Chapter 5 - Handling Transportation Problems by William Allan Kritsonis, PhD

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Chapter 5 – William Allan Kritsonis, PhD
Handle Transportation Problems
The yellow school bus is as integral a part of education as are the classrooms
and teachers. Bus transportation ensures that classrooms are brimming with children.
As with every other facet of education, reducing the logistic problems of transporting
these children to and from school requires gallant effort from the classroom teacher.
In addition to greeting students each morning with a warm, friendly smile,
teachers must supervise the unloading of the school bus. Some schools have a rotating
list whereby teachers take turns supervising the children’s arrival. In the classroom, a
time schedule listing each bus can be posted to encourage children to accept the
responsibility of knowing where to meet the bus and when they will be dropped off after
school. During the first two or three weeks of the school year, give each child a
numbered card that corresponds to his bus number to ensure he boards the correct
bus.
Discuss issues of general bus safety with the class. Explain to the children why
the bus picks them up, where it does, and why it follows a certain route each day.
Stress to the students the importance of being safe while waiting for the bus. Remind
them that when waiting for the bus, they must stay off the highway until the bus pulls to
a complete stop. This point can never be overemphasized! Tell children they are not to
stand while the bus is in motion. When approaching the school grounds or their drop-off
point, they must wait until the bus driver tells them that it is safe to stand up.
Misconduct on the bus is a problem that must be handled with positive corrective
measures. Discuss with the children that there is to be no shoving, pushing, playing in
the aisles, standing, throwing, or yelling on the bus. Explain to them that their lives are
endangered when the bus driver is forced to handle disciplinary problems while the bus
is moving. Insist that the bus driver explain bus rules to the children at the beginning of
the school year. An open, sincere, and close relationship between child, teacher, and
bus driver will prevent misbehavior problems.

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When notified that a child has caused problems on the bus, obtain first-hand
facts by talking to the bus monitor (if there is one) and bus driver. Inform the principle of
the situation and ask for his advice. Sometimes parents must be contacted. Stress to
parents that their child’s safety is of prime importance to school personnel and, in order
to ensure their safe transportation to and from school, safety rules must be practiced
and rigidly enforced. If bus misbehavior continues, the teacher, counselor, or principal,
must advise parents of the policy of suspension, explaining the procedure clearly.
Effective human relations are strengthened when basic procedures are clearly spelled
out.
Children soon realize for themselves that good conduct saves lives. Tell them
that in case of an emergency, the bus driver will choose only the people who have been
good citizens to help. In an extreme emergency, a good citizen might be asked to go for
help if the bus breaks down. Awards for superior bus conduct stimulate children to act
better.
Inform the children that they are expected to keep their bus clean. Sometimes
this means reminding the pupil next to them to keep it clean also.
Standard regulations govern bus transportation. Stay abreast of pertinent
information by asking the principal or by writing to the state department of education for
a booklet of rules, regulations, and laws.
Regulations and governmental mandates include the transportation of special
needs children. Make certain this information is understood and these children are
provided with the accommodations specified in the guidelines.
Some parents choose to drive their children to school rather than allowing them
to ride the school bus. Become familiar with guidelines and protocol for car riders to
include the school's designated drop-off and pick-up areas and times set for each. The
child must enter the school building as specified by the principal. Teachers will be on
duty with the same happy demeanor as for the bus riders. Parents driving their children
to school should watch, pay attention to not only their children but other children on the
school campus driving lot. The school stresses the importance of safety of these riders
as well.

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For children walking or riding a bicycle to school, policies are necessary to
promote the safety of those students. Examples of policies could include, walking in the
crosswalks, looking both ways before crossing the street, and not walking between
parked cars. Bicyclist have similar policies such as bicycles must be parked in the
racks at school, if helmets are required to be worn by the bicyclists, they must be stored
in the student's locker and students who ride bicycles to and from school must have
written consent from a parent or legal guardian and agree to the conditions set by the
school and school district.
A population of student that must not be overlooked is the homeless child. The
challenge of providing an education for homeless students is growing. It is advisable to
become familiar with the Congress established McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance
Act. The McKinney-Vento Act was created with the goal of ensuring the enrollment,
attendance, and success of homeless children and youth in school. It provides states
with funding to help remove barriers to education. Homeless students have a right to
transportation to school. Transportation for homeless students to their school of
enrollment, if it is the school of origin, must be arranged as needed by the school liaison
for homeless students
Policies and procedures governing the transportation of children are documents
and practices that will assure not only safety of children but protection of the school and
school district. Usually, the board of education will have for distribution a
student/school/parent handbook which will cover any and all student transportation
policies.
A Thought in Words
Repetition is the mother of education. Jean Paul Richter

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Copyright © 2018 by William Allan Kritsonis
William Allan Kritsonis, PhD
Editor-in-Chief
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