Get Schooled

By jim d

August 11, 2008 7:54 AM | Link to this

Nope, Those parents that find putting their kid on the bus detrimental, will continue to provide their transportation.

Can’t say as I blame them!

By Tony

August 11, 2008 11:10 AM | Link to this

I wish more parents would put kids on the bus!!! We have way too many car riders. To top it off, all these parents want short lines and quick service. We have more tempers flare during drop-off and pick-up times because of impatient parents than you would believe. We have even had parents complain to the board of education because “the line is too long!” Yet, the same parents refuse to have the kids ride the bus and they refuse to leave from home five minutes earlier in the mornings to miss the rush. When walking past all the waiting cars I was dumbfounded at how many were idling with windows DOWN!!! as they waited for dismissal.

Go figure!

By decaturparent

August 11, 2008 12:40 PM | Link to this

Well, part of the problem with buses around here is that they pick up in the morning before 7:00 A.M. That’s just too early for us. Re the carpool rage. I wouldn’t know about that b/c most kids (including mine) walk or bike to school around here.

If school systems would return to the neighborhood school concept, we’d have cleaner air, healthier (and better behaved) kids and a lot fewer stressed out parents.

By Pjj3

August 11, 2008 12:44 PM | Link to this

In the rural district where my child attends elementary school, students in all grade levels ride the same bus. This is a recipe for disaster in terms of exposing younger children to inappropriate language, behavior, etc. not to mention the potential for physical harm. The routes are also extremely long; sometimes as long as an hour. As long as I can provide transportation, I will choose to do so. I am quite willing to sit in the pick-up line as long as necessary to provide a safe ride for my child.

By Stacey

August 11, 2008 1:10 PM | Link to this

I suspect a lot of kids will start riding the bus after the first few days of school. Last year and the year before, I took my son to school the first week because he had so many supplies to take. This year I took all of his supplies with me to open house so he was able to board the bus on the first day with just his lunch box and an empty book bag. The told me at open house what time the bus would be at the bus stop and when we arrived five minutes early, the bus was pulling up to the curb. Thursday I was running behind so he missed the bus and I had to take him. Friday we got there at the same time as before (five minutes before scheduled pickup time) and the bus was already pulling off so I had to drop him off again. He caught the bus today though she was early today, too. I will just make sure his is there at 7:05 every morning though his designated pickup time is 7:12. I do drive him to the bus stop because I am leaving for work at that time anyway.

By happybusparent

August 11, 2008 1:16 PM | Link to this

My kids ride the bus because we live far, far out in the nice quiet rural parts of far suburban Atlanta. The school population out here makes riding the bus fun for my kids and as safe as riding a bus can be.

Some years back we lived briefly in an inner suburb of Atlanta. The schools and the buses were filled with our future jail population. I wouldn’t have let my children ride those buses to school for any reason. If riding the bus had been my only alternative at the time, I would have homeschooled them first.

Safety is the bottom line. Posters always say that parents should make their kids ride the bus to school. I imagine many of those posters wouldn’t think of putting their children or themselves on Marta or a public bus in the city. Unfortunately, for many school systems, there isn’t a lot of difference.

By catlady

August 11, 2008 4:39 PM | Link to this

I have “out front duty” and I have seen no “drop off” in students riding in cars. There are way too many inattentive, self-absorbed, speeding drivers, however, on the cell phones, signing agendas, and eating breakfast. There will be a terrible accident one day. It does not help that two schools are side by side and there is no traffic light and only intermittent police directing traffic.

My children rode the bus a few times but after my son had a knife put to his throat and the admin refused to put the boy with the knife off the bus (much less out of school) as per no tolerance rules because they “wanted someone in his family to graduate from high school”, I gave it up. Our county puts all grades on the same bus also. (The boy with the knife dropped out soon after, making it zero for 18 with his family and a H S dipoma).

Unless your school system has an excellent record of handling bus misbehavior, I would NEVER use the bus. Our school system makes too many excuses for inexcusable behavior.

By TheBlogger

August 11, 2008 7:37 PM | Link to this

I don’t believe that all students should ride school buses. Those that live within a mile should walk! All others should ride the bus.

Riding the bus helps reduce pollution and traffic. Children have the opportunity to socialize before and after school on the bus - thus possibly reducing the need for it during classes where they should be learning content. Even if is a long bus ride, what’s the harm? The children need to rush home to play video games? At least they can possibly do homework or study on the bus ride!

Walking should be preferred when ever possible. This will help reduce child obesity and allow kids to exercise a bit. It is funny to me how the parents that scream for more “recess” or “PE” are usually the very ones that drive their own kid to school a few blocks in their SUV.

Riding the bus is the same as the issue of public vs. private school. When the “well behaved” children are taken out of the bus by their parents, guess who is left in the bus? Sure, every one of us can share a bus horror story, but what’s the point? Learning to live with others and learning how to handle a variety of situations is part of growing up.

catlady You gave up too quickly. I fault you for not pressing the administration to do the right thing. You should have taken it to the Board of Education. When you back down like that, you hand over the power to the administration that obviously has no backbone.

And, to answer anyone’s questions about me. Yes, I car pool to work. Yes, I take the MARTA train to the airport. Yes, I take the MARTA bus to the mall. And, I have a wonderful scooter to go to the grocery store (I can haul 4 bags of groceries!).

By youhavetobekidding

August 11, 2008 10:59 PM | Link to this

Sure everyone of us can share a horror story, but what’s the point. … what’s the harm?

The point is that the buses are loaded with thugs and ho’s who will attack (harm) our children at will. They have no respect for rules, no concern for the safety and well being of others, and no respect for the authority that will ultimately NOT punish their behavior because their crazy thug parents will threaten to sue or whatever it is they do that makes the schools fear them so.

Consequently the thug children are all animals who know they will receive little or no punishment and have no remorse for their actions. Maybe you are willing to sacrifice your children’s safety for some sort of greater good in having all kinds of children ride the bus, but I am not. My sweet, well behaved children will get a safe ride to and from school. The thug children can fight it out on the bus.

Congratulations on your wonderful scooter—-ridiculous… .

By food for thought

August 13, 2008 4:49 PM | Link to this

Are more kids riding the bus? One less now - the one who got stabbed with the pencil.

By parent

August 13, 2008 9:13 PM | Link to this

Exactly! Why has that stabbing not generated more comments on this topic? Where is the outrage?