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n2busdrivin
Active Member
USA
29 Posts |
 Posted - 06/30/2004 : 11:49:21 PM
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Question for Supervisors, Directors, or whatever title you may have that knows the answer to this!
Another driver informed me today that our county will no longer have the priviledge of having aides/monitors for our Head Start kids.  An aide/monitor received the following letter in the mail:
Dear So & So,
Thank you for your services as a Head Start bus monitor for this past school year. As you know these positions are dependent on available funding from Head Start. Unfortunately Head Start has not provided additional funding to support monitor positions for next year, and we will not be able to have monitors on the buses any longer. We wanted you to have as much notice as possible so that you could make other plans for next year.
Your services to the school division has been appreciated. If we can assist with references for other positions for which you might apply, please let us know. (end of letter)
Please help me understand this, as I may be interpreting the Federal Law wrong.  As I understand it, the Final Rule deadline for Jan. 20, 2004, states that "At least one monitor must be on board each vehicle at all times with passengers. Additional monitors shall be used as necessary to meet the needs of passengers."(1310.15) This sounds like to me that monitors should be on the bus until the final rule changes again in 2006! By Jan. 18, 2006, it states that "Monitors may have to be added or vehicle assignments modified. Whenever a Head Start child is placed on a route vehicle, a monitor must be present." Does this "route vehicle" include "regular routes", or is it specifically Head Start routes?  (Please explain what is meant by a "route vehicle"!) It also states that by 2006, "drivers and monitors must undergo pre-service training. Annual in-service training is required also." (Does this mean that the training should be different/seperate from each other?) Can training from an in-service count as training for pre-service? For example: During the in-service meeting for regular route drivers, emergency evacuation is discussed for "regular" busloads of students. Can this same exercise be substituted/duplicated for Head Start students without going over it again for a seperate pre-service meeting? Or should it be seperate due to the special requirements for Head Start and the training of monitors? Also, are monitors required by law to have training? Example: seatbelts, harnesses, vests, evacuations, first aid, CPR, etc.?
Lastly, are there any exemptions or special situations that I am unaware of? I found the above information that I have posted on the "School Transportation News" website. I'm also trying to make sure it is up to date so that I might stay in compliance with the Federal & State Laws since the above letter was sent out to one of our monitors.  Since I am a driver, I feel that it is important for the safety and well-being of my students to know what the law says. I also feel like our county is doing a dis-service to these students as well as the drivers.  If we have to get up out of our seats to buckle in students, it would seem to me that this would be a accident waiting to happen, as I can't watch the road while buckling, nor will I be able to see if a student unbuckles his/herself. Is it reasonable for ADULTS IN CHARGE to ask another child to make sure they are buckled in at all times? Has anyone thought about the responsibility that comes with all of this? Will the driver or the child watching the other buckled child be responsible if an accident occurs and the Head Start child is NOT buckled in because they chose to take it off? Kids will be kids, elem., middle, and high school.  They know NO FEAR and I don't think it is right for adults to assume that every bus will have at least one responsible child on it. None of us are perfect, not even as adults. Children are more easily distracted. I'm sure every driver will probably agree that distractions are plentiful enough when you're on the road as it is.  Distractions ARE the #1 reasons for accidents in the first place!
Sorry about that.....just had to vent some steam off.  I didn't intend to sound narrow-minded or ugly towards anyone. I just think some more thought should have been put into place by the powers at be! As you will note I'm sure, this is just another "budget/funding issue" that makes a drivers job less desirable in an already strained occupation for counties, cities, and states all across our nation. Will the $$$ ever stop taking priority over safety in our school divisions? Maybe it's just me, but I feel like it would be cheaper to pay the aides/monitors for their service instead of having to pay for a legal settlement. Maybe we all need to remind them about the little 4 year old girl who died on her school bus at the end of last school year.......Your comments, thoughts, and knowledge about Head Start would help open my eyes and perhaps some others on these issues. Thanks for your input and support!
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JK
Top Member
USA
7307 Posts |
Posted - 07/01/2004 : 2:22:27 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by n2busdrivin
... I'm sure every driver will probably agree that distractions are plentiful enough when you're on the road as it is. Distractions ARE the #1 reasons for accidents in the first place! ...
Almost agree: Nearly ninety percent of school bus crashes, determined to be the fault of the bus driver, are a result of distractions caused by student misbehavior on the bus.
As far as Federal Laws, some have escape clauses if the provider can find the loop hole. Large passenger vans are a classic example. Advertising on buses was considered so very dangerous, of course, until it was discovered some money could be made. The danger then suddenly evaporated for some school boards and law makers. Too much has evolved around politics, transportation provider/school district cost cutting agendas and liability issues, not the safety of children.
Someone in these forums may have some first-hand knowledge, concerning your specific questions. My contribution to your effort is to ask those giving out this information to also provide the information that supports these changes. Your concern is valid, since bus drivers are expected to be provided this information in order to fulfill their license requirements. (jk)
Click Here for Driver's Bus & Route Safety Report |
Edited by - JK on 07/01/2004 2:30:51 PM |
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Sherm
Top Member
USA
621 Posts |
Posted - 07/08/2004 : 08:31:54 AM
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| The Headstart Final Ruling mandates monitors for all Headstart routes and mandates the use of appropriate child safety restraint systems. Getting rid of monitors would render the operation non compliant and would put funding in jeopardy. All the info on this can be found on the STN website. |
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Head Start
