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June 03, 2005
Teachers Not the Only Ones in Short Supply
Schools are also having a hard time finding people who are willing to drive 40 mostly badly behaved children around for $10 an hour.
Henrico County [Virginia] has 24 full-time bus drivers, plus 20 supervisors and others pulled in to cover routes, transportation supervisor Harold Grimes said. The average driver turnover is between 10 percent and 13 percent a year; there are now 23 driver vacancies.Grimes said that besides balking at the starting salary of $13,920, or $10.69 an hour ($14,153 annually and $10.87 hourly for the upcoming school year), potential bus drivers also consider the responsibility involved, especially after recent bus accidents and violent incidents on buses.
"They're in charge with those children," Grimes said. "Plus it's hard to watch for the traffic. When it's added together, people say, 'Whoa, why am I trying to do this?"'
Virginia has had two fatal accidents this year -- a teenager was killed in February and last month two children died after their bus collided with a truck. And in Tennessee, a 14-year-old was charged with fatally shooting bus driver Joyce Gregory in March because he "hated her," according to a recorded statement played in court.
Earlier this month, a security camera on a school bus in Punta Gorda, Florida, captured a fight between a substitute driver and two teens. The driver was charged with misdemeanor battery and the teens with assault.
Behavior problems that affect teachers also affect everyone else who comes into contact with the kids.
At the end of the article, someone puts the blame where it belongs.
Megan Williams, a mother of four, thinks potential bus drivers don't want to put up with disrespectful children, for which she blames parents."I am part of the problem. I have four boys. They are the kind that don't sit still and say, 'Yes, ma'am, no, ma'am,"' Williams said. "I drive my van with my four kids in it and that's enough. I can't imagine a bus full of them."
Er, ok... At least she's not in denial.
Posted by illuminaria at June 3, 2005 01:35 PM
Comments
No, most definitely not in denial. My guess is that her quote was chosen to close the article because she's right on the money. School buses were founded on the assumption that parents always taught their kids how to behave in public, especially when doing anything associated with school. Unfortunately, that's not a smart assumption to make anymore.
Posted by: Kimberly at June 21, 2005 01:42 PM