ANALYSIS Time to Listen to Young Student Riders To retain the yellow bus as a viable mode of transportation and as a respected part of our edu-
cational system, the industry must be willing to vigorously listen to young riders. For this column, I stepped out of my comfort zone to interview elementary students as yellow school bus riders to learn how they perceive their rides. Te group consisted of 24 children in kindergarten through sixth grade. Tey reside in four states
By Linda F. Bluth, Ed. D
in large cities as well as suburban and rural areas. I was unprepared for what these young riders openly shared. Tey were appreciative of having someone who was interested in what they had to say. 1. How many years have you been riding the school bus? Two students were in their first year
and seven students were in their seventh. Te average number of years of ridership was four. 2. What can you tell me about your school bus ride this school year? Positive responses in-
cluded, “My bus is really new,” “Tis year there are only two to a seat,” “Te bus driver is really nice,” and “I don’t have to stand.” One response that caught me by surprise was, “My driver is not as old as last year.” Negative responses included, “My driver is mean,” “Te bus is noisy,” “Kids run up and down the aisle,” “Te driver listens to bad music,” “Te driver yells,” “I get hit by one girl all the time,” “Te bus ride is too long,” and “Tis kid kicks me get out of my seat.” I did chuckle when I followed up with the boy who told me the bus driver listens to bad music.
It turned out to be rap, which this young child called “wap.” Te mother told me after the inter- view that she would be calling the transportation office because the music was unacceptable to her. She had no idea that the bus driver was listening to music. She reported that her concern was promptly addressed. 3. Are there school bus rules? Fifteen students responded “yes.” Answers included, “No standing,
no yelling and no eating.” Eight students responded “no.” One responded, “I don’t know.” 4. How do students behave on the school bus? Twenty-one students answered, “bad” and that
kids were running around, yelling, pushing, hitting, cursing and opening the window. Two students said either “good” or “OK.” 5. Have you ever seen bullying on the school bus? It was shocking that 19 students answered
“yes.” Tree students said, “I don’t know” and two students answered “no.” Tere was extensive information shared that will be the subject of a separate, upcoming article in STN. 6. Would you rather ride the school bus or ride to school in your parent’s car? Twenty-three
students said they would rather ride in their parent’s car. One student, who said “no,“ explained he would rather ride the school bus because his mother was mean in the morning. He clarified that, when he is late, it is because he misses the bus, and his mother has not had her coffee. 7. What would you like to tell me about the school bus ride? Surprisingly, most did not com-
ment. However, comments included “My brother can’t reach the first step, so I lift his butt to get him on the bus.” Another comment included, “My driver doesn’t wait for me to get to my seat before he takes off, and then I fall on this student who hits me.” Tis student asked if I could get him a new bus driver. I did call the transportation office and the problem was corrected. After the interviews, many parents said they had no idea what was going on during their child’s
school bus ride. Tey rarely or never asked their children questions about it. Some indicated they were going to follow up with the school district regarding expressed concerns, while others took the comments light-heartedly and said things were the same when they rode the bus. What to do with this anecdotal information? My suggestions include: (1) Study the issues of
ridership and collect data; (2) Target student input; (3) Set goals for reduction of negativism (4) Rethink driver training; and (5) Incorporate the school bus as an integral part of the school day. ■
Bluth is the immediate past president of NAPT. She is a quality assurance specialist with Maryland State Department of Education’s Division of Special Education/Early Intervention Services. She may be reached via email at
lfbluth@verizon.com.
30 School Transportation News Magazine November 2012
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50