Help--another school situation--need to write letter!!

[tw1nsmom]

I think you're overreacting a little bit. I obviously didn't read the memo the school sent, but I have a feeling they aren't talking about kids who are signed out by their parents and walked home (I understood you to say that this is what you already do).

The new policy sounds like a good one for the kids who are walking home without adult supervision. Before you got too upset, I would just pleasantly let the school lknow that you would like to sign your children out at dismissal and walk them home yourself.

 

[taximomfor4]

Our school started doing this several years ago. No crossing guards anymore...the police department used to train and hire them. They revamped the busing so that they are calling the buses, loading them, and leaving within 5-10 minutes. My kids are only 4 blocks away and within a couple of weeks, were home within 10 minutes of the end-of-day bell. They don't let walkers leave until after the buses go because they want the walkers to be as safe as possible. It is hard to see children around buses, so they are minimizing it, I would bet. I would wait and see...it very well might work out like it did here. I would let my walker-children be at school an extra 5-10 minutes if it means they are safer while walking.

Beth

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Just want to add we have paid crossing guards all over the place. More kids walk home than ride the bus here in Texas!!!

DD's elementary school here in Texas has only 4 buses as opposed to our prior school in Missouri which had at least 15+.

All schools we have been through always dismissed walkers last.

This is not something you will win from a "legal" standpoint. I would just sign her out like you always do.

 

[Hedy]

when our school changed policies like with things like this, you know what we did? we had our kids follow the school's policy.

jail, hostages, holy cow. let's overreact a bit, and do it in front of the kids so that they realize if they don't like rules or policies, fight em.

become an advocate for what...school walkers. malcontents.

do you guys always look for fights?

Agreed.

 

[Talking Hands]

As a parent you have the right to sign your kids out.
45 minutes to get all the buses on the way is ridiculous. The school I am at has approximately 20 buses for ESE students, none for regular ed. We have the kids gone within 15 minutes of dismissal and teachers are free to leave at 3:20pm. If parents haven't picked up the kids and they are not walkers the security guard gathers them all at the front of the school and 3:15 and at 3:20 they are taken to the office to wait.
Also the regular ed kids exit the front of the building and the ESE buses pick up and deliver at a side entrance at the ESE building and the kids are supervised by teachers and paras at the bus ramp.

 

[CEDmom]

At my DD's old school (we just moved) walkers were always dismissed last. They started with the aftercare kids, then called each bus one at a time and then did the walkers (many didn't walk but were picked up by someone). It was probably 20 min. from when the care kids were called until when the walkers were dismissed. The reason for this was that walkers were taken to a side door for dismissal and teachers couldn't leave bus kids to do this.

I doubt they'll be held prisoner. Likely they'll get a chance to start on homework or do some reading or just talk to their friends. This wouldn't be a battle I'd bother fighting.

For what it's worth my DD LOVED being a walker because it meant spending more time with her teacher. Most young child aren't going to be phased by this is the least. It's just part of the routine.

 

[AC7179]

I would just pick them up at Parent Pickup.
Sounds like rules are for kids who are walking by themselves.

 

[Wishing on a star]

Me again,

First, here where I live, parent-pick-up always get dismissed first!!!! The parents are all lined up in the lanes waiting long before the bell rings. I cannot see how most schools do it any other way. These are non-working parents who are waiting for their kids. Why make them wait so that buses with lots of latchkey kids get home first?

Second, children are NOT allowed to walk, for safety reasons. What happens after a parent picks them up is not the schools concern. I think that the OP should simply pick up her children after school.

Third, I am the one who coined the term 'hostage' Let me tell you why. The prev. poster is correct. Teachers would NEVER fall for remaining in their classroom working and being responsible for kids for an extra hour every day. Not in their contract. The kids are corralled in the gym. The teachers are not required to be present) I always said that the people in this rural county think you handle kids the way you do cattle. (principal was actually a farmer) That is not education, that is crowd control. And, it is true that being confined 'corralled' somewhere and not being allowed to leave is the definition of the word 'hostage'.

And, I am also the one who used the word 'advocate'. I was advising the OP to be an advocate for maintaining crossing guards!!!!! (not a bunch of legal parents-rights BS) NO way should any young child be allowed to walk home at all if there are no crossing guards and school staff on duty.

To the OP, I am sorry that you are angry. But, everyone here is right. Many schools will not allow children to leave school grounds unnattended. That is just a fact of life. I would not want my DS walking two blocks every day by himself. Heck, his bus stop is up the street. About one block... I usually pick him up at the bus stop!

 

[HappyDznyCamper]

Me again,

First, here where I live, parent-pick-up always get dismissed first!!!! The parents are all lined up in the lanes waiting long before the bell rings. I cannot see how most schools do it any other way. These are non-working parents who are waiting for their kids. Why make them wait so that buses with lots of latchkey kids get home first?

Not all or, in my area even most, elem.schools bus riders are latch key, most are met by parents at the bus stop. At my kids elem. school dismissal is busses in the back and day care vans in front, then car riders(front and back) and lastly walker/bike rider(front and back). My son got to be a safety patrol fill in last year(when 5th grade was away) he walked with the front walkers to "help" the teacher escorting them to the edge of school property, I was able to pick him up about 20min after the final bell rang in the afternoon. Give your school a few weeks to work out the kinks you may find it is really ne big deal.

As far as "hostages" go my middle schooler would probably agree with that description. There are not enough busses so some busses make 2 runs, she was on one of those second loads and had to stay at school for 30 min until the bus came back for her route, I always thought it was a good time to get started on homework.

 

[ckmommy]

I just got off the phone with one of the administrators at the school. I asked if the hiker bikers with parents waiting would have to wait for all the buses to be off school propertry to be dismisseed? I was told no. All the hikers bikers would be dismissed to a halway to wait after the day care students were dismissed. If a parent or gaurdian was waiting, the student would be ismissed right then. IF NO parent or guardian was there, the student would have tro wait for all of the buses to be gone. So, it is really not different for my kids than last year because I will be there to meet them everyday.

Thanks for the replies. I was definatly not looking for a fight or to be called any names today, just looking for a little bit of advice for writing a letter--which i did not need. I am sorry some people took my thread the wrong way.

 

[shortbun]

Why in the WOrLD does it take them so long to load the buses? I drive a school bus and we leave our schools 5 minutes after the bell rings. All the kids move quickly to their buses and we're off. Seriously, 5 minutes. The elementary I drove in and out of last year had 14 buses picking up. 30-45 minutes is ridiculous!

 

[DizBelle]

--I know this is nothing I can do anything about, but why is there district transportation to houses 2 blocks from school. There is a huge probelm with childhood obesity--why discourage walking to those that live VERY close to school.

Because if they didn't provide transportation and a child was essentially "forced" to walk to school and something happened to that child while they were walking to or from school, the school would be sued and might be held liable. It's probably cheaper to offer bus service than to risk a lawsuit.

 

[California Girl]

Me again,

First, here where I live, parent-pick-up always get dismissed first!!!! The parents are all lined up in the lanes waiting long before the bell rings. I cannot see how most schools do it any other way. These are non-working parents who are waiting for their kids. Why make them wait so that buses with lots of latchkey kids get home first?

Second, children are NOT allowed to walk, for safety reasons. What happens after a parent picks them up is not the schools concern. I think that the OP should simply pick up her children after school.

Third, I am the one who coined the term 'hostage' Let me tell you why. The prev. poster is correct. Teachers would NEVER fall for remaining in their classroom working and being responsible for kids for an extra hour every day. Not in their contract. The kids are corralled in the gym. The teachers are not required to be present) I always said that the people in this rural county think you handle kids the way you do cattle. (principal was actually a farmer) That is not education, that is crowd control. And, it is true that being confined 'corralled' somewhere and not being allowed to leave is the definition of the word 'hostage'.

And, I am also the one who used the word 'advocate'. I was advising the OP to be an advocate for maintaining crossing guards!!!!! (not a bunch of legal parents-rights BS) NO way should any young child be allowed to walk home at all if there are no crossing guards and school staff on duty.

To the OP, I am sorry that you are angry. But, everyone here is right. Many schools will not allow children to leave school grounds unnattended. That is just a fact of life. I would not want my DS walking two blocks every day by himself. Heck, his bus stop is up the street. About one block... I usually pick him up at the bus stop!

me again.

who are you to lump all teachers together?

i know hundreds of teachers who work well beyond their school day for no extra money. why so bitter?

how can you possibly know every school situation in the entire us?

what does a rural school with a farmer principal have to do with the OP's situation. your choice of words, hostage, now cattle, is inflammatory (that means it makes people angry) but then you don't seem to get along too well with anyone.... mil, teachers, men, drs.

 

[Wishing on a star]

Glad it all worked out with one phone call!!!

 

[bigmerle1966]

Why in the WOrLD does it take them so long to load the buses? I drive a school bus and we leave our schools 5 minutes after the bell rings. All the kids move quickly to their buses and we're off. Seriously, 5 minutes. The elementary I drove in and out of last year had 14 buses picking up. 30-45 minutes is ridiculous!

I think it really depends on the school and how it is situated. We have schools here in our county that are set in such a way that all of the buses don't fit in the parking lot in front of the school and have to wait out on the road. They can't load up until they are in front of the school. I work for a child care program that is in the schools and at one of them, if you don't get there by a certain time you can't get up the street.

 

[Wheels Up]

Actually the school has the authority to do whatever it wants. It is a legal entity, it collects taxes and makes laws.

Just catching up on my reading, but it appears you need to do some reading, as well. Schools are not legal entities. While they are funded by tax dollars, they do not collect them, nor do they make laws. See also: State Legislature, Department of Education, and Common Sense 101.

 

[disykat]

Amazing how a simple phone call often solves what looks like a problem. I'm glad it worked out for you.