Cafeteria workers forced to drive school buses

[Teamster Jeff]

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FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- In Cumberland County, there are new concerns for school bus safety after school employees say they're being forced to drive buses next year or lose their jobs.

One school cafeteria worker spoke anonymously to ABC11, fearing she could be fired. She said she will lose her job next year unless she starts driving a school bus.

"I'm scared to drive these kids. They are not going to be safe," she said. "I want parents to know what they are doing to us! People that are not qualified to drive a bus with these kids, it's dangerous."

Each day more than 26,000 students ride Cumberland County school buses. Now school officials are telling cafeteria workers to get a commercial driver's license or forego their jobs.
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School officials said the cafeteria works have until August to get a commercial license and take bus driver training.

Those workers say it will take a lot longer than that before they feel comfortable behind the wheel of a school bus.

"I think the driving will be more scarier, you are out there with all these kids and all," one worker said.

>>>

http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=9030860

Jeezuss what a horrible idea.

[southernyankeebelle]

1. I bet if there were a few rich kids on the bus you would be hearing alot more screaming.

This is a terrible idea.

[limpyhobbler]

2. This may literally be the dumbest idea I've ever heard.

[Warpy]

3. There's got to be an MBA in there somewhere

because this is how they think.

They're going to end up with drivers who can't cook or cooks who can't drive.

If their aim was to end up with neither, they're on the right track. While this will save lots of money for the system and allow them to go on to bigger and better things, parents will be stuck picking up the transportation and lunch packing slack.

There was a push in some for profit hospitals to cross train housekeeping workers in phlebotomy (drawing labs) and administering medications. That went over like a lead balloon, too, as nurses and lab workers and housekeepers all quit in droves.

[limpyhobbler]

11. LOL Yes there must be. (nt)

[love_katz]

4. Probably due to budget cuts.

Thanks, Greedy Old Pigs (GOP), and 1% Robber Baron overlords.

I have been driving a school bus for many years.

It takes MUCH more skill than most people realize, and it definitely is NOT for everyone. Some people just can't handle driving a big vehicle filled with screaming kids.

In some ways, it is harder than teaching a classroom full of kids. Please listen, before you assume I am a teacher hater: no way am I that!

Your back is to the kids, and you do most of your interactions with them through the pupil mirror, while driving the classroom down the road.

Buses are big and rather clumsy vehicles. They are built to resist crushing, but are not easy to maneuver, especially in tight spaces. Most drivers have more kids on the bus than teachers have in their classroom, and the kids are crammed into a tight space. This can make for a hot, noisy environment, which can breed problems amongst the kids. The teacher can call the office, or step next door to the next classroom if the kids get out of hand, whereas the drive is often alone with anywhere from 30-80+ kids, and can be far from assistance if the kids get out of line.

I could go on, but I imagine most of you can get my drift. It is not a good idea to force employees who never intended to take on the challenge of driving a school bus to have to do it as a condition of their continuing employment. Dumb idea.

[love_katz]

5. More reasons why this is not a good move...

The driver needs to be physically capable of evacuating the kids off the bus in an emergency, like the bus catching fire.

Many of the people working in the cafeteria might not be physically capable of doing this. I remember that many of the people who worked in the cafeterias when I was young, were older folks. Most of them would not have been able to do the bus driver's job.

[Sherman A1]

6. Pardon me for a moment

Are they out of their G*% D$^% Minds?

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. Great idea! They can heat up lunch on the engine while running the bus routes.

[LiberalFighter]

8. The parents need to stand up to the school idiots.

[Skittles]

9. do you see what they are doing?

all jobs will be part time - and they want to be able to pull from the pool of people to do LOTS of tasks

[tk2kewl]

10. just make buses into classrooms and have the teachers pick up the kids and park in the wamart lot

you can fire the cafeteria workers and janitors and sell off the school buildings.