Children are not 'precious cargo'
Photo by James Kraemer, 2safeschools.org. May be used for public service use in flyers, the press and noncommercial educational use. May not be sold without permission from the author. Contact Address: [email protected]. Graphic Previews: (Click Here) |
Topic: School Bus Safety
"It's frustrating," said a Knox County school bus driver Donna McMahan, who also maintains a Web site promoting school bus safety. "You write them up but the principals take weeks and weeks to do anything, or they don't do anything at all. Your hands are tied." ~ Quote from: "Knox County driver hopes incident promotes school bus safety," By Lola Alapo, Knoxville News Sentinel
School bus drivers hopeful public awareness helps promote school bus safety
2safeschools Note: This article by James Kraemer (2safeschools.org) presents school bus drivers issues that too often contribute to frustration on the job and excessive attrition. None of the information in this article should be considered a substitute for legal or medical professional care or any of the services provided from those professions.
The Nation - It is well known, at least within the school bus industry, that a chronic school bus driver shortage has existed for at least a decade. This shortage of qualified school bus drivers persists and regardless of economic conditions and varying workforce availability within many communities.
Some experts� claim it is the stress of dealing with, "certain students," that makes bus drivers leave the profession. However, school bus drivers claim it is the stress of dealing with certain students and with certain adults day-in and day-out and with no relief in sight. School bus drivers everyday deal with threats to the safety of the children they transport, as well as threats to their own safety from some children and also from some parents.
One issue that stands out but is rarely given much study in the press concerns a chronic lack of effective school bus driver support at problem school bus transportation facilities.
Public neglect for the safety of children riding on the school buses and the decent treatment of their school bus drivers would be unacceptable were it not the state doing it. (This Report Continues - Click here for complete article)
The Seven Highly Effective Steps to Keeping Your Child Safe
School bus safety information for parents is covered in this free 3-fold MS word template that can be customized to fit your policies. Take the short survey and order the free template with our thanks for helping keep children safe. Link to survey |
More free bus safety resources - Click Here. Public Comments | Letter To Editor | Discuss in the forums | Survey .
Featured School Bus Driver Website
"Some say that it takes a special kind of person to do this job. I say I am thankful there are so many of us!" ~ Donna McMahan Donna McMahan has driven the same school bus for thirteen years. "It began as a part time job that gave us more cash and allowed me to still be a full time mother and teacher to our three homeschooled children. Now it is a second job and just part of my life." McMahan's Web site presents information to parents, then moves on to some excellent child safety content and a need to show pride in following the bus rules: "Show your Pride it's more than a Free Ride!" McMahan's Web site presents a variety of tips covering school bus safety education to children, parents and schools. A sober school bus driver that believes, "We can be SAFE..... and still have FUN! Click Here for Featured Website) | Public Comments | Letter To Editor | Discuss in the forums
Featured Bus Safety Program: The Peaceful School Bus
This program works as a stand-alone or a whole-school program that's designed to decrease inappropriate behavior on buses while creating a climate of respect and cooperation. Teachers, administrators, parents, and students take part in school bus route group meetings. At these meetings the students
1.) Take part in team-building exercises
2.) Develop mentoring relationships by pairing older students with younger students on the bus
3.) Talk about bullying - and what behavior is and is not acceptable
4.) Get to personally know their driver, who is present at the meetings:
In a nutshell: The Peaceful School Bus Program is a stand-alone or whole-school program designed to decrease inappropriate behavior on school buses while creating a climate of respect and cooperation. The adults in school take the primary responsibility of educating and training students in the program so students can, in turn, act responsibly on school buses when staff members are not present. The Peaceful School Bus Program is neither a discipline program, nor is it training for school bus drivers. The program aims to change the social dynamics on the school bus by building strong, positive relationships among students (and the bus driver) and teaching students to take responsibility for their "bus route group" and what happens on the bus. This program can be implemented as a stand-alone program but would be even more effective as a supplement to a whole school bullying prevention or violence prevention program. Click here for Website
For Kids: Report a School Bully. | For Employees: Report a Workplace Bully.
Public Comments | Letter To Editor | Discuss workplace bullying in the forums
Help keep school bus safety alive all year long
Know of an exceptional school bus related story in your part of the woods (U.S. and elsewhere)? Does your pen beg you o write one? Drop us a note with a link to the story or send us your story. Feature Story to Editor. Public Comments | Discuss in the forums | Survey.
Help Promote bus safety knowledge
Would you like your website considered for our Featured Website story or know of an excellent website produced by a school bus driver or school bus transportation Department? Does the Website include images from our on-line Free Photo Library or from our School Bus Safety CD Photo Library? If so, please tell us so we can tell others - thousands of others. about your webpage/website Letter to Editor | Public Comments | Discuss in the forums | Survey.
Coby Handheld Players
Bus Safety Pocket Video Players
Pocket video players have become an inexpensive and useful school bus safety tool. Kids love watching these small handheld devices while riding the school bus. Some units, like some of Coby's pocket iPod style players can be purchased for under $50.00 providing 2-gigabites or more of flash memory video storage viewed on a bright 1.66-inch TFT color LCD display. Although the bright 1.66 display is adequate, Coby�s pocket players are available with up to 3" screen displays. Earlier Coby models, such as the Coby's MP-C7085, cost even less, provides 1-gigibite of mp3 music/audio and video storage but are a little more complicated at converting video to compatible files and loading the player. Click the following link for Coby's products page | See the "Thumbs up' stop bullying information panel near the bottom of this page for some free download videos. Tell us what you think - Public Comments | Letter To Editor | Discuss in the forums | Survey. Also visit our archived article covering small DVD players Capturing Kids Attention
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New
CD
Packed with
info |
Providing safe transportation A new CD from 2safeschools is now packed with over 1000 files covering a wide variety of school bus and bus stop safety information. This CD provides solid information and training ideas to help the school bus driver provide safe, calm environments on the school bus. Over 200 free photos included on this CD along with several video previews covering student behavior issues, crossings, mirror checks and much more. Click here for more information.
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The
Observer�
School Bus Video Observation System (analog and digital) Click Here to visit the
website
Free Booklet
James Kraemer, author of the pending book, "Dangerous school buses," has
put together excerpts into a free booklet (PDF format) titled, "Death at the school bus stop." Right
click here (save target as...) to download your free template, courtesy First Coast
Community. |
Thumbs
Up!
Stop Bullying Now
|
Website with free video downloads "Take a Stand, Lend a Hand - Stop Bullying
Now," is the theme of this 'stop bullying' website From the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, Health Resources and Services Administration. This government library website
designed for children and teens offers resources for recognizing and preventing bullying, which can
take the form of physical, verbal, and emotional abuse, and "cyber-bullying" .Features games,
webisodes, and other resources for youth, and a section for families and educators. Includes free
video downloads - Stop Bullying Now
Website
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SPIDER-MAN
Critical Review
Target: Middle School to
Adult. | The Spider-Man movie opening scene
includes a school bus scene adequate for school bus student safe practices discussion. The scene
has been digitized in wmv/flv formats and includes slides for classroom discussion. Included on
2safeschools school bus safety CD, the review can be viewed in Internet format by Clicking Here. |
Free
death at the school bus stop Slide Presentation and Booklet templates.
After viewing these presentations, please click here to give your
comments.
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Adult To
Adult
The School Bus - Safety Ignored
In some countries there are no enforced transportation standards, other than what nature provides.
Death is a common standard nature provides. Click here
for story.
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