Older people don't want to be bus drivers because the kids are not well behaved. My kids were both bus patrols and some of the stories they would tell me about how some kids behaved badly on the bus were just nuts. Throwing things, cursing the bus driver en route, threatening other students, stealing, and on and on. It's not the pay, it's the behavior of the students. There isn't enough money to make older people take on that level of liability.

Anonymous wrote:I can't believe so many people in this thread, when given a choice between central office admins who don't see a kid all day and bus drivers, choose the central office. My kid's a walker by the way.

Exactly. I would choose literally anything (more band instruments, more art supplies, more lunch staff...ANYTHING) over central office staff.

Anonymous wrote:It's so trashy when white people try to use "equity" and low-income POC as tools for their self-interests. Try to be a little less racist, OP.

You seem to assume OP works for the Democratic Party. Why?

I can't believe so many people in this thread, when given a choice between central office admins who don't see a kid all day and bus drivers, choose the central office. My kid's a walker by the way.

Sorry OP, but there are tons of middle school kids (including my own) walking over a mile to school in Arlington and they are just fine. We are 1.2 miles away, up and over a fairly big hill. I tell her that she will be able to tell her kids that she walked to school uphill both ways. I only drive my kid to school if they need to take something heavy with them, which is RARE. Does she complain sometimes? Sure, but that's what middle schoolers do. If kids have enough energy to run around soccer fields for hours at a time, they have enough energy to walk a mile to school. You mention safety - are there sidewalks? Have you taught your kid how to cross a a street, use crosswalks, look out for traffic, walk as far from the edge of the road as possible?

Anonymous wrote:Equity should be trading in one of those many six-figured central office people in for two, maybe even three, fairly paid bus drivers. The boundary changes in APS are about that, aren’t they? Let’s be honest: they can’t find drivers because they don’t pay them well. We’re over a mile from the school now, and I’m not keen on my eleven-year-old doing the walk alone. It’s a safety issue. There are no other kids that live near us, so I will drive her.

However, even further away are the kids in the apartments, and I know for a fact that some of their parents don’t have cars. I’m angry for them. All this talk about equity, and what has it gotten them? Lots of central office staff and no busses for their kids.

Maybe your daughter can wait for the farther-out apartment kids to make it to her and walk with them. Or get a ride from someone else who drives.
Not one single other middle schooler anywhere near you? Really? Define "near," please.

Why can't she bike?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's so trashy when white people try to use "equity" and low-income POC as tools for their self-interests. Try to be a little less racist, OP.

Well to be fair it's only trashy white people who even bother to try and use equity issues and discuss them. I have never seen or heard any POC people pushing for change. There is even a group called Black parents of Arlington but the only thing they have ever done is published a letter way too late about some change and how it would negatively impact POC students - and they were right and it was good they published a letter. But it would be nice to see them do much more and push way more. They should come up with Saturday schools' like parents do in Fairfax county.

Yep. Only trashy white people care about poverty and injustice. Gives them a redeeming quality.

Anonymous wrote:It's so trashy when white people try to use "equity" and low-income POC as tools for their self-interests. Try to be a little less racist, OP.

Well to be fair it's only trashy white people who even bother to try and use equity issues and discuss them. I have never seen or heard any POC people pushing for change. There is even a group called Black parents of Arlington but the only thing they have ever done is published a letter way too late about some change and how it would negatively impact POC students - and they were right and it was good they published a letter. But it would be nice to see them do much more and push way more. They should come up with Saturday schools' like parents do in Fairfax county.

Anonymous wrote:We have a bus to MS and the vast majority of middle schoolers in our neighborhood chose to bike or walk to MS. We are 1.9 miles. Kids are too cool for the bus I guess.

My daughter's favorite thing about middle school was not having to ride the bus anymore!

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Anonymous wrote:Equity should be trading in one of those many six-figured central office people in for two, maybe even three, fairly paid bus drivers. The boundary changes in APS are about that, aren’t they? Let’s be honest: they can’t find drivers because they don’t pay them well. We’re over a mile from the school now, and I’m not keen on my eleven-year-old doing the walk alone. It’s a safety issue. There are no other kids that live near us, so I will drive her.

However, even further away are the kids in the apartments, and I know for a fact that some of their parents don’t have cars. I’m angry for them. All this talk about equity, and what has it gotten them? Lots of central office staff and no busses for their kids.

I support you OP. Spend money where it matters. Having people going around shouting equity makes no difference unless there is a direct impact on students.

Do you have any evidence that students at the apartment building OP mentioned have higher rates of absenteeism or lower academic performance due to the distance they have to walk to school? If not, then that’s not a great place to start addressing equity concerns.

OP fails to consider that, if the apartment dwellers don't have cars, they're used to getting places without cars -- by taking public transit, bicycling, scootering, or even walking. I'll bet the car-less apartment dwellers are not complaining about having to walk a mile to school nearly as much as OP is.

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Ahh…yes. The “they’re used to eating SH!!t so they’re better at it” argument.

That’s some equity right there.

You have offered zero evidence that walk zones impact student outcomes. Until you do that, your argument is worthless.

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It's pouring rain outside. The students who walked a mile in the rain are certainly less fresh for starting the day than the dry student who was bused from their front lawn.

The same could be said for kids who walked a quarter mile. Or for the kids who had to wait 10 min at a bus stop a block away from the houses. Are you really trying to argue that equity dictates every student must be picked up right at their front door regardless of how close they live to the school because of rain?

Don't forget about the kids waiting at the bus stop for the bus that never comes. Or the bus that's 20 minutes late and gets them to school late.

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Anonymous wrote:APS now offers free public transit passes for the ARTBus for middle and high school students. I would look into that. I don't think a mile is too far for an 11 year old, but learning to take public transit might be a great way to reduce future car reliance.

Additionally, I was recently speaking to some HS students I tutor and they were telling me that even though they have access to the bus from their school, both to and from school, there are days where there are so many kids waiting for the bus, kids are left behind. That in the AM, another bus comes quick enough, but in the PM, they are left waiting up to 40 minutes for the bus to get them home. So we do need more drivers, but I'm hoping these new bus passes help.

Just curious, how far alone does your 11 year old have to walk to school?

Not the person you're asking, but:
We lived .9 miles to elementary school - technically walk zone; but got a bus because of a very major road that had to be crossed by very young kids and you're not going to send buses for only the K-3rd graders.
An 11 year old is older and the walk zone increases accordingly, as it will again for your 14 y/o 9th grader. They can walk, they can bike, they can find a public bus route that eventually gets them there (though I'd think walking would be far safer). Our middle schoolers walked about .7mile. Others, including friends of our kids, walked a 1.5-2m because they lived on the very edge of the walk zone, even though the neighborhood's bus stop was literally one block away from their house. Others were driven by parents - hence the drop-off lines/zones established at every school. LOTS of them rode their bikes.
Now, we fortunately live just inside the high school bus zone; but we see kids the next neighborhood over walking hilly routes in all kinds of weather carrying instruments and sports equipment to and from the school. Another family we know had a daughter bicycling with lacross sticks and everything else needed for school almost 2 miles.
At what point do you believe it's ok for a person to have some responsibility and not be 100% taken care of?

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Anonymous wrote:Equity should be trading in one of those many six-figured central office people in for two, maybe even three, fairly paid bus drivers. The boundary changes in APS are about that, aren’t they? Let’s be honest: they can’t find drivers because they don’t pay them well. We’re over a mile from the school now, and I’m not keen on my eleven-year-old doing the walk alone. It’s a safety issue. There are no other kids that live near us, so I will drive her.

However, even further away are the kids in the apartments, and I know for a fact that some of their parents don’t have cars. I’m angry for them. All this talk about equity, and what has it gotten them? Lots of central office staff and no busses for their kids.

I support you OP. Spend money where it matters. Having people going around shouting equity makes no difference unless there is a direct impact on students.

Do you have any evidence that students at the apartment building OP mentioned have higher rates of absenteeism or lower academic performance due to the distance they have to walk to school? If not, then that’s not a great place to start addressing equity concerns.

OP fails to consider that, if the apartment dwellers don't have cars, they're used to getting places without cars -- by taking public transit, bicycling, scootering, or even walking. I'll bet the car-less apartment dwellers are not complaining about having to walk a mile to school nearly as much as OP is.

Well, I know one woman wanted to sign her son up for soccer, but couldn’t, because she can’t get him to games. Have you ever taken public transit in this area? Busses? Arlington is not that easy to get around. What are you so bitter about, anyway? You working a cushy job in Central Office? I guess I’d be defensive, too. The truth hurts. We could do away with about half of you, and serve all of the kids better.

How would a bus too and from school for this student enable them to play soccer after school? If they’re within the school walk zone, the walk home likely takes less time than a bus ride would.

My point is, it’s not convenient. It’s not comfortable. But I’d really argue it’s not too safe. Your point is what? They need to pull themselves up by their boot straps and suck it up? You have a car, I’d bet.

How is it unsafe?

What is your actual problem? I’m trying to figure that out. I think I hit a nerve.

I asked a question as to how it is unsafe for children who live within walk zones to walk to and from school. It sounds like you don’t have an answer for that.

My problem with the bigger issue is that I don’t think we should waste money shrinking walk zones because some privileged mommy doesn’t want Larla to expend any effort going too and from school when that money could be use for things that actually improve student achievement, like smaller class sizes.

I agree about smaller class sizes. However, I also think we need to raise bus driver pay. And you are absolutely right- my Larla isn’t walking over a mile by herself in the dark to get to middle school. I’m driving her. I just feel bad for these kids that are even farther away from us whose parents aren’t able to do the same. And it is, indeed, over a mile. And my point was- any money for any of things is going to high salary central office positions, many of which are not needed.

Honey, families living farther than a mile and a half are IN THE BUS ZONE. Good gracious - how bad are you going to feel when your kid is in high school and those kids living even farther from you are walking TWO full miles to school.

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Anonymous wrote:Equity should be trading in one of those many six-figured central office people in for two, maybe even three, fairly paid bus drivers. The boundary changes in APS are about that, aren’t they? Let’s be honest: they can’t find drivers because they don’t pay them well. We’re over a mile from the school now, and I’m not keen on my eleven-year-old doing the walk alone. It’s a safety issue. There are no other kids that live near us, so I will drive her.

However, even further away are the kids in the apartments, and I know for a fact that some of their parents don’t have cars. I’m angry for them. All this talk about equity, and what has it gotten them? Lots of central office staff and no busses for their kids.

I support you OP. Spend money where it matters. Having people going around shouting equity makes no difference unless there is a direct impact on students.

Do you have any evidence that students at the apartment building OP mentioned have higher rates of absenteeism or lower academic performance due to the distance they have to walk to school? If not, then that’s not a great place to start addressing equity concerns.

OP fails to consider that, if the apartment dwellers don't have cars, they're used to getting places without cars -- by taking public transit, bicycling, scootering, or even walking. I'll bet the car-less apartment dwellers are not complaining about having to walk a mile to school nearly as much as OP is.

Well, I know one woman wanted to sign her son up for soccer, but couldn’t, because she can’t get him to games. Have you ever taken public transit in this area? Busses? Arlington is not that easy to get around. What are you so bitter about, anyway? You working a cushy job in Central Office? I guess I’d be defensive, too. The truth hurts. We could do away with about half of you, and serve all of the kids better.

How would a bus too and from school for this student enable them to play soccer after school? If they’re within the school walk zone, the walk home likely takes less time than a bus ride would.

+1 that has nothing to do with school buses. A student athlete should have no problem walking/running 1.5 miles anyway

You like your Central Office middle managers, huh? They’re better than bus drivers??

Clearly you have an issue with central office - just because you don't get a bus?
It's unfortunate this is "inconvenient" for you. All of us in bus zones just can't imagine life with inconveniences. Please let us know how we can all help you get your kid to school.

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Anonymous wrote:Equity should be trading in one of those many six-figured central office people in for two, maybe even three, fairly paid bus drivers. The boundary changes in APS are about that, aren’t they? Let’s be honest: they can’t find drivers because they don’t pay them well. We’re over a mile from the school now, and I’m not keen on my eleven-year-old doing the walk alone. It’s a safety issue. There are no other kids that live near us, so I will drive her.

However, even further away are the kids in the apartments, and I know for a fact that some of their parents don’t have cars. I’m angry for them. All this talk about equity, and what has it gotten them? Lots of central office staff and no busses for their kids.

I support you OP. Spend money where it matters. Having people going around shouting equity makes no difference unless there is a direct impact on students.

Do you have any evidence that students at the apartment building OP mentioned have higher rates of absenteeism or lower academic performance due to the distance they have to walk to school? If not, then that’s not a great place to start addressing equity concerns.

OP fails to consider that, if the apartment dwellers don't have cars, they're used to getting places without cars -- by taking public transit, bicycling, scootering, or even walking. I'll bet the car-less apartment dwellers are not complaining about having to walk a mile to school nearly as much as OP is.

Well, I know one woman wanted to sign her son up for soccer, but couldn’t, because she can’t get him to games. Have you ever taken public transit in this area? Busses? Arlington is not that easy to get around. What are you so bitter about, anyway? You working a cushy job in Central Office? I guess I’d be defensive, too. The truth hurts. We could do away with about half of you, and serve all of the kids better.

Then perhaps you could have helped find a way to get her son to soccer games. Teams could make more efforts to ensure all students have the opportunity and ability to participate.
Nevertheless, this is different from getting to school every day. Soccer means different practice schedules and game schedules on different nights/weekends in different locations. We're talking about getting to their assigned school every day, same hours, and for something that takes priority over soccer for which the "apartment dwellers without cars" are going to focus on more than the extras.