What school district OP?

That might help with the actual rules, not just what people think should happen.

FWIW, my 5 year old would have cried too. Glad you now have a back-up plan in place.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The buses don't automatically return to the school. It would be making a special trip for your kid.

+1
This sends the bus off its normal route and inconveniences the driver. Please don't look at it like this is a real option if you're late.

+1

Yes, inconveniencing many other children and parents, some of whom might now be late to meet a school bus...

Yes, it does. It automatically comes back to school. After he drops off all the children. This is also a place where they park for the night. He has to come back to school.

The principal sent everyone an email a few weeks ago saying the kids will be returned to school when parents are not present.

My lesson is that drivers will make mistakes and I shouldn't rely on the school to enforce their own policy. I should have contingency plan in case the school's contingency plan fails.


But I can't believe all the teachers posting here that they have no responsibility for five year olds in their care. Yes, you do. It's your job to make sure the child is safe when parents are not present. You should be acting in the best interest of the children, not yourselves.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There were no other kids who got of at that bus stop. Just my child. Alone. A 5 year old child. On a street.

School IS responsible for my child until one of the parents gets her.

As a teacher, I am disturbed by your statement.

I am NOT your child's parent. And if you're slacker ass isn't home by a certain time, that's your fault - and not the responsibility of the school to provide FREE daycare for your kid.

What is WRONG with you?

Really? An actual teacher?
And love all the caps, btw.

Please list your school.

Anonymous wrote:
So you were running late so just assumed you'd pick her up at school? As if this is a legitimate alternate pick up location that the school set up in case the regular bus stop didn't work for you that day?

Are you joking?

No, I'm not. I assume it's a legitimate alternate pick up location because my child is not the only one there. The school is not closed, they have after school kids there, even DD's teacher stays at school till the end of the day. It's not a huge inconvenience, if it happens like once a year.

Anonymous wrote:If you knew you wouldn't make it home on time, then why didn't you drive straight to the school?

The buses are released first, before parents' pick-up line. Like I said, I caught up with the bus at the very next stop. But the driver told me DD already got off.

OP, I don't think the bus driver should have let a 5 year old off the bus without a parent there. On the other hand, next time something like this happens, isn't there a neighbor you could call to ask to take your DD home? This is what I've done the two occasions I was running a bit late to get to the bus stop on time for my kindergartner. We talked to the bus driver at beginning of the year to let him know that either of us could get the other's child if necessary. And now that DS is older he knows that if he gets off the bus and I'm not there he goes straight next door.

Obviously not everyone has the luxury of living in a neighborhood where this is possible, but I would work on making friends with neighbors you can trust.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The buses don't automatically return to the school. It would be making a special trip for your kid.

+1
This sends the bus off its normal route and inconveniences the driver. Please don't look at it like this is a real option if you're late.

+1

Yes, inconveniencing many other children and parents, some of whom might now be late to meet a school bus...


OP: You are cutting things too close. You are not teaching your child the things she needs to cope, like knock on a neighbor's door if she needs a grown up. Sure, the bus driver probably should have done something different, but THIS ONE IS ON YOU.

Anonymous wrote:The buses don't automatically return to the school. It would be making a special trip for your kid.

+1
This sends the bus off its normal route and inconveniences the driver. Please don't look at it like this is a real option if you're late.

The buses don't automatically return to the school. It would be making a special trip for your kid.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I want to say you suck but I'm sure you want to blame someone else.

OP here. I was running late. I wasn't going to be able to get her at the bus stop.

The school policy is that they're not supposed to let kids off the bus unless the parents are there.

I mean, come on, if I don't pick the kid up from school, they'll just send the child home walking?

So you were running late so just assumed you'd pick her up at school? As if this is a legitimate alternate pick up location that the school set up in case the regular bus stop didn't work for you that day?

Are you joking?

If you knew you wouldn't make it home on time, then why didn't you drive straight to the school?

If I knew I would not be able to meet my child at the bus, I would call the school office so they could contact the bus driver. Communicate!

The school system is not your daycare provider.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There were no other kids who got of at that bus stop. Just my child. Alone. A 5 year old child. On a street.

School IS responsible for my child until one of the parents gets her.

As a teacher, I am disturbed by your statement.

I am NOT your child's parent. And if you're slacker ass isn't home by a certain time, that's your fault - and not the responsibility of the school to provide FREE daycare for your kid.

What is WRONG with you?

I am disturbed by YOUR statement.

I think you need to acquaint yourself with the term "in loco parentis."

I certainly hope my child is not in your class.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Yes, it was negligent. You need to make your own back-up plans with your child.

Right, because never trust anyone. Insert yourself everywhere. Helicopter.

Geez, that's the parent I've been trying NOT to be.

OK, but it didn't work. You discovered that you did need a back-up plan. And now you have one. That's good!

Embedded in your statement about not wanting to "helicopter" is that you care what others think of you. To heck with what other's think of you! Your child's well-being is of utmost importance, not your reputation on an anonymous parenting forum! I also think "helicoptering" applies to ages nine and up. i think its perfectly appropriate to helicopter, that is, be your child's #1 body guard when they are young. At the same time, you should be preparing them for becoming more independent by talking to them about how to deal with emergencies, as you are now doing, OP.

^^^Also, I don't think that having a back-up plan counts as helicoptering.