SxyPrincess
New Member
Sorry! Heat of the moment...
Messed up 1st day of school in St Marys County...
- Thread starter Kismet
- Start date
Dymphna
Loyalty, Friendship, Love
The crap you had to deal with was ridiculous and I would've been seriously po'd too. But I have been pretty happy with my son's school and buses.
Last year he was in pre-K and when I looked at the bus routes in the paper, it appeared as if they didn't come into my new neighborhood. I called the transportation department and they said my road hadn't been turned over to the county yet and as a private road, they didn't pick up. I told him that wasn't the case and he said he'd check and call me back. He never did. I was fully prepared to drop off and pick up my son everyday because if I had to drive to the neighborhood entrance, I'd go all the way to school.
The first day of school prek and K kids don't ride the bus and until 8:00 that morning I didn't know what the deal was with the bus. That was when I got a call from the kindergarten bus driver. She had driven her route over the weekend, armed with a list of kids and wanted to make sure she knew which house was ours so she could stop at the right driveway and also to assure me that she would be late as always on the first day because of the logistics of getting all the morning kids home and finding all the houses. Be patient she said, because she needed to pick my son up in order to learn the route. As I was on the phone with her, the regular bus, the one that takes the all day kids and would be dropping off my son in the afternoons, drove past my house.
This year, again, my neighborhood isn't on the published bus routes. So, obviously the transportation department doesn't have a clue, but the bus drivers do, and so does the school, so as far as I'm concerned the admistrators in the transportation department can sit around with their thumbs up their azzes.
Last year he was in pre-K and when I looked at the bus routes in the paper, it appeared as if they didn't come into my new neighborhood. I called the transportation department and they said my road hadn't been turned over to the county yet and as a private road, they didn't pick up. I told him that wasn't the case and he said he'd check and call me back. He never did. I was fully prepared to drop off and pick up my son everyday because if I had to drive to the neighborhood entrance, I'd go all the way to school.
The first day of school prek and K kids don't ride the bus and until 8:00 that morning I didn't know what the deal was with the bus. That was when I got a call from the kindergarten bus driver. She had driven her route over the weekend, armed with a list of kids and wanted to make sure she knew which house was ours so she could stop at the right driveway and also to assure me that she would be late as always on the first day because of the logistics of getting all the morning kids home and finding all the houses. Be patient she said, because she needed to pick my son up in order to learn the route. As I was on the phone with her, the regular bus, the one that takes the all day kids and would be dropping off my son in the afternoons, drove past my house.
This year, again, my neighborhood isn't on the published bus routes. So, obviously the transportation department doesn't have a clue, but the bus drivers do, and so does the school, so as far as I'm concerned the admistrators in the transportation department can sit around with their thumbs up their azzes.
SxyPrincess
New Member
Do you have the Duramax?
SxyPrincess
New Member
But a diesel is just so sexy.
Ok. Lets get back to the Original issue here. The Issue isn't whether or not this school and its SO called professionals were dealing with normal daily issues here. What we are talking about here is a BOLD FACE LIE. These peple and their arogant leadership seem to think that we as parents are IDIOTS and couldn't add 2 twice and come up with the same number. I have 3 degress and I think that I am a fairly reasonable person. But when I am told 3 different stories by adults who are supose to be setting the EXAMPLE, I become enraged and ready to seek legal help. My Daughter was one of the children who did not make it home when she was supose to. That in and of itself is not all that bad. However, when I went to the school to question where she was I was not informed of any vehicle failures. I was told that the buses were let go late because of other schools. Nothing was mentioned about any bus problems. Infact I had to call home to find out that she had just gotten home. This was AFTER 5:30pm when she is released at 3:30. I was LIED to by the assistant principal and the principal. THIS is entirely UNACCEPTABLE and in my view CRIMINAL! As the TAX PAYING PARENT I am entitled to the truth from officials that I ENTRUST with my child. I will be taking this BREACH of Trust up with the superintendent of schools...
littlegirl
Reiki Practitioner
Not just Park Hall
The same thing happened at Lexington Park Elementary. My daughter's school lets out at 3:15. At 4:00pm, i started trying to call the school to see where my daughter was ( Mind you, I live 1 1/2 blocks from the school). I either got NO answer or the line was busy. At 4:15, I went to the school to see 3 buses loading and still kids on the sidewalk waiting. I asked the teachers there on the outside if my daughter was still there and was told they didn't know. After walking into the main office, which was packed with parents asking questions- I saw my daughter's teacher who told me she was still in his classroom. I signed my daughter out at 4:20pm. The bus DID NOT come thru our neighborhood until 5:00pm. All I was told at the school was that the buses were running late. 2 hours LATE!!!!!!!!???????? My personal big issue with this is that my daughter is ADHD, I am a constant figure in her school every year and all the teachers and administration know me VERY WELL..........and I don't understand why SOMEONE did not call me to let me know that she was still there and that she was ok. AS i stated, I tried to call and could not get thru
ok, enough venting for me
The same thing happened at Lexington Park Elementary. My daughter's school lets out at 3:15. At 4:00pm, i started trying to call the school to see where my daughter was ( Mind you, I live 1 1/2 blocks from the school). I either got NO answer or the line was busy. At 4:15, I went to the school to see 3 buses loading and still kids on the sidewalk waiting. I asked the teachers there on the outside if my daughter was still there and was told they didn't know. After walking into the main office, which was packed with parents asking questions- I saw my daughter's teacher who told me she was still in his classroom. I signed my daughter out at 4:20pm. The bus DID NOT come thru our neighborhood until 5:00pm. All I was told at the school was that the buses were running late. 2 hours LATE!!!!!!!!???????? My personal big issue with this is that my daughter is ADHD, I am a constant figure in her school every year and all the teachers and administration know me VERY WELL..........and I don't understand why SOMEONE did not call me to let me know that she was still there and that she was ok. AS i stated, I tried to call and could not get thru
ok, enough venting for me
Dymphna
Loyalty, Friendship, Love
I read the transcript of the chat mentioned on the first page of this thread. In it, one parent complained that her child wasn't picked up at all in the morning. In the afternoon, she was put on the bus, but the bus driver said that it wasn't part of their route. It turns out that due to redistricting, it was a new addition to the route and the driver missed that message.
I grew up in Charles county, where all the buses belonged to Keller. He started out as a little company running school buses and that's all, now he has commuter buses, tour buses and the MTA contract for So. MD. All because he had his stuff together running a few school buses. Like I said before, I like my kid's bus driver, she owns 2-3 buses, but with 200 different bus contractors, like they have in St M's there are bound to be troubles. What happens when the buses break down? A lot of these people only own one bus, where do they get a replacement? I guess they borrow one from somewhere. What about maintance? Joe Farmer is your "do it yourself" mechanic. Most of them are on top of it, but some of them aren't. These folks have it tough, don't get me wrong, they're trying to make a living, but the shear logistics of organizing all these people and contracts etc. has got to be a nightmare.
You may argue that going with one big company would detract from the community. The bus drivers have been driving the same routes for years and they know their kids. My bus driver growing up, (a Keller employee) lived in my tiny rural neighborhood. She was allowed to keep her bus at her house, except for summer when it went in for maintance. She drove both the elementary school kids and the high school kids in the neighborhood (there wasn't time to drive the middle school in between the two other runs). When she died last year, the funeral was standing room only, because everyone knew and respected her.
As I understand it, the rules and contracts in St M's discourages consoladation of bus contracts and effectively makes it impossible for someone to buy up a bunch of buses and coordinate several bus routes. Some, like my neighborhood's driver have 2-3 buses, but wouldn't it make more sense for a few people to have 25, 50 or 100 buses? That way, they always have back up drivers and buses and a central supervisor can say, "here is your route, here are the changes for this year, this is where you need to be and when."
I grew up in Charles county, where all the buses belonged to Keller. He started out as a little company running school buses and that's all, now he has commuter buses, tour buses and the MTA contract for So. MD. All because he had his stuff together running a few school buses. Like I said before, I like my kid's bus driver, she owns 2-3 buses, but with 200 different bus contractors, like they have in St M's there are bound to be troubles. What happens when the buses break down? A lot of these people only own one bus, where do they get a replacement? I guess they borrow one from somewhere. What about maintance? Joe Farmer is your "do it yourself" mechanic. Most of them are on top of it, but some of them aren't. These folks have it tough, don't get me wrong, they're trying to make a living, but the shear logistics of organizing all these people and contracts etc. has got to be a nightmare.
You may argue that going with one big company would detract from the community. The bus drivers have been driving the same routes for years and they know their kids. My bus driver growing up, (a Keller employee) lived in my tiny rural neighborhood. She was allowed to keep her bus at her house, except for summer when it went in for maintance. She drove both the elementary school kids and the high school kids in the neighborhood (there wasn't time to drive the middle school in between the two other runs). When she died last year, the funeral was standing room only, because everyone knew and respected her.
As I understand it, the rules and contracts in St M's discourages consoladation of bus contracts and effectively makes it impossible for someone to buy up a bunch of buses and coordinate several bus routes. Some, like my neighborhood's driver have 2-3 buses, but wouldn't it make more sense for a few people to have 25, 50 or 100 buses? That way, they always have back up drivers and buses and a central supervisor can say, "here is your route, here are the changes for this year, this is where you need to be and when."
Littlegirl, if you only live 1 1/2 blocks from school, why doesn't your daughter walk home?
C, I hear ya. It's interesting to me that the school's keep getting more and more money, yet the services keep going down.
C, I hear ya. It's interesting to me that the school's keep getting more and more money, yet the services keep going down.
jlabsher
Sorry about that chief.
Even better, my 5 year old is in Kindergarden at Carver. Last year pre-K at Green Holly. Today she got on the wrong bus. Wife freaked of course and drove at breakneck speed to the school when daughter wasn't on the bus home. Got there to see her getting off the wrong bus with 3 other little kids. Bus driver said "it happens a lot." WRONG ANSWER!
Supposedly they have a system with 4th graders helping them get on the right bus. I don't want a 4th grader responsible for my daughter. Whatever happened to teachers and bus drivers ensuring kids get on the right bus? Last year she rode the bus every day with no problems, driver took care of her.
The superintendant, principal and transportation boss will be getting an earful from me tomorrow.
Supposedly they have a system with 4th graders helping them get on the right bus. I don't want a 4th grader responsible for my daughter. Whatever happened to teachers and bus drivers ensuring kids get on the right bus? Last year she rode the bus every day with no problems, driver took care of her.
The superintendant, principal and transportation boss will be getting an earful from me tomorrow.
Dymphna
Loyalty, Friendship, Love
The first day, our school bus was 45 minutes late getting home. (not much, compared to some issues others have had, I know) As I mentioned before, my kindergartener wasn't on the bus that day. I talked to a neighbor who talked to the driver. The driver said that there were some problems with kids on the wrong bus and that she refused to leave the school until all her kids were accounted for.
My kid's school, Dent, has made it the responsibility of the head secretary to keep track of kids and buses. She's done it for years and does it well. Like I said, before, I'm very happy with the school and the bus drivers there. Other schools could learn by their example.
Consider this, according to the Enterprise in an article last year, the main requirement for getting a bus contract with the Bd of Ed is that you had a contract last year or you are related to someone who had a contract last year. As a result, contracts are passed down through families. If there isn't anyone to inherit the contract and the contract holder wants to retire, they can only pass it on to a family member or someone else who has a contract. How stupid is that?
My kid's school, Dent, has made it the responsibility of the head secretary to keep track of kids and buses. She's done it for years and does it well. Like I said, before, I'm very happy with the school and the bus drivers there. Other schools could learn by their example.
Consider this, according to the Enterprise in an article last year, the main requirement for getting a bus contract with the Bd of Ed is that you had a contract last year or you are related to someone who had a contract last year. As a result, contracts are passed down through families. If there isn't anyone to inherit the contract and the contract holder wants to retire, they can only pass it on to a family member or someone else who has a contract. How stupid is that?
Believe me I understand all of the frustration that is obvious in this thread. What we need is for the SO called PROFESSIONALS to be accountable. If I were to answer to my bosses the way that these teachers and staff talk to my wife and myself, I would get fired. Simply put the Teacher hold the parents in contempt. We as parents have {in their opinion} NO CLUE. Well I say that Teachers have NO RIGHT to think this way. I spend a lot of time knowing who/what/when/where/WHY with my child. When I am treated like an IDIOT without a CLUE by these people I become outraged. AND it is no surprise that the simplest task of watching a 9 yearold for 5 hours and putting them on a bus at the end of the day is BEYOND their abilities. When I grew up we were dealt with and fell into line. My Brother and his family live in TN{Nashville area} His schools do NOT have this kind of problems. The Parents take ACTIVE roles in the school and when issues such as disipline come up there are corrective actions that are available and are used!!! So to hear that Teachers cant do this and cant do that is a bunch of BS. and nothing more than a cop out and excuse for teachers. They fall back on this line of not being able to control these kids because of the Liberal Laws. Well if the Laws are preventing a teacher from controling the students then I say we need to have those students removed from the system and let the PARENTS deal with PAYING for special schools. In conclusion, I find it a real issue when teachers find it easy to blame and disregard parents wishes, for their childs education at will as if the Parent has NO say. WHo do these education types think are paying their salries??? ANyway???? ANd No I dont think I am smarter than anyone else, just have an education. 3 Degress will not make you smart just EMPLOYABLE! 
On one of the last Post I read something to the effect of "Should they TATTO the bus number on the kids head" I would say that the SCHOOL should make this information available to the Parents. For one thing I have NOT gotten a single piece of MAIL from Park Hall about my childs requirements, and or needs. IN FACT last year I asked the Teacher why she would not EMAIL us with INFORMATION and her reply was because she DOES NOT HAVE TO> She does not get paid to keep the Parents informed and that she gives stuff to the kids WHO may or may not deliver it to the parents. When the KIDS are given rope or responsibilities such as this they often do NOT understand the importance of the papers that are distributed out to them and just chuck the papers away. This is the year 2003. When I graduated from school back in the late 70's My parents were able to call the school get the TEACHERS home phone if necessary and call them at their convience. TODAY these so called Teachers cant even communicate with the Parents lets alone TEACH a 9 year old. So What is the problem? It cant always be the childs fault. Teachers MUST take RESPONSIBILITY for their Students!!! AFter all they are supose to be the ADULTS here!!!
First of all, it's degrees. You have three degrees, not degress.
Second, you got a lot of rage.
But I feel your pain. Call the school and raise hell. I've done it numerous times on various issues. If enough parents do it, they'll straighten up their act. Now. If you really want to get tough, contact a lawyer. I hate to suggest something like that - it should always be a last resort. But it sounds like the safety of the kids is as stake.
Second, you got a lot of rage.
But I feel your pain. Call the school and raise hell. I've done it numerous times on various issues. If enough parents do it, they'll straighten up their act. Now. If you really want to get tough, contact a lawyer. I hate to suggest something like that - it should always be a last resort. But it sounds like the safety of the kids is as stake.