Anonymous wrote:I'm in Fairfax County, but our school PTA, not the school system, pays for the buses for field trips.

maybe your PTA could donate a bus for this school in SE. Do you have any clue how many of the children in SE live in poverty?

The charter bus system is a total racket.

Anonymous wrote:As a teacher, I do think there should be money in the school system for field trip buses. You do not need to maintain a fleet of buses. There are many companies that will contract specifically for field trips. Whether the money comes from the PA or the system, having a charter bus option (now many are available with seat belts) is often the safest. I agree that using city transport is fun and educational and I do use the public buses at times with student groups. However, can you imagine having those cute pre-K students trapped on the Green Line for two hours or thrown from escalators at L'Enfant Plaza? Or having their cute little shoelaces, jacket ties or fingers sucked into the escalator works? Metro has become way too unreliable, and some children are too small for some kinds of travel. without one to one adult care. And in certain parts of our city public buses are being pelted with rocks by disgruntled teens. These public options shouldn't be the only go to. Getting out on field trips is an important part of education, and access and safety should be the deciding factors for mode of transport.

Oh please. Metro is so reliable that millions of people use it every day. You're either being alarmist or ridiculous.

Anonymous wrote:I'm in Fairfax County, but our school PTA, not the school system, pays for the buses for field trips.

Irrelevant. 1. FFX students may come into DC, because it is where everything is. DC students aren't going to FFX County, so they don't need to go very far. 2. We have lots of public transportation options in the city,we don't need school buses when everything is already accessible anyway.

As a teacher, I do think there should be money in the school system for field trip buses. You do not need to maintain a fleet of buses. There are many companies that will contract specifically for field trips. Whether the money comes from the PA or the system, having a charter bus option (now many are available with seat belts) is often the safest. I agree that using city transport is fun and educational and I do use the public buses at times with student groups. However, can you imagine having those cute pre-K students trapped on the Green Line for two hours or thrown from escalators at L'Enfant Plaza? Or having their cute little shoelaces, jacket ties or fingers sucked into the escalator works? Metro has become way too unreliable, and some children are too small for some kinds of travel. without one to one adult care. And in certain parts of our city public buses are being pelted with rocks by disgruntled teens. These public options shouldn't be the only go to. Getting out on field trips is an important part of education, and access and safety should be the deciding factors for mode of transport.

Lots of six-figure salaries for Kaya's gang or buses?

Anonymous wrote:I was miffed to find out that DCPS students have to use METRO bus and subway for class outings. I saw kids as young as 4 or 5 ,on the train going to GW Univ from SE. Is there money, in the school budget that allow the schools at least one use of a bus for field trip?

How do you think most kids get to school in the morning? School buses are really expensive. Think if it this way, with limited dollars, you need to make a choice.
Pick 1: Books or bus?
Pick 1: New fitness equipment or bus?
Pick 1: Nurse or bus?

I'm in Fairfax County, but our school PTA, not the school system, pays for the buses for field trips.

Anonymous wrote:Cute pre-k'ers is one thing, but a rambunctious pre-teen is whole different thing. I guess the flourescent green vest would look cute on a middle schooler.

Well they'd look even better at the Great Apes exhibit at the zoo, but we can't just park them there until they're older and expect them to turn into civilized beings.

Cute pre-k'ers is one thing, but a rambunctious pre-teen is whole different thing. I guess the flourescent green vest would look cute on a middle schooler.

Plus, they're always so cute.

I've seen lots of little kids on public transportation, Metro and Metrobus. They're often wearing matching school shirts and lanyards and such.

I think it's a pretty neat part of living in the city; learning to successfully navigate it at a young age strikes me as useful.

Growing up in the City, I was used to catching public transportation. It can be an adventure unless you chaperoning 40 plus 9-11 year olds through the city and then it becomes nerve wrecking. Just wait Young Jedi. Lol!

My preschooler's class uses Metro bus and subway and LOVES it. Such an adventure for the class -- the usually think Metro is more exciting than the destination. And there are plenty of teachers and parent chaperones to keep an eye on them.

I was miffed to find out that DCPS students have to use METRO bus and subway for class outings. I saw kids as young as 4 or 5 ,on the train going to GW Univ from SE. Is there money, in the school budget that allow the schools at least one use of a bus for field trip?