Retired bus driver here. Drove both types of buses, children with disabilities and the "regular" bus. Whatever you want to call it.

Your kids are jerks. That's why there is a shortage. The pay is low and depending on the bus route you get, you may not get 40 hours a week.

Driving a bus for children with disabilities is 100x harder. I've been attacked several times - bitten, slapped, pinched, spit on, oh and I have to clean up after your child pees and poops on the bus. Oh and guess what? Twice when I was attacked, I was written up for not being able to control the situation. How am I supposed to control the situation when the school gives me no power to even defend myself in those situations?

Be kind to your drivers, then maybe they'll stay but probably not because the pays sucks and your kids are jerks!

I have a friend who drove a school bus before becoming a police officer. Believe me, nobody made a peep on that bus without permission. She had the knack with kids to get them to behave (they all liked her). She also knew the school would back her up if she kicked a kid off.

There are cameras on all the buses. Admin needs to review them, but you have to put in a request to transportation services, and they only keep the recordings for a couple of days.

Anonymous wrote:Until parents teach their kids to behave, and until there are swift and certain consequences for misbehavior, the situation will not improve. Not with bus drivers. Not with teachers. The kids are out of control and the adults can’t take it anymore. No bus drivers = overcrowded and late buses. Every day since school began we’ve had buses not arrive until 30 minutes after school has started and 30 minutes after the dismissal bell at our elementary.

+1 when I taught 15 years ago kids could be removed from the bus after 3 violations. I returned a few years ago and the consequences are gone

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Until parents teach their kids to behave, and until there are swift and certain consequences for misbehavior, the situation will not improve. Not with bus drivers. Not with teachers. The kids are out of control and the adults can’t take it anymore. No bus drivers = overcrowded and late buses. Every day since school began we’ve had buses not arrive until 30 minutes after school has started and 30 minutes after the dismissal bell at our elementary.

Seems like a good opportunity to have robot teachers.

What does this even mean?

Anonymous wrote:The messaging to staff within schools is ... don't come down too hard on bad behavior, absenteeism, and/or work avoidance because that leads to drop outs in high school. Meanwhile, kids are getting a free pass and promoted to the next grade throughout ES and MS regardless of behavior, attendance, or grades ... so they don't drop out later?? Yes, people can change and we don't want to exile a child who could improve and take their education and life prospects seriously. But for the hope of those few, many ridiculous and harmful behaviors are being overlooked that harm other students - and teacher, bus drivers, IAs, etc. - who have to look the other way every day right now and deal with dangerous and disrespecful behaviors. It's insanity. -An MS teacher and ES parent, FCPS

100%!
-An ES teacher

Anonymous wrote:Until parents teach their kids to behave, and until there are swift and certain consequences for misbehavior, the situation will not improve. Not with bus drivers. Not with teachers. The kids are out of control and the adults can’t take it anymore. No bus drivers = overcrowded and late buses. Every day since school began we’ve had buses not arrive until 30 minutes after school has started and 30 minutes after the dismissal bell at our elementary.

Seems like a good opportunity to have robot teachers.

Anonymous wrote:Until parents teach their kids to behave, and until there are swift and certain consequences for misbehavior, the situation will not improve. Not with bus drivers. Not with teachers. The kids are out of control and the adults can’t take it anymore. No bus drivers = overcrowded and late buses. Every day since school began we’ve had buses not arrive until 30 minutes after school has started and 30 minutes after the dismissal bell at our elementary.

Amen to that. I'm a substitute teacher and pretty sure I won't be returning this year. It's just not worth it.

Anonymous wrote:Behavior. If you’ve never been on a school bus, even in a “good” pyramid, you will be shocked by the screaming and throwing and misbehavior.

Hours. Who wants to work a split shift that doesn’t even reach full time hours?

Pay. It’s higher elsewhere with a CDL, and you don’t have to deal with the first so things.

+1. The behavior alone should command hazard pay. I’m a teacher and have seen videos of students attempting to start fights with bus drivers, fighting with other students on the bus, throwing things at the drivers while they’re driving a bus full of kids, and screaming obscenities. This is not a situation where a second chance is warranted. Revoking bus privileges sends a strong, immediate message.

The messaging to staff within schools is ... don't come down too hard on bad behavior, absenteeism, and/or work avoidance because that leads to drop outs in high school. Meanwhile, kids are getting a free pass and promoted to the next grade throughout ES and MS regardless of behavior, attendance, or grades ... so they don't drop out later?? Yes, people can change and we don't want to exile a child who could improve and take their education and life prospects seriously. But for the hope of those few, many ridiculous and harmful behaviors are being overlooked that harm other students - and teacher, bus drivers, IAs, etc. - who have to look the other way every day right now and deal with dangerous and disrespecful behaviors. It's insanity. -An MS teacher and ES parent, FCPS

Anonymous wrote:Until parents teach their kids to behave, and until there are swift and certain consequences for misbehavior, the situation will not improve. Not with bus drivers. Not with teachers. The kids are out of control and the adults can’t take it anymore. No bus drivers = overcrowded and late buses. Every day since school began we’ve had buses not arrive until 30 minutes after school has started and 30 minutes after the dismissal bell at our elementary.

where is this weekly/monthly/annual school or fcps-wide reports measuring overcrowded & late buses?

Is there a limit by law that defines a threshold for school buses? If not, petition your legislator to set one. If so, report the overcrowded buses to the enforcement team for safety hazards (I.e. the school board)

Anonymous wrote:Behavior. If you’ve never been on a school bus, even in a “good” pyramid, you will be shocked by the screaming and throwing and misbehavior.

Hours. Who wants to work a split shift that doesn’t even reach full time hours?

Pay. It’s higher elsewhere with a CDL, and you don’t have to deal with the first so things.

Yup and these kids carry on their behaviors once they get to school too. No consequences there either. The staff on busses and in buildings are tired.

Behavior. If you’ve never been on a school bus, even in a “good” pyramid, you will be shocked by the screaming and throwing and misbehavior.

Hours. Who wants to work a split shift that doesn’t even reach full time hours?

Pay. It’s higher elsewhere with a CDL, and you don’t have to deal with the first so things.

Until parents teach their kids to behave, and until there are swift and certain consequences for misbehavior, the situation will not improve. Not with bus drivers. Not with teachers. The kids are out of control and the adults can’t take it anymore. No bus drivers = overcrowded and late buses. Every day since school began we’ve had buses not arrive until 30 minutes after school has started and 30 minutes after the dismissal bell at our elementary.

If you have a CDL you can make more money than FCPS is paying. If you enjoy driving buses, you can choose to work somewhere near to where you live. Low pay and a commute far away from any affordable housing is not going to get applicants knocking down the doors

What would you suggest needs to happen from FCPS Transportation to ensure better staffing and decreased turnover? Six years in and our elementary school bus has been overcrowded demanding 3 kids to a seat and sometimes standing room only. That being said, for the last 5 years we had a highly dependable, kind and welcoming same bus driver for our route; who we routinely provided holiday and end of year gift cards for. We are dismayed to learn he left the profession (obviously good for him and I hope he found something the he feels great about) but in the meantime we have a very inconsistent issue of busses coming late both morning and afternoon.

We’ve been told that our area (Mclean HS zone) has at least a shortage of 5 bus drivers. Our kids are literally missing the first block of the day’s education and routinely arriving 20-30min late for school. In the afternoon it takes upwards of 40mins from the time of dismissal to when they arrive home making it difficult to plan for afternoon schedules and parents/nannies standing to meet kindergarteners as required for 20 minutes or more because SOMETIMES they arrive at the designated time and if you aren’t there that day your kid is brought back to the school.

What should parents be demanding of the county/fcps and what do drivers need? In our experience the ones who stay are extremely kind and ready to help.