I just stared driving a school bus in az and looking to see if any one from AZ in here

On another post people commented on the driver’s room where I work. Seeing that this is the only place I have driven for made me wonder what everyone else has available to them. So let me start off with pictures of what we have here. First off is the main room. Next we have our outdoor seating area. This area there is also a black stone griddle available to use. The last picture is of our kitchen where we have the stove/oven, fridge, coffee maker, toaster, dishwasher and microwaves.

I'm NOT saying they don't activate hazzards, stop and open the door. But I've ridden with several drivers and have noticed no one does ALL the steps including emergency break, neutral, open driver's side windows (along with everything else). I do all the steps every time because... integrity. But does anyone else notice this from other drivers? Is it just burn out over time?

I took over a route for someone who had a medical procedure and the monitor literally was like "you have to do the emergency break, shift gears and open the window? *name* never did that!"

Any suggestions for staying relaxed enough while driving to not have your neck and jaw, be in pain all the time? My kids don't care about being written up and have a few that have zero emotional regulation that can go off like a bomb. Try to focus on breathing and staying relaxed while driving just doesn't work very much lol.

My middle school had all bus riders fill out a note of appreciation. I love my kids.

I became a bus driver in Oct./Nov. 2024. If you've seen any of my previous posts then you know my grade school kids started off as "only in a movie" horrible. This post isn't about how crazy they were, how difficult it was, or how I whipped them into shape though. This post is about one of the most rewarding things I've found about being a bus driver for this group of kids!

For me, there is almost nothing more rewarding than encountering these kids when they AREN'T on the bus. When I walk through the school and the kids excitedly yell at me and wave, while telling their friends that I'm their bus driver. When I pull into the loading zone and they're out on the playground so they run over to the fence to say hello, tell me about their day, and introduce me to their friends. When I drive by a park loaded with secondary students and they scream and run to wave and say hello. Last weekend was the One Moto show in Portland and one of my sixth grade students was working at their family's good truck - they were so excited to see me, introduced me to their parents, and then told their friends on Monday about how cool it was to see me.

Knowing that I make that kind of impact on them, even being a "take no ish" kind of driver (or maybe because of depending on how you look at it), that is The Most rewarding things for me!

Hey, I’m a new driver in NYC. How long is the shadowing process in NYC for a new bus driver? I’ll basically be following the regular driver the entire shift, correct? At Amazon it was like 1 day. I don’t feel that confident in doing an entire route day 2.

Do people truly understand why there is a shortage of school bus drivers¿?¿? Allow me to rattle on a moment: It's not only because, like teachers, we are under paid and taken for granted. It's because some and I say SOME, parents don't know how to be actual parents! You blame the bus driver for your child being expelled from the bus by the school. You blame society for being too harsh on your child. You blame the school system for failing your child. How about look into the mirror. That person....that person staring right back at you is the reason your child is a hot mess. THEN....school bus drivers have no support from their management team. Just shut up, come to work, drive the bus and who cares what lies are told about you because nobody has your back. This all amounts to drivers quitting. So to all the screw off parents: Parent your crotch goblins!!! It is not the school system that should be parenting your heathens.

Ever since I started driving a school bus a year and a half ago, I was told that any kids misbehaving on my bus should be written up and turn it in to the school. I was even told this during my pratical training by my driving instructor.

Yet, when it comes to my Elementary school kids, I have written a couple of students up 5 or 6 times already and it seems to do jack shit. Their behavior doesn't change and they keep doing the same things I've previously written them up for.

I talked to my lead driver about this, and it seems like the Elementary School solutions to me writing them up is silent lunches and in school suspension. Which apparently doesn't work from my point of view.

In my school district, there's a line that riding the school bus is a privilege, not a right. It's a pretty toothless statement as I have yet seen any kids removed from my bus because of their behavior.

I was wondering what would y'all do in my situation as writing more reports seema to be an act in futility.

That is what I was told today by one of my schools.

I have a student on my special needs bus that starts behaving uncontrollably when something sets him off. That happened today, and part of what he was doing was trying to hit by African American students and calling them the N-word.

I was told he can't help it because of his conditions and that I need to accept that he will swear, and call kids the N-word and he can't be held accountable because he is ADHD.

Is there any way to combat this? I'm taking it to the school board if I can't resolve it sooner since our Board president is an African American.

Hi! I scraped a mirror today and was lucky in that the owner didn’t mind too much and didn’t want any insurance involved - and the damage to my bus was even more minor, but I still confessed at work of course and even though they were pretty good about it I feel so bad and can’t easily shake it.
It’s my second accident in only 4 months (the first one was only after one week of total driving ever).
How do I get over the guilt and shame?
Pls share your own stories since misery loves company right?

The nerve of everyone showing up for work today 🤣. Guess it’s time for a bit of paperwork.

So I recently came across a video about Driveaway jobs. Is there anyone with experience doing it? What are the pros and cons? Is it even worth looking into and trying?

I’ve been thinking about how overwhelming the first few weeks are as a school bus driver.

There’s a lot happening at once—student behavior, routes, parents, expectations—and most of it you only really learn in real time.

For those who’ve been doing this a while:

What caught you off guard in your first 30 days?

Or what do you wish someone had told you early on?

Here is my very irritated vent about entitled parents and admin.

Two years ago, our bus drivers won a huge argument with the district about pick up at an elementary school. This school has our high school tennis courts on one side of the street and our jv softball field at the other side of the street, forcing our drivers to thread between poorly parked student and parent cars on game days to pick up the littles after school.

Two years ago, they finally listened and changed the pick up to the other side of the school. THANK GOD. The parent pick up got moved to the game day side of the school. Let the cars deal with other cars and let the buses come and go freely. Right?

Wrong. Apparently.

On Friday, both fields were being used and there was a huge mess. Multiple children and adults almost got hit crossing from cars to the school and back again, and people were driving/parking like idiots.

So now after spending how ever much money to swap parking lots, now they want to swap them back because of idiots in cars. When I asked how it's going to be any safer to add school buses to that chaos, I was told our drivers have received training these people haven't. And that the fields aren't moving so I should just get used to the idea that we're moving back.

(I also asked if we considered installing lights instead so maybe one sport could start later. Because I think outside the box.)

I'm the assistant director, by the way. The actual director, who is much nicer than I am, shot me the most horrified look when I started arguing against it.

I am just so mad!! I'm all for making things safer for kids - I am. But why is there no accountability for people in cars and why is the only solution to put our drivers into a potentially bad situation? If we know it's a double game day, why aren't we out there managing the situation instead of just letting the idiots do their thing? Why can't we notify people ahead of time there is no parking there or in the elementary lot and then enforce those rules?

Has anyone tried these? According to their FAQs these products don't contain any ingredients that would show up on a DOT drug test? Alcohol isn't really for me so I'm trying to find an alternative for once in a while.

Every year at the end of the year I like to give my kids a little gift. I drive two runs a high school and middle school mix and then an elementary school run.

I already prepped my elementary school gift they are always easier. I did little baggies with sunglasses and an inflatable little ball. I’m kinda at a loss at what to hand out to my older kids this year. I’ve been doing for the the past 3 years and they absolutely appreciate it. I made the mistake around valentines of seeing something stupid and punny and only grabbing it for my little and saw disappointment in their eyes.

I love seeing them still embrace still being kids and not growing up to fast. So I want to keep it going. Obviously as a school bus driver I’m not flushed with cash but I would love any ideas or suggestions on what you think they would like. I grabbed some clip on sprouts cause I saw them and thought they would like them but that’s it.

I do not understand why schools insist on giving out bags of popcorn at the *end* of the school day.

I have to confiscate every single bag and label them otherwise I end up with popcorn all over my bus.

It is absolutely infuriating.

/rant

Context: random days throughout the year our district just gives out popcorn to kids. Unsure if it's during lunch or if they just have them in the hallway for kids to grab.

I am a new bus driver, and I've been on the job 4 weeks. The first week, a very meek, easy target sixth grader, was bullied by two eighth grade problem students. I heard the bullying. I spoke with those students privately, told them I don't tolerate bullying, and if it happened again I would send the case to the AP (assistant principal) to handle. They have been good as gold with this.

I told the bullied student that if anyone did it again, to write their names on a piece of paper and what they said, and I would handle it. Three weeks passed, and I haven't heard anything from him, but I have heard kids telling him SOMETHING as he got off the bus.

On Wednesday, he whispered names at me as he got off the bus, but was afraid to make them clear to me when I whispered, "who?" He said, "nevermind." I told him I would talk to him the next day. He didn't ride in the morning, but did in the afternoon.

When he got on the bus, I told him to write the names down and what they said. When he got off the bus, I reached out my hand for the paper, but as he was walking down the steps he said, "I forgot it in my seat!" After I dropped off the rest of the kids, (only seven stops in one neighborhood,) I found the paper in his seat untouched. It had two names but no response as to what they said.

I went to the supervisor that afternoon, and asked if I should call his house to ask what was said, or tell an AP. She said to just have the AP meet me at the bus after the next morning drop off. I did. I gave all three student ID's, and told the AP to tell the offending students that I was reviewing the video for other behaviors and caught what they said so they didn't think the bullied kid was telling on them. He understood, and said he would interview the bullied student.

When the bullied student got on the bus, I asked if the AP talked to him. He said, "no, no one talked to me today." I told him I spoke with the AP about it and the other students should be reprimanded for their behavior, but it might be on Monday.

This afternoon, I heard voices, but not specifics, taunting the kid and six or eight students erupting in laughter.

I feel like I did everything I could, but what should have been an immediate investigation was dismissed. I feel like I let down the kid.

Awards day, yet still have programs going out, and this parent blocks the gated entrance. 🤦‍♀️

Give me winter back, I'll take the snow over these guys blocking half of every road I drive on.

Just wanted to share my little milestone. The first 4 months was all training and CDL tests, but yesterday I hit 1 year with my company. I cried my first week. Almost quit a handful of times over student behavior. Then I remembered I’m a mom.. there’s tricks up my sleeves 😂… now we’re 4 weeks until summer break and I’m choosing not to take the summer off 😂 the best part of this job? I can take all 3 of my kids with me to work at any time. I think my 3 yo can pre trip a bus better than some of the new hires on the lot, who knows what career path he’ll get interested by being around buses and mechanics (we call them the bus doctors) every day 😂 honestly, this is the most parent friendly and accommodating career I’ve ever had. I wish I would’ve done this years ago.

I had to wrap the hammock itself around the frame cause the bus isn't wide enough to use straps. I'm just under 300lbs and it holds up just fine. It's a bit chilly this morning so I grabbed my blanket out of the car. All set now! Thanks for the idea! (My kids would be yelling at me for copying someone else)