I have been a bus driver since late 2006. I know the inside story, the scoop, the down low dirt of what it takes to be a bus driver, how to handle kids and adults, and how to survive on the "streets" so to speak. I used to have a blog, feel free to browse it or ask me a question here.
There can be any number of reasons a bus driver has someone riding the bus with them. If its not a regular occurrence, then the person is likely a safety evaluator or supervisor of some sort. This may be so that the driver is periodically and randomly evaluated by the company they work for. Another reason you might find someone riding the bus with your driver is simply so that other person can learn your bus drivers route details. Periodically we might have to be absent from work for some reason or another and a substitute driver is needed. In order to cut down on the confusion, subs will often learn each route separately. Finally, if your bus is one that needs supervision by an aide, the driver could have requested someone to be an aide on the bus in order to help manage students behavior.
Own up to it, offer to pay for the damages, and apologize. Also don't damage other peoples stuff.
They could be a monitor or a new driver learning the route. If they have been there year round then I'd lean towards monitor or driver helper. If not, then it might be a new driver who has been told they need to learn every route in the district. Another possibility might be the driver could be being evaluated for a promotion or other work related things.
It depends on a lot of factors. Bus to bus... probably a couple miles if we're travelling on a trip and get separated and stuff like that. In town with the tower it can reach from the county line and beyond, though the further from the tower the bus is the signal deteriorates.
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Hi Chuck! Sorry for the delay in response. It would depend on what the accident involved. I can't speak for most bus companies but many of them go on a case by case basis. Most require a 5-7 year MVR history regardless of whether or not there was any offenses in that time. If you are disqualified from driving, you will be notified then. Good luck!
Are your children in your vehicle or are they standing at the stop? Its not clear as to where your children were this morning while waiting for the bus. That being said, it doesn't change the fact that it could have been a substitute bus driver that doesn't know the route very well. If there is a visibility issue then you definitely need to take that up with the school district or be standing out there with your children with a flash light to maybe flag the driver down if visibility is an issue. Perhaps installing a street light or lamp might illuminate the situation and make it clear if your children were standing at the stop. Either way you should probably contact the district to talk to them about it and address your complaints.
That all depends on the reason for the write up and your individual schools policy on write ups coming from bus drivers. In my district, administrators are supposed to follow a policy that goes something like this:
1st write up: warning2nd write up: 1-3 days off the bus depending on offense3rd write up: 3-5 days off the bus4th write up: 5-10 days off the bus5th write up: 10 days off or permanent removal from bus riding privilege for at least the remainder of the school year.6th write up: Permanent removal of bus riding privilege for at least the remainder of the school year.
In many instances they don't follow this policy like they should and issue far too many warnings, but if they follow it like they should, we would have less behavior issues on our buses. Chances are good you will only get a warning. I recommend to all kids who get write ups that they better their chances with the bus driver if they verbally apologize for their behavior and perhaps even write a letter of apology to the bus driver or their fellow students depending on what the situation was. An apology goes a long way with me when it comes to my bus kids. If you have the guts to apologize for your behavior, I am actually LESS likely to follow through and submit the write up to the school because you showed me that you are willing to accept consequences for your actions. (In those cases I usually ask the student to sit in the front seat for a period of time and then at the end give them the write up to tear up or dispose of to drive home the point that they should behave) I suggest you get on the bus tomorrow morning and apologize to the bus driver and own up to your actions. That speaks volumes. Good luck!
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