Musing about Monitors

By Peggy Burns, Esq.

There has been a spate of recent legal decisions and media headlines that have made me think about the relationship between drivers and paraprofessionals on school transportation vehicles. I’m using the word “paraprofessional” to suggest a broad range of job titles – like monitors, attendants, aides, escorts. I’m less concerned about what they’re called, or even their specific duties, than I am about their own expectations about their roles, and what you’ve communicated to them and to drivers about the interaction between these two categories of individuals.

Typically, the bus driver is the “captain” of the bus. What do we expect of a paraprofessional if he or she becomes aware that the driver is doing something wrong? And, for that matter, what do we expect of the driver in the face of unacceptable conduct by the paraprofessional? Have you really identified the relationship between the two and empowered each to take action when necessary to prevent harm to students?

Do paraprofessionals and drivers have the information about likely needs of students on the bus that will help them anticipate the opportunities and methods by which they must keep the students safe? That’s your responsibility, and that of your district and/or company.

Your employees must take reasonable action under a wide variety of circumstances. At a minimum, your staff members must speak up and question potentially aberrant behavior. At a minimum, they must do what they can reasonably do to intervene in the face of likely harm. That’s true even though they may not have the ability to actually stop the harm from occurring, and may not be expected to do so.

And, of course, both paraprofessionals and drivers should have the means to report – and use those measures to report – to dispatch and/or the authorities when any number of situations occur on the bus. Regardless of what entity owns the vehicle, and what entity employs the paraprofessional and the driver, both need to have access to communication equipment be trained to use it.

I haven’t thought much about this before. Maybe you haven’t either. But take my word for it: the courts and media are paying sudden attention to these issues; we’d better too.

Peggy Burns is an attorney and consultant, and owner of Education Compliance Group, Inc. She is the editor of Legal Routes, and developer of four video training programs, “The Road to Compliance for Special Needs Drivers,"“Putting the Brakes on Harassment: Training for School Bus Drivers," “Steering Clear of Liability: Training for School Bus Drivers," and “Confidential Records: Training for School Bus Drivers.” Peggy can be reached at (888) 604-6141, and by email to ecginc@qwestoffice.net.

Talk About Having a Bad Day

Some days just stink. We've all had them, but perhaps note quite as bad as a 5-year-old boy did in Yakima, Wash., or perhaps his bus driver who just couldn't figure out where that smell was coming from.

According to news reports, the student had an accident --yes that kind of accident -- in his classroom. The teacher called the boy's father to alert him of the situation, to which Dad replied that his son had a change of clothes in his backpack. Sounds like a typical day in the life of a Kindergartner? Think again.

When the school bus dropped the boy at home that afternoon, his parents noticed he was wearing the same clothes and was completely clean. Then they opened his backpack. Inside, according to the parents, the teacher bagged up a piece of feces wrapped in a paper towel. A note accompanied it: "This little turd was on the floor in my classroom." But with the boy's clean appearance, the parents believe Mr. Hanky might belong to someone else.

While the school reps said they were investigating the incident, it makes you wonder what qualifications this teacher has that he or she would do such a thing to their 5-year-old student. Sensitivity training for teachers -- and bus drivers -- is vital in today's school environment, but this instance shows sheer stupidity. School transportation personnel are used to cleaning up excrement on the bus, so perhaps there's an opportunity here for departments to take stock of their own albeit mundane SOPs. Certainly messy situations are fun, but we're in the business of child education. You'd think other teachers, students and certainly the bus driver might smell a trail of something nasty emanating from that boy's backpack. And obviously the schools themselves need to revisit the basics.

Mama said there'd be days like this, but especially for this little tyke (and his parents) this one really reeks of a complete breakdown in adult supervision, leadership and common sense by those employed to care for our children.