"Normally I think a practice as that they're seated kind of the way they're picked up and children have their choices, but for safety reasons it would make sense to seat them together ... Smaller children together, large children together. That would help prevent injuries in a crash."What does your operation do? Are there reasons not to do this? Are there better ways?
Also online and worth reading:
- How school bus driver made it into Parade Magazine's annual salary survey. Also, how driver's salary stacks up against well-paid pet sitter.
- Maine looks at law that would require bicycles to stop for school buses. Legislators noted that cyclists had nearly run down some young children exiting their buses. Have you seen this? Does your town/state have a policy or law for bicycles?
I am a 30 yr retired bus driver, I always had a seating chart it helped to know who was on the bus. I would look for that student when I got close to their house for their stop if thy were not in their seat I knew I didn't need to stop. Also when the school called and wanted to know if a student was on the bus it was easy to locat them and respond. I also told the students they were responsible for that seat area if there was any damage they would be the first to be blamed, so they should report any damage they noticed to me right away. In 30 years I only had 4 seats cut.
ReplyDeleteSeating charts have been mandatory for several years in our District. We have found that the seating charts help with providing a safer ride for our students.
ReplyDeleteWe also have a boys side/girls side of the bus. This has helped stop some inappropriate touching.
I would like to know what type of evacuation drills your district practices. I suggested what I thought was a great idea to ours and was turned down. Please share whay you do for your school.
ReplyDeleteIt has always been mandatory for a seating chart on the Head Start buses. In Monroe Co., Mi. anyway's
ReplyDeleteThe assistant on the bus hops off of the bus to guide the children to a safe area of at least 50 feet from the bus and depending where the fire may be on the bus the driver may go to the back of the bus and start letting the children off quickly and efficiently as possible. we do a mandatory evacs per year but we always add in a couple more to make it 5.
ReplyDeleteIn Texas two bus evacuations per year are mandatory. All school personnel must participate. In our District the students view a video which we ordered from AAA foundation at a reasonable price. After that we arrange evacuation drills with the school prinipals, usually it will be in conjunction with a fire drill at the school. Our seasoned drivers help with the evacuations. We drive as many buses as needed to the campus, show everyone aboard where all emergency exits are located and demonstrate how to safely use them. Then we do a front door emergency evacuation drill. For special needs, our drivers compile a written evacuation plan keeping their students disabilities in mind such as "Johnny is autistic and may run therefore he will need extra supervision". After I have reviewed the written plan the special needs drivers are cleared to practice twice each year as they unload their students at school during the morning route.
ReplyDeleteSeating charts for all of our buses are mandatory.
I work in a school in which all my students have special needs. Most of our buses are contracted out, but the drivers and aides have no idea how to take wheelchairs off the bus in case of emergency we need to educate everyone. WE need to have training on this subject
ReplyDelete