Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 6-year old was accepted into a MCPS magnet program about 8 miles from our home. Initially we were informed the bus would pick him up at 8:30 and then get him to school at 9:00. That sounded reasonable to us. Today we were informed that they added new stops and the pickup will now be 7:45 and he will still arrive at 9:00. Anyone else in this situation? Who should I call to complain?

Why not drive you kid in? I always just drove my child to school.

Not the OP, but there are lots of things that might make it not so simple for a person to drive their child to school -- work schedules, child care, traffic, car ownership, school location, etc.

I am at work by 7, as is my husband. We pay our nanny to be at our house early to drive our children to school.

Deal . . . Be an parent and find ways to handle logistical issues.

whining ninnies

Anonymous wrote:I am going to bother...that is what I am looking for some productive advice.

Then drive him yourself. What do you want for free?

Doesn't have to be Takoma..could be any of the language programs..

Consider it free morning care!

There is only one magnet elementary school, Takoma Primary Magnet. Language immersion schools are not magnets. So this person is coming from somewhere 8 miles from Takoma Park (Bethesda? Aspen Hill?). For a 6-year-old, I would probably take the local school over this kind of commute, or move. It's not like this is a make-or-break high school magnet opportunity.

Anonymous wrote:Drive him yourself or have him go to the local school.

+1
What you are experiencing is the downside of attending a magnet school.

I realize your kid is not special ed, but transportation in special ed causes similar issues. There is no hard cut-off about how long a ride is too long before it causes failure to provide appropriate education to a special ed student, but in general the 1 hour mark is thought to be about the max (one way), based on this, 7:45 may be just cutting it close enough by MCPS standards. (I'm assuming the bus gets to school by 8:45 am). Nonetheless, calling to complain can't do any harm, especially if you get other parents together. The worst they can say is "no change".

FWIW, this (bus routes that are adjusted so that the ride is longer) has also happened at our child's middle school magnet. I think it's short-sighted because it diminishes the diversity of students who can participate in these programs.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Riding the bus is a privilege, not a right. If you don't like the bus route, make your own arrangements to get your child to and from school. There are many public districts in the country that do not provide free transportation to and from school.

I'm disturbed by this answer. Failing to provide transportation unfairly disadvantages poor children, children of working parents, and others who don't have the resources you might. Even though these are "magnet" programs, the children of single, poor or two-working parent families should still have equal access to these programs. Having open admissions but not providing transportation is, IMO, just another way of segregating.

They do have access. The bus is free. It's just not fast enough for OP's liking. Let's not make this about something else.

Agree with the fact that the bus is really a privilege. They ARE providing a bus. OP just isn't happy with the route. That's fine, but then she can choose to drive her kid herself, find someone to carpool with, or just suck it up. Most schools have before care - just drop the kid off early, before you go to work, OP.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 6-year old was accepted into a MCPS magnet program about 8 miles from our home. Initially we were informed the bus would pick him up at 8:30 and then get him to school at 9:00. That sounded reasonable to us. Today we were informed that they added new stops and the pickup will now be 7:45 and he will still arrive at 9:00. Anyone else in this situation? Who should I call to complain?

Why not drive you kid in? I always just drove my child to school.

Not the OP, but there are lots of things that might make it not so simple for a person to drive their child to school -- work schedules, child care, traffic, car ownership, school location, etc.

*your

Anonymous wrote:My 6-year old was accepted into a MCPS magnet program about 8 miles from our home. Initially we were informed the bus would pick him up at 8:30 and then get him to school at 9:00. That sounded reasonable to us. Today we were informed that they added new stops and the pickup will now be 7:45 and he will still arrive at 9:00. Anyone else in this situation? Who should I call to complain?

Why not drive you kid in? I always just drove my child to school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Riding the bus is a privilege, not a right. If you don't like the bus route, make your own arrangements to get your child to and from school. There are many public districts in the country that do not provide free transportation to and from school.

I'm disturbed by this answer. Failing to provide transportation unfairly disadvantages poor children, children of working parents, and others who don't have the resources you might. Even though these are "magnet" programs, the children of single, poor or two-working parent families should still have equal access to these programs. Having open admissions but not providing transportation is, IMO, just another way of segregating.

They do have access. The bus is free. It's just not fast enough for OP's liking. Let's not make this about something else.

Anonymous wrote:Riding the bus is a privilege, not a right. If you don't like the bus route, make your own arrangements to get your child to and from school. There are many public districts in the country that do not provide free transportation to and from school.

I'm disturbed by this answer. Failing to provide transportation unfairly disadvantages poor children, children of working parents, and others who don't have the resources you might. Even though these are "magnet" programs, the children of single, poor or two-working parent families should still have equal access to these programs. Having open admissions but not providing transportation is, IMO, just another way of segregating.

Yes..but OP does not live in one of those districts and was told the bus ride would be a certain length and worked that in to her day..then it was more than doubled with little notice. That is the issue. My children's ride (to a neighborhood school) was once considerably lengthened to accomodate a requested drop off at a daycare center which was outside of the school boundaries. When parents complained and asked that the new stop at least be at the end rather than the beginning, they chanced it back for us..

Riding the bus is a privilege, not a right. If you don't like the bus route, make your own arrangements to get your child to and from school. There are many public districts in the country that do not provide free transportation to and from school.