in theory a database would work....but hell, who would hit the "send" button? no one(an administrator) is at the school at 6:30 to do anything. at what point do you make the call? meaning if there is a wreck blocking a route (which has happened to my kids bus, this year) or something other than being broken down is the cause of being late. The driver's aren't allowed to use cell phones in motion. and what about folks like me, who are already in Raleigh at work and wouldn't receive the phone call or would potentially miss the call? I have often thought about this too.
I frown upon changing posts and pretending that was what the person posted. My comment made it clear that I had changed the post.
What is so hard about notifying a parent? What would be so hard about a bus driver calling in to the school and advising them the bus will be late????? There are all kinds of software that can be programmed to extract call out numbers. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to make a master list then push the button to call the number provided by a parent. My children rode the bus until my son moved from one school to the other and my daughter was the only little girl waiting at the bus stop by herself. I hope you can see the possibilities in that scenario. I worked 30 miles from home (single mom) and had to leave about the time her bus should pick her up. The company I worked was a stickler..You were there on time...not a minute late or if you were late more than 3 times you went into a disciplinary mode which ultimately could lead to termination...so the only alternative was to change my hours that got me home earlier in the evening so I could drive my kids to school... I do call out lists from work locations or job titles or whatever all the time. So it is a simple thing to do after initial set up..
All good points and the discussion I was looking for. :hurray::hurray::hurray:I don't know what the answer is, which is why I am asking for those that think I was "whining". My concern is the kids who did not have someone available to take them and are left standing outside in this weather. DS was bundled up appropriately (heavy coat, sweatshirt, thermal shirt, gloves, hat, hood, etc.), but still got very cold in just the 15 minutes he was out. When it's normal temps, no biggie, but this morning was exceptionally cold and I personally think some effort should have been made. But I guess that is asking too much of our overworked, underpaid school administrators.
I guess it would depend on whether a) the bus driver has a cell phone b) there are any admins in the office at the hour(s) the drivers initially head out for their route c) there is enough time to communicate with all parents (what if they are standing at the bus stop with their kid(s)? Now if everyone had blackberries and the school could send a mass text then that would be nice.....but how realistic is that?
I have thought about this for all the years mine have rode the bus. Luckily, my two are always together....but I still worry. And I get the cold thing today indeed, and the rest of this week, it's going to be cold. I told mine to wait in the house for her to go by the first time (she has to go to the end of the neighborhood and turn around and come back by their stop) and then head out, it was way too cold to be standing there waiting. I don't know what the solution could be. It seems by the time they finally got an administrator to hit the button to send out the message (they arrive at the schools at 7:30am, not a minute before, I checked) they'd be in route or other arrangements have been made, especially by stay home parents. In my case, for anyone who cares, one of mine will always go back to the house and call me if she is running late, after about 10 minutes past the normal pick up time. Then I call the bus garage and decide at that point what to do. The good news is, if they are late on the bus, it's not counted as a tardy. Bad news, If I make the call for the kids to stay home till I get there to deliver them to school (and of course they're going to be late after I have driven all the way back from Raleigh), it's counted as a tardy.
So - have you call the school or the bus garage yet to get an answer? And while you have them on the phone ask them if they have such a database and if so, under what circumstances do they utilize it.
I don't have DS's bus number with me at the moment and I want to be a little less irritated when I do call this afternoon. Right now, I wouldn't come across very nice.
A school district I used to live had a reverse 911 type of system much like they use for flood warnings or other natural disasters. It is a simple use of GIS, whereupon the households along the particular bus route get an automated call. Not sure if JoCo is doing this, perhaps not given the dilemma.
Nope, they are not, but I think I am going to make this suggestion. I don't think it would be nearly as big a deal as some would have you believe.
:iagree: They have "mass messages" for other announcements they need to get out, like last night I got one from WJHS for my kids about starting back for the new year and upcoming exams. Bus drivers could call the school and let them know the deal and a "mass message" call could go out. As far as who is there that early, if there isn't anyone, that may be something for them to think about and hire someone or bring a staff member in early for that :?: Have the staff work on a rotating basis so no ONE person is doing it all the time. It CAN'T be all that difficult. I personally wouldn't want the busdriver to have to use the phone while driving to call parents. That opens a whole other issue. And there are too many kids' parents to call to pull over and call and then be even MORE late. JMHO.....
I'm going to email and see what happens. Since apparently I am not crazy for being concerned. :mrgreen:
The mass messages that come out from the Principals are done the day before and are scheduled through the main office in Smithfield. I think the issue with the buses is having it ready to go at a moments notice. I do not believe there is a system in place that would satisfy the spontaneity of a bus breakdown.
I did not know that....hmmmmm Is there a way they could have someone to be at the main office in order to send one out? Just a suggestion....Or set up a similar system in the schools themselves??? I know a VERY savvy computer, I.T., business owner that could make it happen...:twisted:
seems a lot of buses had problems due to the cold weather - maybe tomorrow morning they'll all be better prepared. http://www.wral.com/weather/story/6734156/ Six buses at Wakefield High School wouldn't start when drivers arrived, but mechanics got four running by 7 am.
