by Mama Elephant
Today was Junior's 3rd day at his new school. He is doing extremely well and everyone is impressed with how well he is adjusting so far. Everyone but the bus driver, that is. I question her honesty. She was supposed to call us on Friday to let us know what time she would be picking Junior up in the mornings. She never did. We were home all weekend and the bus company had our home phone and our 2 mobile phone numbers. Our phones didn't ring once all weekend. However, when she showed up Monday morning, she looked me straight in the eyes and tried to tell me that she did call. She also said her boss told her he was going to call, but we talked her boss on Friday and he was the one that told us the driver would be calling to let us know the pick up time.
Yesterday afternoon, Junior attempted to throw a tissue in what he thought was a trash can and she bit his head off right in front of me. She snapped and said, "Oh no you don't! You pick that up! I don't want your nasty tissue!" She acted like he was leaving a bomb on the bus. Every bus driver he has ever had used that space on the buses for a trash bin. He was trying to do the right thing and she talked to him like he was scum of the Earth, right in front of me!
This afternoon, the assistant walked him to the door and told me that if was going to ride the bus then he would have to wear a physical restraint. She claims he hit a student this morning. My son has NEVER in all his 13 years of life hit another person. Now I am not one to sugar coat my son's problems or temper. I am not some parent who thinks her son walks on water. However, I know that he has never hit another person... EVER. So the idea that he simply decided this morning was going to be day he goes Mike Tyson on another child just doesn't seem likely to me.
I may need to find another 200 dollars a month to pay for gas and tolls to take him to and from school myself. I was never fond of him spending 1/3 of his day on a bus anyway. Three hours is too much for any child, in my opinion.
Have you ever had a problem with your child's bus driver, teacher, or other authoritative figure? Has anyone yelled at your child in front of you?
Comments (40)
ooooo... this gets my blood temperature to rise quicker than anything, mean people! I wonder why they are just so mean you know? also people that you HAVE to deal with, like a bus driver. I would report it immediately.
I would have definitely reported the bus driver to the bus company if I were in the same situation as you or just snap his head off. It is totally unnecessary to be disrespectful...he could had simply said "that's not a trash can."
There is a substitue at my son's school that I have a problem with. For one her son was in my son's class last year and she would be the sub all the time because their regular teacher was having some health issues. Well she made a difference in her child verses the rest of the children. My mother has personally witnessed her doing this. Also, she took it upon herself to respond to a note that I had writen to the Teacher. Also, my son is VERY shy! Anyone will tell you and he does not talk out of turn even when he is called upon he is very quiet and shy about answering. He brings home a 4 EVERYDAY and this peticular sub gave him a 3 and for all things she made him down for TALKING! I'm sorry but I know my child and that is not him. I was hot! I called the principle and they talked to the sub about her behavior. Sad thing is none of the kids like her, they all call her evil! Which is a VERY STRONG word for such little kids. She has done the same thing to my youngest son who is in kindergarten this year. She gave him a 3 on both days she has been sub but of course I let those slide even though he has had a 4 every day because he can be a little cut up. I've just told my boys you have to respect her because she is a sub BUT if you don't agree with something she says or does tell me and we will decide if we need to take futher action or if she is causing you problems during the day tell her you need to go to the office to call your mom and if she won't let you then I will be at the school that very next morning waiting for the principle.
3 hours on a bus? Whoa. Report her behavior to her boss. That is so uncalled for.
I homeschool so I don't have any issues like that. I've had other parents correct one of my boys at a play area but they handled it the same way I would so that wasn't a problem. Someone yelling at my kids would not go over well with me.
The bus is always one of those "fun" areas. I count us lucky that we're walking distance to our elementary school. I do think some people, both in the school itself and those more loosely involved in it (bus drivers, lunch ladies, etc.) need to reconsider the idea of working with children, period. If they're stressed and hassled by it, it's not productive for themselves or the children.
But also, there is a first time for everything. Your son is in a new school and spending 3 hours a day on a bus (I would go stir-crazy...I think most of us would.). Just because he's never hit anyone before, doesn't mean that the bus driver is out to get him and lying to do so. Presumably, this accusation would have had to have been backed up by the child that was hit. The other kids on the bus have the right not to be abused, too.
@MITZIJAYNJUS@xanga - Yowza. I'm surprised that they let her sub for her own child's class. You'd think that would be a conflict of interest...?! Kudos to you for picking your battles though. It may not be right of her to do, but I doubt Harvard admissions looks at your sons' transcripts and gasps, "He got a 3?!" and kids do tend to act differently with a sub/test the limits with her/him.
From what I've personally seen and heard, I feel like a lot of parents are going into the schools for every little thing and then, when there is a real problem, the school officials are like, "Yeah. Oookay. Whatever. We'll look into it...right after we check on that little boy's claim that he saw a wolf on the slide."
Did they say anything besides he hit someone else? Perhaps something instigated it? 3 hours is a long time in any vehicle with someone - especially someone you dont like. That may be enough time to cause one kid to hit another kid (even if there is no past history) Perhaps rather than a restraint, they should have assigned seats away from each other.
I think I would try to talk to the bus driver about the tissue incident. That seems like there is something wrong there.
I drive my daughter to school, but wow, if anyone ever disrespected my child they would seriously regret it.
The principle said the reason they let her sub her own childrens class is because there is a shortage of subs in our county.
You are right and that is why I don't run into the school over every little thing but I do know how this woman is now from dealing with her through all that confusion last year and I refuse to let her run over my children. In dealing with that past issue I also found out that I am not the only parent to complain about her so hopefully if she continues to treat the children in such a way then she will not be aloud to sub any longer.
We had family night last night at the school and I took the neighbor kids with us and one of their teachers was asking me to apologize to the neighbor kids parents for her because of something this same sub did to their child while he was walking home for school.
Three hours on a bus? Jeez.
Some people are ridiculous. I had a bus driver like that once, but even as a child I didn't take crap from people who thought they had authority over me when they really didn't(I mean, give it a rest, you drive a bus for a living, I'm 9 and I still don't respect you). So I actually brought the principal on board to have a talk with her. It was all I could do at the time, but it worked. So I guess talk to the driver's boss/the school principal.
I would have spoken up to the driver saying that he just thought the garbage can was there AS IT IS THERE ON EVERY OTHER BUS. He's a child, she doesn't need to be a bitch for no reason. Tell her to take that large, prickly pickle out of her unstately large ass.
Beyond that, people need to lay off your poor kid. Children-haters should not be working with children!
I am homeschooling this year because of the bus situation. My daughter is 13 and has Down's Syndrome. The first day the bus was supposed to come (which was weeks after the start of school) it didn't show.
The pickup time I was told didn't make sense so I made other arrangements for her way home that day.
The next day it came late. The bus driver said, "If you have a problem with it, call transportaion.
That day, I got a call once my daughter had still not arrived 45 minutes after her scheduled time. After many phone calls and another hour, I found that the bus driver had not been told she was on her route and didn't have any idea where she was to go. She tried to drop her off at my house!! More calls and another 30 minutes and I had my child. The bus driver said, "If you have a problem with it, call transportation."
Transportation wouldn't answer my calls. The lady suggested I was over reacting when I did finally get her.
I pulled my daughter out of school the next day.
I didn't mention she was supposed to be dropped off at day care, not home. I would not be home that early.
Get this one...
My 6 year old niece was grabbed in the arm so hard one day from the teacher, it left dark bruises. This teacher has a history of being mean and physical.
Upon examination that night, my sister was going to file a complaint against the teacher for abuse, but before she could get her call in that morning, the principle had already called my sister in, for accusing her of abusing her OWN child, with proof being the bruises she got from the teacher!!!???
Now I don't have the exact details of what went any further, but I do know the teacher is still working for the school, and there wasn't any punishment other than warning I don't think.
With the incident of hitting, you should be able to call the bus company and have them pull the tapes from the bus for review. Tell them you want to see what is going on on the bus.
In our district you have to do this the same day because they record over the tapes after awhile. This may also show you if Junior did hit someone, what prompted it, because usually kids don't hit unless something instigated the situation.
The only time I have ever had a problem with a teacher was when my oldest was in fourth grade. He had been attending this private school since kindergarten and had been diagnosed with Dyslexia in the 2nd grade. He was taken out for an hour each day to go over to the public school for modifications. His fourth grade teacher did not want to abide by the IEP and constantly gave me grief. The final straw was when she called him stupid in front of the entire class because he did a math problem differently than what she had taught. He had the right answer, btw. He was moved to the public school the next day.
Now, as for that bus driver. Are you kidding me?? A restraint??? How about a warning and then a discussion with you if it continues. (If indeed it actually happened). I am getting very afraid of when E starts school.
Talk to that woman's supervisor immediately and if that doesn't get you results, go even higher. Good luck!
Thank you so much for dropping by. Bro Cliff Stafford
Get a meeting with the school prinicpal. Honestly, my school's bus drivers aren't the nicest people I've ever met, and I don't expect them to be. They take the highschoolers, middleschoolers & elementary kids to school every day & back, and for some reason the kids in my grade think they can get away with murder with any bus driver, and that's why their usually so mean. Mine is nice to me, but is strict to the bad people. If the bus driver is really, really, bad, like so bad - then drive him to school. Pretty extreme, but whatever, lol.Â
I understand people have to do their jobs and all, but that is why I believe the bus drivers are harsh on kids. I would probably be snappy too if I had that kind of job, haha. Even if your junior didn't physically hit anyone - he may have been joking and gotten in trouble for it. Ask for the bus tapes, the buses have cameras in them. Most of the kids on my bus, shy or not, play around with their friends and "playfully" slap each other, and they can get detentions & suspensions from the bus from it. I know kids have on mine. I don't know your Junior or anything about the situation, I'm just speaking from what I know(:Â
When I was a kid there was a busdriver that would make me sit in the front for no reason... and if I asked him why he would tell me and my parents that I knew what I did and if I didn't come clean then he wouldn't let me sit in the back anymore.... I still have no clue what I did and I was in a lot of trouble for awhile with my parents because they thought I was lying to them. I wasn't a saint of a child but that time I seriously had nothing to do with whatever he thought I did.
@ILLINOISConspiracyTheories@xanga - That is ridiculous! I would have pulled my child out of that school or at least bring it up with the PTA where she might get some support from other parents.
Luckily my kids dont ride a bus.but i remember when i rode the bus,me and my mom had a lot of problems with the bus drivers.it got so bad,my mom finally decided to start taking me to school.good luck on working things out.I would call the school and then the bus company.if they dont do anything about it then i would find someone higher up to talk to.Anyways,is it even legal for them to restrain a child on the bus,let along is it even safe?????
right now I'm having a problem with my daughters teachers. We moved this past summer. From Our small 2 bedroom appartment in a city to a 3 bredroom house with full basement in the woods. A jump for us but we love it. So anyways. My daughter kk started at a new school that is alot smaller. She went for doing 2-3 subject a week homework to 5-6 subjects a week. 5th grade. And she has never been taught to write in cursive at any of her other school. But now she is exspected to know how to write perfectly in cursive and is graded on it This is bringing down her scores on school and homework since everything has to be in cursive. I've asked her teachers to help her with her cursive but have yet to do so. I've had to take extra time with her to do so and it makes the amount of time to do homework more for my daughter becuase they wont make any exception.
Also her teachers wont let my daughter bring home schoolwork that she has done so I can see what she is doing and how I can help imporve my daughters work.
Another thing that I don't like her teachers doing is teaching her things that I believe only parents should teach thier children and that they don't give me a choice in weither or not I want my child to learn something sensative from a someone not in my family. And telling my child that something I have taughter is wrong and that I am wrong.
Thanks to all those who have commented. We did take action on the matter as other accusations were made against Junior. The matter has been resolved for now yet further action is still possible. I don't want to spoil the outcome just in case Momaroo picks up the follow up post.
I would also like to point out that those 3 hours are NOT each way. He spends roughly 80 minutes on the bus in the morning and 90 minutes in the afternoon. This is due to the fact that his school is 32 miles from here and the bus transports other children as well. It is still a long time to spend on a bus and I am hoping to convince the district to split up the load so all the kids have shorter travel times to this school.
Because my son attends a private school for developmentally disabled children out of his home district and transportation (as well as tuition) is the responsibility of the home district , the only assistance they can provide are character witnesses and letters stating they have problems with the driver as well (which they have stated they are more than willing to do if we need).
@OldHippyChick@xanga - I feel ya. When we lived in Virginia, my son was dropped off at the wrong school! Three hours after school started, his teacher called to ask us why Junior wasn't in school and we were instantly horrified. It took them another hour to find him. Why nobody from the wrong school called to report this out of place child is totally beyond me. Being that he has autism and is not very verbal...this was a huge problem for me.
I filed a complaint, called the bus company and demanded that the driver be fired. I was told it was an "honest mistake that sometimes happen" like my kid was luggage on an airplane. I didn't even get an apology. My son never rode a bus in that district again. Interestingly enough, a week later the same driver scraped an illegally parked car's side view mirror and she was fired over that. It is okay to lose a child but you can't swap paint with a car's mirror.
We try to avoid using the school bus services but due to the cost of gas and tolls, we felt we need to give it another try. I just don't trust people who make a dollar or two over minimum wage to give their best to any child.