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JK
Top Member

USA
7307 Posts

Posted - 10/26/2007 :  11:21:32 PM  Show Profile  Visit JK's Homepage  Reply with Quote
Introductory to this thread

According to researchers there's an above average chance that school bus drivers are working in a hostile workplace, essentially behind the wheel of a moving school bus.

The facility workplace can be an issue as well.

According to management researcher Chandra Louise, 80% of the employees who quit their jobs do so because of problems with their bosses. While they may give the human resources staff other reasons for quitting, they will tell their friends, "I’d still be there even for that pittance of a salary if it weren’t for that awful boss."

Violence in the workplace is more common than most would think – 105,800 bus drivers were injured 1993 – 1999 due to violence while behind the wheel of their workplace, an average of 15,114 bus drivers per year. When not remedied the hostile environment can become an established pattern at work. ~ U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, Special Report, December 2001, NCJ 190076, 1993-1999

Injuries from assaults per thousand: Bus drivers – 38.2; High school teachers – 38.1; Junior high school teachers – 54.2. Note that more bus drivers were injured on purpose than according the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) claim that 11, 000 schoolchildren on average were injured in bus crashes each year during the same period - by accident.

The tendency is to think that workplace bullying, harassment and other violence is just the way it is, kids will be kids, comes with the job, that it is normal and acceptable.

The number one workplace injury resulting in death for women is homicide.

How acceptable is that?

Projects
This thread is intended to make available resources for those interested in learning more about what the hostile workplace might include, the effect on workers and passengers on the school buses, and the employer's responsibility to end bullying, harassment, other violence and related unsafe conditions in the workplace.

One specific purpose of this thread is to formulate together content for a useful 3-fold brochure that covers ...


  • Learning about violence on the school bus (defined);

  • The effect of violence on passengers and workers;

  • Employer responsibility to help end violence;

  • Steps to help end bullying, harassment, other violence and unsafe conditions in the mobile workplace.

A printable template will eventually be produced and made available without charge to school districts, school bus safety websites, law enforcement school bus safety units and other school bus safety interests.

A general adult management/employee hostile workplace check list reference template is also in progress, but a publish date has not been established.

Are you a workplace target visiting this thread?
If you are a target and visiting this thread looking for ideas concerning a situation in your workplace it is probably not a good idea to post your event here. Many here are professional and empathetic toward any person abused in the workplace or on the school buses. Regardless, if you do post expect a portion of personalized attacks that may be similar to what is happening in your workplace. There is also a risk that what you post could somehow find a way back to your employer. Resources and links are provided where the help you need is abundant and without having to expose yourself here.

When concerning a fellow worker or boss, please keep names and location vague, such as 100-employee workplace, large city in Michigan, that sort of revealing. Although also not a necessity, in some cases you might find it informative or useful to these forums to post a workplace situation here that occurred years ago under other management.

Various press stories, resources and other documentation relevant to these hostile workplace issues can be posted in this thread. (jk)

~ Introductory Updated Apr. 25, 2008 ~

Edited by - JK on 07/20/2010 09:29:14 AM

JK
Top Member

USA
7307 Posts

Posted - 10/26/2007 :  11:24:50 PM  Show Profile  Visit JK's Homepage  Reply with Quote
OSHA
Region 2 News Release: 05-1693-NEW/BOS 2005-235
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Contact: Ted Fitzgerald
Phone: (617) 565-2074

OSHA Orders Bronx Bus Company to Rehire Driver and Pay Nearly $60,000 in Back Wages and Legal Fees


NEW YORK -- The U.S. Labor Department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has ordered Kids Bus Service, Bronx, N.Y., to rehire a driver fired for refusing to operate a school bus under unsafe circumstances. OSHA is ordering the bus service pay him nearly $60,000 in back wages, interest and damages.

On Feb. 3, 2004, Jack Marziano was operating a school bus carrying teenagers when a disturbance broke out. Marziano was pelted several times on the back of the neck with packed ice and snow. He blacked out momentarily, became dizzy and felt he could not operate the bus safely. He refused to continue operating the bus, for which he was later fired.

Marziano filed a complaint with OSHA Feb. 19, 2004. The agency's investigation found merit in Marziano's allegation that he had been discharged in violation of the Surface Transportation Assistance Act (STAA). OSHA determined that a reasonable bus driver would not have continued driving with students throwing packed snow and ice, after a blackout and while feeling dizzy and disoriented, because these conditions could have caused an accident.

As a result, OSHA has ordered Kid's Bus Service to immediately reinstate Marziano to his former position; pay him $33,227.80 in lost wages, $1,288.82 in interest and $25,000 in compensatory damages; expunge any adverse references to the discharge in Marziano's personnel record; and refrain from negative comments about the discharge in response to any future requests for employment references.

"The safety of both workers and passengers must be a paramount concern in operating buses and other commercial vehicles," said Patricia K. Clark, OSHA's regional administrator in New York. "We will not hesitate to take the necessary legal steps to protect employees' rights to safe working conditions."

The STAA authorizes the Labor Department to investigate complaints by bus drivers and others involved in operating commercial motor vehicles who believe they have been discriminated against for their involvement in protected safety activities. If an OSHA investigation determines that an employee's complaint has merit, OSHA can order remedies such as reinstatement and back pay. Both the company and Marziano have 30 days to file objections and request a hearing on the matter with the U.S. Labor Department's Office of Administrative Law Judges.

Employers are responsible for providing a safe and healthful workplace for their employees. OSHA's role is to assure the safety and health of America's workers by setting and enforcing standards; providing training, outreach, and education; establishing partnerships; and encouraging continual improvement in workplace safety and health. For more information, visit www.osha.gov. Click Here for source

Edited by - JK on 10/26/2007 11:27:32 PM
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JK
Top Member

USA
7307 Posts

Posted - 10/27/2007 :  12:25:41 AM  Show Profile  Visit JK's Homepage  Reply with Quote
Whistleblower Protection for Employees of Public Transportation Agencies

Employees working for public transportation agencies are protected from retaliation for reporting certain safety or security violations to their employers or the government.

On August 3, 2007, the National Transit Systems Security Act (NTSSA), 6 U.S.C. Section 1142, was enacted as part of the The Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act (Public Law 110-53), establishing new retaliation protections for employees of public transportation agencies or their contractors and subcontractors.

Covered Employers
In general, under NTSSA, a public transportation agency is covered if it provides regular and continuing general or special transportation to the public (e.g., public subway or bus systems). Providers of school buses, charters, and sightseeing transportation are not covered; however, their employees may be protected against retaliation for complaining about workplace safety and health conditions under the Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1982 (STAA) or Section 11(c) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act or an equivalent state law. (link)

Protected Activity
A covered employer may not discharge or in any manner retaliate against you because you provided information to, caused information to be provided to, or assisted in an investigation by, a federal regulatory or law enforcement agency, a Member or committee of Congress, or your company, about an alleged violation of federal laws and regulations related to public transportation safety and security, or about fraud, waste or abuse of funds intended for public transportation security. Your employer may not discharge or in any manner retaliate against you because you filed, caused to be filed, participated in, or assisted in a proceeding under one of these laws or regulations.

In addition, under NTSSA, your employer may not discharge or in any manner retaliate against you because you reported a hazardous safety or security condition, refused to work under certain conditions, or refused to authorize the use of any safety or security related equipment, track or structures.

Unfavorable Employment Actions
Your employer may be found to have violated this statute if your protected activity was a contributing factor in its decision to take unfavorable employment action against you. Such actions may include:

*Discharge or lay-off
*Blacklisting
*Demoting
*Denying overtime or promotion
*Disciplining
*Denial of benefits
*Failure to hire or rehire
*Intimidation
*Reassignment affecting prospects for promotion
*Reducing pay or hours

Deadline for Filing Complaints
Complaints must be filed within 180 days after the alleged unfavorable employment action occurs (that is, when the complainant becomes aware of the retaliatory action). The unfavorable employment action must have occurred after August 3, 2007, to be investigated as an NTSSA complaint.

How to File a Complaint
An employee, or representative of an employee, who believes that he or she has been retaliated against in violation of this statute may file a complaint with OSHA. It is important to note that NTSSA prohibits complainants from filing multiple discrimination complaints under other laws for the same allegedly unlawful act of the employer.

The complaint should be filed with the OSHA office responsible for enforcement activities in the geographical area where the employee resides or was employed, but may be filed with any OSHA officer or employee. Complaints may be filed orally or in writing, by mail (we recommend certified mail), fax, or hand delivery during business hours. The date postmarked, faxed or hand delivered is considered the date filed.

Results of the Investigation
If the evidence supports your claim of retaliation and a settlement cannot be reached, OSHA will issue an order requiring your employer to reinstate you, pay back-wages, restore benefits, and other possible relief to make you whole, including:

*Reinstatement with the same seniority and benefits.
*Payment of back pay with interest.
*Compensatory damages, including compensation for special damages, attorney's fees, expert witness fees, and reasonable attorney fees.
*Punitive damages not to exceed $250,000, in certain cases.

OSHA's findings and order become the final order of the Secretary, unless they are objected to within 30 days.

Hearings and Review
After OSHA issues its findings and order, either party may request an evidentiary hearing before an administrative law judge of the Department of Labor. The administrative law judge's decision and order may be appealed to the Department's Administrative Review Board for review.

If a final agency order is not issued within 210 days from the date your complaint is filed, then you have the option to file a civil action in the appropriate U.S. district court. Click Here for source

Edited by - JK on 10/27/2007 12:26:47 AM
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guzaldo
Advanced Member

421 Posts

Posted - 10/27/2007 :  10:22:43 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by JK

According to researchers there's an above average chance that school bus drivers are working in a hostile workplace, be that at their facility or behind the wheel of a moving school bus.

Violence in the workplace is more common than most would think - over 400 school bus drivers are injured every year in this country due to violence while behind the wheel of their workplace.




Do you have any links for these pronouncements.

Even if true 400 incidents or 8 per state per year is hardly an epidemic. Are we making mountains out of mole hills again Jimbo.
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guzaldo
Advanced Member

421 Posts

Posted - 10/29/2007 :  02:37:25 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
I didn't think so.

I just asked for links supporting 2 of the claims you made in your inital posts Are we supposed to just take what you say on face value, I don't think so. You seem to be trying to make some sort of case here. How about supporting the claim about the number one work place injury to women is homocide, huh? I think you better support your 1st post before you go off in tangents about OSHA and Whistleblower laws. Actually I still think you are making mountains, big big mountains out of mole hills.
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JK
Top Member

USA
7307 Posts

Posted - 10/29/2007 :  09:18:32 AM  Show Profile  Visit JK's Homepage  Reply with Quote
I'm somewhat surprised that someone that seems to go ballistic over the missed sleeping child issue where no deaths for some years have resulted on actual school buses that anyone can locate -- then to call actual serious injuries and deaths in violent workplace events to be making a mountain out of a molehill? (jk)



There is no school bus driver shortage!
Properly train, effective support and pay that retains.

Edited by - JK on 04/25/2008 5:35:27 PM
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guzaldo
Advanced Member

421 Posts

Posted - 10/30/2007 :  02:35:27 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
There you go again, I ask for some back up to your claims and you go on a personal attack. Do you really think anyone is going to take your comments at face value any more, maybe a few who haven't been reading your drivel but you better come up with some references when you say things like "according to researchers" you are the Dan Rather of this site.

As for the "...the number one work place injury to women is homocide, huh?" You made a mistake and missed, resulting in death. Again where does this stat come from, I for one would like to see it or is that just something in your head that surfaces when you need it to make a point. I just want a reference backing up the comment that's all. You may be a self comfessed jerk I don't know but leave me out of it. I just would like you back up all the "numbers in your head".
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JK
Top Member

USA
7307 Posts

Posted - 10/30/2007 :  09:09:24 AM  Show Profile  Visit JK's Homepage  Reply with Quote
Can school bus drivers get the support that teachers get at some schools?

Substantially Disruptive— shall mean that the course of instruction has to be discontinued such that it significantly breaks the continuity of the lesson, in order to address the disruptive conduct of the student.
Substantially Interferes — shall mean that the student has been insubordinate to the teacher in the presence of the class and has failed to obey the teacher’s directives to cease and desist. Click Here for source

It is harassment when a parent seeks revenge, such as the resignation or termination of a teacher’s employment rather than a legitimate resolution to a complaint. Harassment can never be tolerated. (PDF download) When Conflicts Arise—Dealing With Parental Concerns - Click Here for source

Managing conflict and difficult people - Click Here for source | Click Here for contents



There is no school bus driver shortage!
Properly train, effective support and pay that retains.

Edited by - JK on 04/25/2008 5:42:43 PM
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guzaldo
Advanced Member

421 Posts

Posted - 10/31/2007 :  05:25:33 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Go ahead change the subject like you always do when you don't have an answer, I guess you can't support your claimes so why should anyone give you an ounce of credibility. Your post is worthless since it came from all the stuff ratteling around in your head.

Enjoy your time in the parallel universe where you are a knowledeable important person, in the real world you are just a guy........well I'll just leave it there.
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Lords47
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USA
714 Posts

Posted - 10/31/2007 :  10:12:56 AM  Show Profile  Send Lords47 an AOL message  Reply with Quote
Though I've been steering clear of this thread - my prospective is somewhat similar to guzaldo's, just a little more passive.

The point he's trying to make, which I agree with, and is something I've asked for in previous threads myself, is to back up your claims with sources. Controversial clams that, "the number 1 workplace injury resulting in death for women is homicide" is NOT something you can conveniently leave the source out of... especially in an open discussion/debate. To me, it lessons your credibility when someone asks you for a source, and your response is, "You can certainly do your own homework as a valid debater..." That tactic is adolescent. You sourced it; you should know where it came from and have it readily available. And when someone asks for the source, it shouldn't take an exuberant amount of time to just post the d@mn source. Seems to me, that would take less time than some of the long, drawn out "explanations" you post - since you claim time isn't in surplus for you.

Just my 2 cents. Carry on.

Edited by - Lords47 on 10/31/2007 10:14:44 AM
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JK
Top Member

USA
7307 Posts

Posted - 10/31/2007 :  11:22:40 AM  Show Profile  Visit JK's Homepage  Reply with Quote

Here’s another version of something rattling around in my head…

"Homicide is the leading cause of injury death for women in the workplace. Homicide accounts for 40% of all workplace death among female workers. Over 25% of female victims of workplace homicide are assaulted by people they know (coworkers, customers, spouses, or friends). Domestic violence incidents that spill into the workplace account for 16% of female victims of job-related homicides." (jk)

Will the time come when all decent school bus drivers get the support that teachers get at some schools?

Substantially Disruptive— shall mean that the course of instruction has to be discontinued such that it significantly breaks the continuity of the lesson, in order to address the disruptive conduct of the student.
Substantially Interferes — shall mean that the student has been insubordinate to the teacher in the presence of the class and has failed to obey the teacher’s directives to cease and desist. Click Here for source

FREE School Bus Safety Ads & Photo Library
Post Check, Hostage Takeover, Bus Fire and special effects photos now available Free to use at websites, in newsletters, memos, the local press, letters to parents and more. This is a very popular Website. If you can't get in bookmark the page and try again later.



There is no school bus driver shortage!
Properly train, effective support and pay that retains.

Edited by - JK on 04/25/2008 5:48:44 PM
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JK
Top Member

USA
7307 Posts

Posted - 11/03/2007 :  1:40:37 PM  Show Profile  Visit JK's Homepage  Reply with Quote
Why Am I Fatter When I'm Stressed?

Free advice from a medical professional.

By Mehmet Oz

2/22/2007

Because your body thinks you're about to starve. Thousands of years ago, hunger was a caveman's primary source of anxiety. When food became scarce, his body coped with the resultant stress by releasing steroids, which were absorbed by his omentum--a fat reservoir that hangs like an apron over the stomach--and promoting fat storage. And since your body doesn't know the difference between a demanding boss and a depleted herd of mastodons, your omentum will do the same thing when it senses stress. Having some omental fat isn't a big deal. But having too much is. Measure your waist at your belly button. If that number is less than half of your height, you're in good shape. If it's more, you could be in serious trouble. Carrying too much omental fat stresses your liver, which can cause inflammation throughout your body and lead to high cholesterol. Also, an enlarged omentum presses on the kidneys, causing high blood pressure, and blocks the activity of insulin, which leads to diabetes.

The good news is that omental fat responds quickly to dieting and exercise. So be sure to replace bad fats (trans and saturated) with good ones (omega-3's). Telling them apart is easy: Good fats, like fish oil and olive oil, are liquid at room temperature. Bad fats, like those found in lamb and Tastykakes, are solid. And instead of hitting the treadmill, try walking briskly. Your heart rate won't get as high, but you can stay active for longer, which will help you burn more calories, which means your gut may be gone in weeks.

Dr. Mehmet Oz is a heart surgeon and the coauthor of, "You: On a Diet: The Owner's Manual for Waist Management" (Free Press) Click Here for more information on this book.

The official online home of YOU: On a Diet - Click Here for Website.

Will the time come when all decent school bus drivers get the support that teachers get at some schools?

Substantially Disruptive— shall mean that the course of instruction has to be discontinued such that it significantly breaks the continuity of the lesson, in order to address the disruptive conduct of the student.
Substantially Interferes — shall mean that the student has been insubordinate to the teacher in the presence of the class and has failed to obey the teacher’s directives to cease and desist. Click Here for source

It is harassment when a parent seeks revenge, such as the resignation or termination of a teacher’s employment rather than a legitimate resolution to a complaint. Harassment can never be tolerated. (PDF download) When Conflicts Arise—Dealing With Parental Concerns - Click Here for source



There is no school bus driver shortage!
Properly train, effective support and pay that retains.


Edited by - JK on 11/03/2007 2:15:50 PM
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JK
Top Member

USA
7307 Posts

Posted - 11/03/2007 :  1:46:23 PM  Show Profile  Visit JK's Homepage  Reply with Quote
Drivers facing more stress

By ANGELIQUE McKOWAN

May 28, 2006
Tribune Chronicle
Since Alice Bendon started driving school buses 22 years ago, her experiences on the job have changed drastically.

‘‘It’s nothing like when I first started,’’ the Niles City Schools bus driver said.

One of the biggest differences is the kids’ behavior, which Bendon and other bus drivers have said has worsened in recent years. At the same time, the authority of a bus driver to discipline riders has lessened.

Bendon said she also has almost triple the number of kids on her bus as compared to when she started.

Terry Thomas, director of Community Bus Services, said getting qualified bus drivers has become increasingly difficult due to these and other factors.

To combat this, the company has placed 17 billboards throughout the area since January encouraging people to become bus drivers.

‘‘We’ve never had to recruit before,’’ he said.

There have been numerous publicized instances of kids misbehaving on the school bus in various districts in recent months.

Since February, there have been reports of:

* A fight that ended with a kindergarten boy losing consciousness on a Warren City school bus.

* Sexual misconduct, also on a Warren City school bus.

* Inappropriate sexual behavior on a Maplewood Local Schools bus.

* A situation in which a LaBrae Local Schools bus driver slammed on the brakes to get control of kids on the bus, causing injuries to several students.

* A sixth-grader pulled a knife on a Pennsylvania bus driver, making her stop the bus so he could off the bus and run away. The bus driver suffered cuts to her hands.

In at least three of these events, the bus driver was punished and in one case, fired.

Thomas said it isn’t that bus incidents merely are more publicized, but that kids are becoming bolder and more difficult to control. Add that to the demands of driving a bus, and the job can become stressful at best.

And the problem isn’t just local. Thomas said he is a member of the National School Transportation Association and has found that a lot of school districts are experiencing the same problems.

Middle school students are the most difficult to handle, he said.

‘‘It’s almost like a switch flips on in fourth grade,’’ Thomas said. ‘‘In ninth grade, it gets better.’’

Community Bus Services manages bus drivers for the Warren City School District, among other things.

The request for bus aides is one many bus drivers have been making recently. Niles bus driver Ralph Cartino said he believes with all the trouble on school buses lately, aides are necessary.

But obtaining aides is easier said than done, Warren City Schools Director of Business Operations Mark Donnelly said. The problem is cost.

‘‘The cost is not just in the salary,’’ Donnelly said.

The School Employees Retirement System of Ohio surcharge also would raise the expenditures of school districts bringing in bus aides.

The minimum annual compensation determined by SERS is about $27,000. The surcharge is figured at 14 percent of the difference between the employee’s annual compensation and the minimum compensation level.

If an aide received compensation of $19,000 annually, for example, the district would have to pay 14 percent of about $8,000 to SERS.

As far as contracted bus drivers go, Donnelly said they earn an hourly wage of $14.70.

There are four eight-hour bus drivers and the rest are four-hour drivers. However, four-hour drivers have opportunities to pick up additional hours by transporting kids for field trips and athletic events. Contracted bus drivers also receive benefits such as health care.

Substitute bus drivers make $13.03 per hour in the Warren district, Donnelly said.

The job itself can be daunting, as bus drivers have to navigate traffic with as many as 60 noisy kids behind them. They are also responsible for making sure cars are stopped behind them before kids get off the bus, and they have to make sure kids are safely on their own property before they pull away.

‘‘The demands are high,’’ Donnelly said. ‘‘You can see where some would say the job is thankless.’’

Niles schools bus driver Ashley Cottrill began in the fall of 2005 and said she has found the job to be stressful. As a new driver, her route includes two middle school runs and elementary routes.

Cottrill said she tells the kids to stop when they are misbehaving, but it is often necessary to pull over the bus and intervene. She said the most she can do as far as punishment goes is to write the kids up and give the write-up to the child’s school principal.

‘‘I have to get them home safely,’’ she said. ‘‘That’s the important thing. If they don’t listen, I just pull over the bus again.’’

Cottrill isn’t ready to put the brakes on the job yet. In fact, she wants to make it her career but hopes to get better routes as she gains experience.

‘‘It would be so much easier if we had aides,’’ she said.

Lakeview bus driver Judy Rees said kids have been suspended from her bus and she has had to write up some students in her 15 years or so as a bus driver. She said she also has run into problems in which a child’s parents wouldn’t be home when she arrived to drop a student off in the afternoon.

In one instance, she said she had to wait at the school with a child for hours until someone came and got the student.

Donnelly said while most kids are well-behaved on the bus, it takes only two or three students to cause serious trouble.

‘‘A bus driver can’t control kids starting a fight,’’ he said.

Bus drivers receive extensive training ( ) and learn the routes well before they begin driving kids, and they are required to have a commercial driver’s license, Donnelly said. Buses also are equipped with radios so drivers can contact the appropriate people if there is trouble.

Click Here for source

FREE School Bus Safety Ads & Photo Library
Post Check, Hostage Takeover, Bus Fire and special effects photos now available Free to use at websites, in newsletters, memos, the local press, letters to parents and more. This is a very popular Website. If you can't get in bookmark the page and try again later.



There is no school bus driver shortage!
Properly train, effective support and pay that retains.

Edited by - JK on 11/03/2007 1:49:46 PM
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JK
Top Member

USA
7307 Posts

Posted - 11/03/2007 :  2:07:50 PM  Show Profile  Visit JK's Homepage  Reply with Quote
Man at His Best

Is it true that loud, steady noise--like the hum of the city outside my window--can increase the risk of a coronary event?

Free Advice from a Medical Professional

By Mehmet Oz

It's true. In a recent study in Germany, researchers found that people who live in noisy areas are far more likely to suffer a heart attack. The risk went up by about 50 percent in men. For women, the increase was a staggering 300 percent.

All it takes to make a difference is prolonged exposure to noise in the 65-to-75-decibel range.

Normal conversation is about 60 decibels, so if you have to repeatedly raise your voice to be heard, you're in an unhealthy noise environment.

Environmental noise stresses the parasympathetic system, your subconscious autopilot that continuously surveys the world around you and creates your response. In a noisy environment, this autopilot releases adrenaline, which drives up steroid levels in your blood and results in constricted blood vessels and higher blood pressure.

It doesn't matter if you've never had another heart problem in your life, either; it can still result in a heart attack.

I'm not saying you should relocate, but the next time you do decide to move, consider an apartment on a high floor, as far from the street as possible. You might not notice much of a difference, but your subconscious will thank you.

Dr. Mehmet Oz is a heart surgeon and the coauthor of You: The Smart Patient (Free Press).

Click Here for information on Dr. OZ

YOU: The Owner's Manual: An Insider's Guide to the Body that Will Make You Healthier and Younger by Michael F. Roizen (Author), Mehmet Oz (Author) Click Here for information on this guide

Click Here for eBook source and sample chapter

Note - Over 100 free templates delivered each month since June 2007 to school districts, transportation providers, police and fire safety units, government agencies, the press, school bus drivers and parent safety associations: Click the link to receive this customizable Free brochure (MS Word template) that can be reproduced and given to parents - "The seven highly effective steps to keeping your child safe" - Click Here for Link

FREE School Bus Safety Ads & Photo Library
Post Check, Hostage Takeover, Bus Fire and special effects photos now available Free to use at websites, in newsletters, memos, the local press, letters to parents and more. This is a very popular Website. If you can't get in bookmark the page and try again later.



There is no school bus driver shortage!
Properly train, effective support and pay that retains.

Edited by - JK on 07/20/2010 09:32:25 AM
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guzaldo
Advanced Member

421 Posts

Posted - 11/04/2007 :  08:01:23 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Stress - let's see - "only people who don't have stress in their life are living in a grave yard" quote from the wizard of Oz or maybe Jim's latest guru Dr. Oz. In other words stress is a part of life - deal with it nothing I hate more than someone complaining about stress.

As for these so called studies they usually turn out to be flawed. The researchers usually forget about other environmental factors in the control group. I'd like to see the paramaters of this study of Germans living in noise and having heart attacks. Is this supposed to relate to bus drivers? What is the point here?

I think Jim is trying to convince us of something – maybe he will let us know as soon as he figures it out.

Edited by - guzaldo on 11/04/2007 08:39:27 AM
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JK
Top Member

USA
7307 Posts

Posted - 11/04/2007 :  10:02:59 AM  Show Profile  Visit JK's Homepage  Reply with Quote
Ten Things That Bad Managers Do, by Cyndi Maxey, CSP
According to management researcher Chandra Louise, 80% of the employees who quit their jobs do so because of problems with their bosses. While they may give the human resources staff other reasons for quitting, they will tell their friends, "I’d still be there even for that pittance of a salary if it weren’t for that awful boss." Click Here for source.

FREE School Bus Safety Ads & Photo Library
Post Check, Hostage Takeover, Bus Fire and special effects photos now available Free to use at websites, in newsletters, memos, the local press, letters to parents and more. This is a very popular Website. If you can't get in bookmark the page and try again later.



There is no school bus driver shortage!
Properly train, effective support and pay that retains.

Edited by - JK on 04/25/2008 5:51:54 PM
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mlkdrives41
Top Member

USA
2055 Posts

Posted - 11/04/2007 :  1:42:05 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
If your job gives you stress that you cannot handle do what you can to remedy the situation. If the situation cannot be remedied then start looking for a different job.

Life is too short to work at a job you hate for many years. Your emotional and physical health suffers and so do your relationships outside work, especially with your loved ones. When you can't just let it go at the end of the day then it is time to take positive action.

Finding a job you absolutely LOVE is possible. What a delight when that happens, too!

Nothing great has ever been accomplished without enthusiasm!
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skoolbus
Senior Member

USA
87 Posts

Posted - 11/05/2007 :  5:18:46 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Maybe we could find some fascinating program for sale on ebay that would help us work all this out, huh JK?

http://cgi.ebay.com/SCHOOL-BUS-DRIVER-SAFETY-CD-Now-Over-800-Files-NEW_W0QQitemZ270182094429QQihZ017QQcategoryZ102362QQcmdZViewItem

Where do you find time to actually drive a school bus? My goodness I can't believe how much you post, and the words just go on and on; and they never change! Years go by and its still the same inane riduculous buffoonery. "Drivers shouldn't be blamed for anything, its all management's fault" waa, waa, waa!

Take a break!

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JK
Top Member

USA
7307 Posts

Posted - 11/05/2007 :  9:11:33 PM  Show Profile  Visit JK's Homepage  Reply with Quote
Any decent school bus driver that keeps his or her school bus environment a calm, safe place for children and a hostile-free workplace for the bus driver has done well enough to have earned a full days pay. (jk)

School Bus Safety CD

You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michaelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein. ~H. Jackson Brown

Ten Things That Bad Managers Do, by Cyndi Maxey, CSP
According to management researcher Chandra Louise, 80% of the employees who quit their jobs do so because of problems with their bosses. While they may give the human resources staff other reasons for quitting, they will tell their friends, "I’d still be there even for that pittance of a salary if it weren’t for that awful boss." Click Here for source.

FREE School Bus Safety Ads & Photo Library
Post Check, Hostage Takeover, Bus Fire and special effects photos now available Free to use at websites, in newsletters, memos, the local press, letters to parents and more. This is a very popular Website. If you can't get in bookmark the page and try again later.



There is no school bus driver shortage!
Properly train, effective support and pay that retains.

Edited by - JK on 04/25/2008 5:54:44 PM
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JK
Top Member

USA
7307 Posts

Posted - 11/05/2007 :  9:18:36 PM  Show Profile  Visit JK's Homepage  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by mlkdrives41

... Life is too short to work at a job you hate for many years. Your emotional and physical health suffers and so do your relationships outside work, especially with your loved ones. When you can't just let it go at the end of the day then it is time to take positive action. ...


The equivalent of over 400,000 school bus drivers in this industry follow your advice each period covering three to four year cycles. (jk)

Ten Things That Bad Managers Do, by Cyndi Maxey, CSP
According to management researcher Chandra Louise, 80% of the employees who quit their jobs do so because of problems with their bosses. While they may give the human resources staff other reasons for quitting, they will tell their friends, "I’d still be there even for that pittance of a salary if it weren’t for that awful boss." Click Here for source.

FREE School Bus Safety Ads & Photo Library
Post Check, Hostage Takeover, Bus Fire and special effects photos now available Free to use at websites, in newsletters, memos, the local press, letters to parents and more. This is a very popular Website. If you can't get in bookmark the page and try again later.



There is no school bus driver shortage!
Properly train, effective support and pay that retains.
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guzaldo
Advanced Member

421 Posts

Posted - 11/07/2007 :  03:42:59 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Of course he has to volunteer no one is going to pay him for his yada yada yada. :)
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JK
Top Member

USA
7307 Posts

Posted - 11/07/2007 :  10:09:55 AM  Show Profile  Visit JK's Homepage  Reply with Quote
Traveling backward down the dialog evolutionary scale may help provide some of the major ingredients that reveal the hostile workplace. (jk)

Will the time come when all decent school bus drivers get the support that teachers get at some schools?
It is harassment when a parent seeks revenge, such as the resignation or termination of a teacher’s employment rather than a legitimate resolution to a complaint. Harassment can never be tolerated. (PDF download) When Conflicts Arise—Dealing With Parental Concerns - Click Here for source

Note - Over 100 free templates delivered each month since June 2007 to school districts, transportation providers, police and fire safety units, government agencies, the press, school bus drivers and parent safety associations: Click the link to receive this customizable Free brochure (MS Word template) that can be reproduced and given to parents - "The seven highly effective steps to keeping your child safe" - Click Here for Link

FREE School Bus Safety Ads & Photo Library
Post Check, Hostage Takeover, Bus Fire and special effects photos now available Free to use at websites, in newsletters, memos, the local press, letters to parents and more. This is a very popular Website. If you can't get in bookmark the page and try again later.



There is no school bus driver shortage!
Properly train, effective support and pay that retains.

Edited by - JK on 04/25/2008 6:30:24 PM
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JK
Top Member

USA
7307 Posts

Posted - 11/07/2007 :  10:26:42 AM  Show Profile  Visit JK's Homepage  Reply with Quote
Can poor pay for professional work be an indicator of a hostile workplace?

Should people that want a real job look to other professions?

Here's a look at pay:

Bus Drivers - Source: Occupational Outlook Handbook

Median hourly earnings of transit and intercity bus drivers were $14.30 in May 2004. The middle 50 percent earned between $10.74 and $19.31 an hour. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $8.66, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $23.53 an hour. Median hourly earnings in the industries employing the largest numbers of transit and intercity bus drivers in May 2004 were as follows:

Local government $17.10
Interurban and rural bus transportation 15.86
Urban transit systems 13.49
Charter bus industry 10.81
Other transit and ground passenger transportation 10.74

Median hourly earnings of school bus drivers were $11.18 in May 2004. The middle 50 percent earned between $8.10 and $13.92 an hour. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $6.23, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $16.81 an hour. Median hourly earnings in the industries employing the largest numbers of school bus drivers in May 2004 were as follows:

School and employee bus transportation $11.97
Elementary and secondary schools 10.74
Other transit and ground passenger transportation 10.62
Child day care services 9.28
Individual and family services 8.75

The benefits bus drivers receive from their employers vary greatly. Most intercity and local-transit bus drivers receive paid health and life insurance, sick leave, vacation leave, and free bus rides on any of the regular routes of their line or system. School bus drivers receive sick leave, and many are covered by health and life insurance and pension plans. Because they generally do not work when school is not in session, they do not get vacation leave.

Many intercity and local-transit bus drivers are members of the Amalgamated Transit Union. Local-transit bus drivers in New York and several other large cities belong to the Transport Workers Union of America. Some drivers belong to the United Transportation Union or to the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

Other driver income resources - [Note: often offer year round employment and longer hours]
Couriers $17.94
General freight trucking $17.56
Grocery and related product wholesalers 17.32
Specialized freight trucking 15.61
Employment services 14.82
Drycleaning and laundry services $14.67
Cement and concrete product manufacturing 14.47
Direct selling establishments 13.55
Grocery and related product wholesalers 12.44
Grocery and related product wholesalers 12.36
Taxi and limousine service $10.68

Not mentioned are (HAZMAT) Transportation Drivers - Pay can be above $20.00 per hour for experienced drivers, unusual benefits and home at night. Varies for long-haul (different arrangements that result in $40,000 a year to double that with plenty of time off where wanted. If it glows it grows larger pay.)

Probably competes with the school bus industry
Automotive parts, accessories, and tire stores 8.07
Limited-service eating places 6.77
Full-service restaurants 6.59
Other transit and ground passenger transportation 9.23
Traveler accommodation 8.48
Automobile dealers 8.45
Automotive equipment rental and leasing 8.25

Source: Occupational Outlook Handbook
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections
Suite 2135
2 Massachusetts Avenue, NE
Washington, DC 20212-0001

Will the time come when all decent school bus drivers get the support that teachers get at some schools?
It is harassment when a parent seeks revenge, such as the resignation or termination of a teacher’s employment rather than a legitimate resolution to a complaint. Harassment can never be tolerated. (PDF download) When Conflicts Arise—Dealing With Parental Concerns - Click Here for source

Note - Over 100 free templates delivered each month since June 2007 to school districts, transportation providers, police and fire safety units, government agencies, the press, school bus drivers and parent safety associations: Click the link to receive this customizable Free brochure (MS Word template) that can be reproduced and given to parents - "The seven highly effective steps to keeping your child safe" - Click Here for Link

FREE School Bus Safety Ads & Photo Library
Post Check, Hostage Takeover, Bus Fire and special effects photos now available Free to use at websites, in newsletters, memos, the local press, letters to parents and more. This is a very popular Website. If you can't get in bookmark the page and try again later.



There is no school bus driver shortage!
Properly train, effective support and pay that retains.

Edited by - JK on 04/25/2008 6:09:16 PM
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JK
Top Member

USA
7307 Posts

Posted - 11/13/2007 :  12:44:00 PM  Show Profile  Visit JK's Homepage  Reply with Quote
UNITED HEALTHCARE OF FLORIDA TO PAY $1.8 MILLION FOR SAME-SEX HARASSMENT AND RETALIATION

EEOC Settles Suit Charging Male Former Regional Vice President With Victimizing Male Former Senior Accounts Executive

MIAMI – The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today announced that United HealthCare of Florida, Inc. will pay $1.8 million to settle a same-sex harassment and retaliation lawsuit charging that the male former regional vice president of key accounts subjected a male former top senior account executive to repeated verbal sexual harassment in Sunrise, Fla.

According to the EEOC’s lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, Miami Division (Case No. 06-61483-CIV-MOORE/GARBER), after the high ranking senior account executive complained several times to upper management, United HealthCare retaliated against him by subjecting him to discipline and denying him stock options and commissions. The account executive even complained to the former and current chief executive officers of the employer’s parent company (United HealthGroup, Inc.) who did not take remedial action to correct the unlawful discrimination. The top executive could no longer tolerate the retaliatory conduct, so he quit, the EEOC said.

Click Here for full story

Sexual Harassment Law Firms.com

FREE School Bus Safety Ads & Photo Library
Post Check, Hostage Takeover, Bus Fire and special effects photos now available Free to use at websites, in newsletters, memos, the local press, letters to parents and more. This is a very popular Website. If you can't get in bookmark the page and try again later.



There is no school bus driver shortage!
Properly train, effective support and pay that retains.
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JK
Top Member

USA
7307 Posts

Posted - 11/14/2007 :  9:06:07 PM  Show Profile  Visit JK's Homepage  Reply with Quote
This is a response to a post in another thread presented for discussion here instead. A school bus driver with ten years of experiences in the thread's story.

I have yet to hear that bus driver's side. Myself not so willing to throw that school bus driver away without at least hearing or reading what the bus driver says happened. (jk)

"For every problem there is one solution which is simple, tidy and wrong." ~Unknown

Will the time come when all decent school bus drivers receive the support that teachers receive at some schools?
It is harassment when a parent seeks revenge, such as the resignation or termination of a teacher’s employment rather than a legitimate resolution to a complaint. Harassment can never be tolerated. (PDF download) When Conflicts Arise—Dealing With Parental Concerns - Click Here for source

Accused of losing your mind?
Free Online Memory Test from the Brain Fitness Channel
Click Here for source


FREE School Bus Safety Ads & Photo Library
Post Check, Hostage Takeover, Bus Fire and special effects photos now available Free to use at websites, in newsletters, memos, the local press, letters to parents and more. This is a very popular Website. If you can't get in bookmark the page and try again later.



There is no school bus driver shortage!
Properly train, effective support and pay that retains.

Edited by - JK on 04/25/2008 6:13:37 PM
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jimbo20
Senior Member

USA
159 Posts

Posted - 11/15/2007 :  4:26:11 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
I don't know you J.K. or what your claim to fame is but you sound like Al Gore and global warming. You need a man with a couch.

Edited by - jimbo20 on 11/15/2007 4:28:36 PM
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Salaskie
Advanced Member

USA
453 Posts

Posted - 11/15/2007 :  5:22:50 PM  Show Profile  Send Salaskie an AOL message  Send Salaskie a Yahoo! Message  Reply with Quote
"Myself usually keep a low profile at my workplace. If a driver wants assistance to address an issue then I'm glad to help with that."

This is contrary to being a safety leader. We are all safety leaders. Be in the forefront and set an example, no matter what position you hold within the workplace.

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JK
Top Member

USA
7307 Posts

Posted - 11/15/2007 :  6:43:44 PM  Show Profile  Visit JK's Homepage  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by jimbo20

I don't know you J.K. or what your claim to fame is but you sound like Al Gore and global warming. You need a man with a couch.


That's an interesting opinion. And how do you define yourself? (jk)

Will the time come when all decent school bus drivers receive the support that teachers receive at some schools?
It is harassment when a parent seeks revenge, such as the resignation or termination of a teacher’s employment rather than a legitimate resolution to a complaint. Harassment can never be tolerated. (PDF download) When Conflicts Arise—Dealing With Parental Concerns - Click Here for source

Accused of losing your mind?
Free Online Memory Test from the Brain Fitness Channel
Click Here for source


FREE School Bus Safety Ads & Photo Library
Post Check, Hostage Takeover, Bus Fire and special effects photos now available Free to use at websites, in newsletters, memos, the local press, letters to parents and more. This is a very popular Website. If you can't get in bookmark the page and try again later.



There is no school bus driver shortage!
Properly train, effective support and pay that retains.

Edited by - JK on 04/25/2008 6:33:07 PM
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JK
Top Member

USA
7307 Posts

Posted - 11/15/2007 :  7:30:15 PM  Show Profile  Visit JK's Homepage  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Salaskie

... This is contrary to being a safety leader. We are all safety leaders. Be in the forefront and set an example, no matter what position you hold within the workplace.


Some in this forum have mentioned that a safe, calm school bus environment for children and a hostile free workplace for the school bus driver is fantasy thinking. What do you think? (jk)

10 ways to address bullying on the school bus - Guide for bus drivers and school staff. First Line of Defense Against Bus Surfers and Child Predators. Dealing with Angry Parents. These reports available from Federal News Services. Website

Accused of losing your mind?
Free Online Memory Test from the Brain Fitness Channel
Click Here for source


FREE School Bus Safety Ads & Photo Library
Post Check, Hostage Takeover, Bus Fire and special effects photos now available Free to use at websites, in newsletters, memos, the local press, letters to parents and more. This is a very popular Website. If you can't get in bookmark the page and try again later.



There is no school bus driver shortage!
Properly train, effective support and pay that retains.

Edited by - JK on 04/25/2008 6:37:53 PM
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JK
Top Member

USA
7307 Posts

Posted - 11/15/2007 :  9:17:26 PM  Show Profile  Visit JK's Homepage  Reply with Quote
This is a response to a post from another thread presented for discussion here instead.

"Please tell me how it feels to have to work for a manager when you just know you're smarter than he/she happens to be. Also probably reached that position in a fraction of the time that you have been a driver, huh?"

Empowered might fit. My manager has the skill to dicuss an issue with an elequence toward me that a few so often seem to lack. (jk)

Why Bullies Bully and What to do About it

FREE School Bus Safety Ads & Photo Library
Post Check, Hostage Takeover, Bus Fire and special effects photos now available Free to use at websites, in newsletters, memos, the local press, letters to parents and more. This is a very popular Website. If you can't get in bookmark the page and try again later.



There is no school bus driver shortage!
Properly train, effective support and pay that retains.

Edited by - JK on 04/25/2008 6:43:13 PM
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JK
Top Member

USA
7307 Posts

Posted - 11/17/2007 :  12:07:26 AM  Show Profile  Visit JK's Homepage  Reply with Quote
Bus Bullying
No Bullies on Board: Putting the Brakes on School Bus Bullying

American Public Health Association
Each year in the United States, 440,000 school buses transport 24 million students to and from schools. Collectively these buses travel 4.3 billion miles daily, with only one adult to get them to their destination safely. When investigating the safety concerns, it is easy to find specifications for brakes, steering, exhaust, engine performance, lights, and other functions related to safety inspections. However, one of the most serious problems on buses has little to do with mechanical functions, and everything to do with the passengers themselves.

In recent years there has been a sharp increase in violence on school buses. Not only are students inflicting harm verbally, physically, emotionally and sexually on one another, but there is also an increase in bus incidents involving parents. There is little data on specific acts of violence on buses. However, there are more isolated reports on local and national news regarding shootings, stabbings, and other serious harassment. In working with thousands of children of all ages to reduce and prevent bullying behaviors, BJC School Outreach has developed a survey question to determine the areas where students encounter bullying most frequently. The results rank buses as the number two place for bullying, second only to the playground. The bus is noted by nearly 25 percent as the place for serious incidents of bullying. What are some factors that contribute to this significant problem?

First of all, we are asking the driver to be concerned with getting children to their destination safely without collisions. That is a difficult task! Drivers cannot always stop when conflicts occur, and many are on a tight schedule because their bus transports students to several schools. Bus drivers must obtain a chauffeur’s license to drive a bus, but that license does not involve training in behavior management. Many drivers are simply not equipped to handle the unsupervised behaviors they are faced with. Traffic control and behavior control are completely unrelated and incompatible.

Parents, students, teachers, administrators, and non-teaching staff (including bus drivers) need to be aware of what constitutes bullying and support the position that schools -– and buses –- are bully-free zones. While zero tolerance policies are important so everyone understands the consequences of bullying, it is essential to build strong positive relationships as primary prevention.

Having cameras on buses cannot solve the entire problem. When recently interviewing students about the effectiveness of cameras, they reported, “If you can’t see the lens, then the camera can’t see you. Anyway, lots of buses don’t have film in the camera.” Yet these same students report that when there is a bond between the driver and the students, behavior tends to be more positive. “Why would anyone want to be mean when the driver is so nice?” Working to improve the overall climate in schools and developing a positive school culture is essential to safety for students both in school and on buses.

Change cannot happen without support from all sources. Some of the key points to making those changes are:
-- Define bullying and make sure everyone knows the definition: one person or more intending harm, humiliation and/or intimidation to others with words and/or actions. There are five types of bullying: verbal, emotional, physical, gender, and more recently, cyber (use of the computer).
-- Create immediate and consistent consequences for misbehavior; post guidelines on buses.
-- Train drivers to de-escalate aggression, and know where police and fire stations are along the route in the event they need help; also train them on safety procedures when weapons are present.
-- Recognize the importance of dealing with low-level aggression such as name-calling, put downs, or negative humor in preventing more serious offenses.
-- Have assigned seats.
-- Praise and reward appropriate behavior.
-- Get parents involved; have a “meet the driver” session before the year gets started to discuss mutual expectations,
-- Consider adding another adult on the bus; this can be a volunteer or paid staff.
-- Give daily reports of incidents – a bad experience on the way to school can affect the entire day for some children.
-- When it is difficult to determine the fault, have all students write out statements privately so the truth can emerge.
-- Support training and keep communications open with drivers and building administrators.
-- Set policy that supports positive steps rather than punishments.
-- Help troublemakers become peacemakers by giving them responsibility.
-- Train students to be vigilant, caring witnesses – teach empathy; if students take responsibility for safety, they can work together to stop violence.
-- Develop incentives for positive behavior.
-- Bring bus drivers into classrooms to allow students to relate to them in a different environment.

With acts of violence on the increase, bus safety will continue to be a growing concern with regard to bullying. Perhaps if schools could create a diversion for bus passengers, such as classical music or even television (with properly monitored programming), students might remain calmer. Organizing a bus committee comprised of students, staff, drivers, and parents can be an opportunity to create a plan that ensures safety and well-being of all passengers, and will help improve school performance. Students who arrive at school without witnessing or experiencing incidents of violence will be ready for the academics that await them in school. When buses are friendlier environments, and drivers can focus on traffic and safety, then everyone wins.

Lynne Lang is a school-community-health educator for BJC HealthCare in St Louis. She writes and implements violence prevention curriculum for students and the adults who work with them. She holds a BS in Communications and her MS is in Health Management.

Click Here for source

FREE School Bus Safety Ads & Photo Library
Post Check, Hostage Takeover, Bus Fire and special effects photos now available Free to use at websites, in newsletters, memos, the local press, letters to parents and more. This is a very popular Website. If you can't get in bookmark the page and try again later.



There is no school bus driver shortage!
Properly train, effective support and pay that retains.

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JK
Top Member

USA
7307 Posts

Posted - 11/17/2007 :  4:53:36 PM  Show Profile  Visit JK's Homepage  Reply with Quote
Parents eye cameras or aides to deter bus bullies

BY CHRISTINA HERNANDEZ | christina.hernandez@newsday.com

NOV 14 2007
NEWSDAY
After her first-grade son was bullied on the school bus by two students earlier this year, Katharine O'Moore-Klopf is appealing to the board of the Three Village Central School District to hire bus aides or install video cameras on buses.

"Kids will be kids ... but the bus driver can't be monitoring this," said O'Moore-Klopf, 48, of East Setauket, during the public comment period of Tuesday night's board meeting.

Board President Stuart Fourman thanked her, but offered no comments. Neither Fourman nor district Superintendent Frank Carasiti returned calls Wednesday.

Click Here for full story

------------


Sad that this sort of malbehavior keeps showing up on America's safest transportation to and from school. And no camera to boot.

I'm very glad our community's school bus service is sensitive to bullying on the buses. If we spot bullying on the bus the offender can expect an immediately escort to the school office. The threatened child or the child's parent can alert the bus driver, the school or transportation and we are on it immediately. We have to be ready to intervene 'in the moment' when keeping kids safe is a real priority. Would hope the school district in this post's story takes an effective action to eradicate bullying from their school buses. (jk)

10 ways to address bullying on the school bus - Guide for bus drivers and school staff. First Line of Defense Against Bus Surfers and Child Predators. Dealing with Angry Parents - These reports available from Federal News Services. Website

Concerning overall school bus safety for parents here is a link to our free brochure with our thanks for helping keep kids safe, "The Seven Highly Effective Steps to Keeping Your Child Safe" (MS WORD DOC FILE). The flyer can be customized to fit your needs. On-Line Link

FREE School Bus Safety Ads & Photo Library
Post Check, Hostage Takeover, Bus Fire and special effects photos now available Free to use at websites, in newsletters, memos, the local press, letters to parents and more. This is a very popular Website. If you can't get in bookmark the page and try again later.



There is no school bus driver shortage!
Properly train, effective support and pay that retains.

Edited by - JK on 11/17/2007 5:01:02 PM
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JK
Top Member

USA
7307 Posts

Posted - 11/17/2007 :  5:22:29 PM  Show Profile  Visit JK's Homepage  Reply with Quote
Dealing with the jerk at work

By Mary Lorenz, Careerbuilder.com

NOV 16 2007
CNN.COM

Editor's note: CNN.com has a business partnership with CareerBuilder.com, which serves as the exclusive provider of job listings and services to CNN.com.

If you've never encountered a jerk or a bully at the office, you should consider yourself one of the lucky few.

According to Stanford University professor Robert I. Sutton in his book "The No A**hole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn't," workplace jerks are everywhere, and most people will encounter one of these people over the course of their professional life. (Please note the actual title of the book does not have ** in it)

Based on an article he wrote for the Harvard Business Review, Sutton's book is a tell-it-like-it-is guide to dealing with the individuals who demean their fellow workers while undermining a company's performance.

Simply put, no office should put up with these employees.

The characters in question are typically the people often referred to as bullies, creeps, jerks, tormentors, despots, backstabbers, egomaniacs and the like.

For Sutton, their behavior in so many of today's workplaces can be damaging to not only fellow workers and the companies that employ them, but themselves as well.

"If you display contempt," he writes in chapter four, "others will respond in much the same way, igniting a vicious circle that can turn everyone around you into a mean-spirited monster just like you."

Unfortunately, many workplaces today ignore, forgive or even encourage nastiness.

So great was the outpouring of reader reactions to Sutton's article, he decided to turn it into a full-fledged book, which he hopes will serve to both comfort the many workers who must work with these jerks and help organizations eliminate these personalities.

Among the topics the book covers:

• How to differentiate one of these people from someone who simply annoys you: (One indication: After talking to the alleged offender, one feels oppressed, humiliated, de-energized, or belittled.);

• Ten steps for enforcing the rule (Step four: Treat certified jerks as incompetent employees);

• Everyday actions of workplace bullies, including rude interruptions and invading one's "personal territory";

• And a comprehensive self-test to see if you are the office jerk (Two signs: You are quick to point out others' mistakes, and you secretly enjoy watching other people suffer and squirm).

Click Here for Source

All About Worklife

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There is no school bus driver shortage!
Properly train, effective support and pay that retains.

Edited by - JK on 11/18/2007 01:29:29 AM
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JK
Top Member

USA
7307 Posts

Posted - 11/18/2007 :  12:01:44 AM  Show Profile  Visit JK's Homepage  Reply with Quote
EDUCATION
Florida schools collecting data on bullying

Nov 15 2007
Miami Herald
Recognizing growing concerns about bullying, Florida school districts are being asked to track when kids are being victimized.

According to the state, bullying is unwanted and repeated written, verbal or physical behavior, including any threatening, insulting or dehumanizing act by an adult or student that creates an intimidating or hostile school environment.

In late 2005, high school student Camille Burke boarded her school bus in Miramar and shot a classmate who she said had been teasing her about her hair. Burke agreed to serve 10 years in prison and 10 years probation in exchange for pleading guilty to attempted murder and possession of a firearm on school property.

Parents say bullying is widespread, and they are pushing for the school district to clearly define what bullying is. School Board member Stephanie Kraft wants to create a task force on the issue.

In one recent national survey, students ages 8 to 15 ranked bullying as the biggest problem in their lives, Kevorkian said. And according to the American Medical Association, half of all American children say they have been bullied at school.

Click Here for full story



Court backs local family over school district

By Carrie Pederson

NOV 16 2007
The Daily News
The State Supreme Court today ordered the Kelso School District to release a school bus surveillance video that it had denied to a family who wants to review it for evidence that their son was bullied.

The high court's 7-2 ruling overturned Cowlitz County Superior Court Judge Stephen Warning's March 2004 denial of the request for the tape by Richard and Ginger Lindeman of Kelso.

The Lindemans assert that the school bus video of Oct. 8, 2003, shows another student repeatedly kicking and hitting their son during the ride to Rose Valley Elementary School.

The district allowed the Lindemans to watch the tape that day, but officials later refused to give them a copy, saying it is a record of students' personal information and exempt from disclosure under the state Open Records Act.

In a decision hailed by advocates of open government, the court rejected that reasoning and awarded the Lindemans' attorney fees, costs, and penalties, the amount of which were unavailable Thursday.

The state open record law exempts personal information such as students' grades, test scores, evaluations and class schedules from public disclosure, according to the court.

But a surveillance tape "differs significantly from the type of record that schools maintain in students' personnel files. Merely placing the videotape in a location designated as a student's file does not transform the videotape into a record maintained for students," the according to the majority opinion.

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Story Comments

Bullies Have More Rights? wrote on Nov 16, 2007
" For some reason we live in a society where the "bullies" seem to have more rights then the people that they choose to pick on. What is wrong with this picture? Any and all schools can say they have an "anti-bullying" policy, but to back it up is a whole different story. And then the school officials sit around and wonder why the "home-schooled" population is growing. Think about it . . . "

Ms. Concerned wrote on Nov 16, 2007
"The last statement in this article caught my eye. "aggressor's behavior had improved after stepped-up disciplinary action." The word disciplin means "to teach" not to punish, so did the aggressor, get taught new behavior modification skills, or did he just get punished for his actions towards this other student (his victim)? there is a difference......Thank Goodness the Lindemans recieved couseling for their son, so he could cope with the entire event because the bullying did not stop with the incident on the bus! It seems to me it continued with the school administration, school counselors, etc. I am very proud of the Lindemans for being such an excellent role model for their children. The schools need to step up and Start teaching "social Skill" to children at an early age, and follow up with behavior modification skills for the student that need this class, even anger mangement classes if need be. This is life today, we can't keep ignoring it and think we live back in the 50's. Schools have to change with the times as well. Unfortunately, it's not all about the ABC'S anymore."

Mom of four wrote on Nov 16, 2007
" How can schools provide the "right discipline" to children? What is the "right" discipline? Who makes that decision for the 4,000 kids at Kelso and the 7500 kids at Longview? Can you guarantee that 100% of the parents will approve of what the "school" decides? Bullying is a big issue, and always has been, teaching students how to handle and prevent bullying hasn't been improved in 50 years, how can the schools do it today? Lots of expectations for the school but no tools, laws, rules or community support are provided for such a procedure. "

More comments at bottom of story's page.



Parenting
Special to The Seattle Times

By Jan Faull

NOV 17 2007
The Seattle Times
Q: My sixth-grade daughter witnessed a bullying situation on the school bus when a sixth-grade boy was pushing a kindergartner around. She stepped in and told him to stop it. The bully backed off, and now she sits next to the kindergartner on the bus to protect him. While I'm proud of my daughter, I fear that the bully will target her next. What should I do?

A: The likelihood is great that this bully will not victimize your daughter. Bullies possess an instinct for picking on the slightly different, defenseless child who is physically weak, timid, anxious, sensitive, shy or unpopular. Your daughter is assertive; bullies don't victimize assertive peers because they know they won't succeed. They intuitively know that students like your daughter will stand up to them or go to an adult for help.

Most children are neither victims nor bullies. Most are bystanders like your daughter. Unfortunately, most bystanders do nothing. Parents can encourage children who witness bullying to step in and stop the incident if they feel they're able, or to alert the bus driver, teacher or principal, who will step in for them.

Bullies typically are sugary sweet to adults; their tactics emerge when left without adult supervision. That's why schools need to engage the silent majority by encouraging bystanders to not turn a blind eye when they see bullies unmercifully teasing or jeering a victim or, worse yet, pushing the victim around.

Even though there are laws and rules against bullying at school, they don't appear to be enough. Children who tattle on bullies need to be rewarded for doing so. There needs to be a pervading anti-bullying spirit in schools where teachers, parents and principals work daily to keep this spirit intact.

Jan Faull, a specialist in child development and behavior, answers questions of general interest in her column. You can e-mail her at janfaull@aol.com or write to: Jan Faull, c/o Families, The Seattle Times, P.O. Box 70, Seattle, WA 98111.

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There is no school bus driver shortage!
Properly train, effective support and pay that retains.

Edited by - JK on 11/18/2007 12:10:56 AM
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JK
Top Member

USA
7307 Posts

Posted - 11/22/2007 :  9:56:30 PM  Show Profile  Visit JK's Homepage  Reply with Quote
Dealing With Bullies in the Workplace

With workplace bullying on the rise, developing respect, service and safety on the job is critical

Nov 20 2007
PRNewswire
MILWAUKEE -- There are many names for it: bullying, incivility, disrespect, psychological abuse, and emotional harassment. No matter what it's called, the results are the same -- time lost from work, unhappy employees, medical claims, legal fees, and ultimately, dissatisfied customers. The cost, both financial and in quality of life, is enormous.

Workplace bullying is on the rise, yet despite the prevalence of bullying and its damaging impact, organizational responses are spotty, at best, according to Terri Howard, Vice President of Corporate Preparedness for the Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI), the world's leader in crisis preparedness and intervention. "Organizations need better ways to identify bullying and better tools to address the problem." Ms. Howard is speaking out during Anti-Bullying Week.

A recent research study from the National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety (NIOHS) found 24.5 percent of surveyed companies reported incidents of bullying during the preceding year. In most incidents (55.2 percent) the victim is an employee, although customers (10.5 percent) and supervisors (7 percent) are frequently victims as well. As of 2004, an average of 33,000 employees are assaulted at work and 17 employees are murdered at work each week.

According to a survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics regarding workplace violence prevention, in 2005:

"Nearly five percent of the 7.1 million private industry business establishments in the United States had an incident of workplace violence within the 12 months prior to completing a new survey on workplace violence prevention. Although about a third of these establishments reported that the incident had a negative impact on their workforce, the great majority of these establishments did not change their workplace violence prevention procedures after the incident; almost 9 percent of these establishments had no program or policy addressing workplace violence."

Bullying is defined as any negative behavior that demonstrates a lack of regard for other workers, including harassment, incivility, teasing, gossiping, purposely withholding business information, overruling decisions without a rationale, sabotaging team efforts, demeaning others and verbal intimidation.

For more information about the PrepareTraining® program (PTP) and the Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI), and for interview opportunities with Terri Howard, Vice President, Corporate Preparedness at CPI, please contact Marie Maas at (414) 390-5500 or mmaas@muellercommunications.com.

Source: Crisis Prevention Institute

CPI has developed an audit tool to track information immediately and also over time. An audit can help companies organize their policies to promote values and clarify expectations for all employees, by using the categories of respect, service, and safety. Promoting a workplace culture that conveys expectations relating to respectful interactions, quality service, and safety can help prevent emergency situations that arise from incivility, aggression, and violence. Click Here for the workplace respect, service, and safety audit tool available at no cost.

Will the time come when all decent school bus drivers reveive the support that teachers receive at some schools?
It is harassment when a parent seeks revenge, such as the resignation or termination of a teacher’s employment rather than a legitimate resolution to a complaint. Harassment can never be tolerated. (PDF download) When Conflicts Arise—Dealing With Parental Concerns - Click Here for source

FREE School Bus Safety Ads & Photo Library
Post Check, Hostage Takeover, Bus Fire and special effects photos now available Free to use at websites, in newsletters, memos, the local press, letters to parents and more. This is a very popular Website. If you can't get in bookmark the page and try again later.



There is no school bus driver shortage!
Properly train, effective support and pay that retains.

Edited by - JK on 11/23/2007 7:50:37 PM
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sbd37091
Senior Member

93 Posts

Posted - 11/27/2007 :  5:39:52 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Since I am new to the forum, I must ask this question?

Who is JK? Since he spends so much time posting to the forums, I'm betting that he is not a bus driver. He sounds like a bus driver wannabe that could not pass the tests.

I have already found out how to enjoy the forums. Scroll past any posting by "JK".
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