?

 

driving a bus is the only reason I am not a TA. I always wanted to be a part of the school and be there with the kids. But I don't want to drive a bus.

 

I don't know, I know when I was in school, it was HS students who drove the buses. It was their pt job.

 

I do not think there is any special requirement. you just have to be a Teacher's Assistant.

 

That is scary to me, yet not scary enough to make me get up early and take my son to school. Go figure.

We had HS students drive buses when I was in 5th grade, and our bus driver rear-ended another bus at full speed, coming up over a hill and distacted yelling at a bus full of elementary aged kids. Those high seat backs, *do* protect the kids, but are very painful for developing young ladies. Just sayin'.

 

My wife actually got her letter stating she has to be trained to drive the bus over the summer.

If I recall correctly (and please correct me if I'm wrong) the TA has to pay for the license.

Either way, I'm not a fan of the arrangement.

 

Bus drivers have to have a CDL license. I would not want teenagers driving a school bus!!!

 

I actually have heard (my neighbor is a TA/BD) that they were going to give them some kind of 'training' as a Bus Driver.