Driver Discretion John Benish Peggy A. Burns Nathan Radach

How much, and when, should drivers be allowed to make or modify the rules And when should their discretion be severely limited? Do we treat drivers like professionals if we allow them no discretion? When should we respect their authority and autonomy? What should we do about “rogue” drivers? What proactive steps do we need to take to minimize damage?

Finding a balance What strategies can we use for finding a balance between urging drivers to use good judgment, and requiring drivers to follow rules religiously?

Scenario # 1: Veteran sped driver and student who is ill Billi has extensive experience driving students w/ disabilities. On home-school route, Mary, a large girl, announces she’s going to be sick. Driver is on a highway; pulls over and allows student to vomit out of the entrance doors while standing on bus steps – episode lasts 5 minutes. There are 2 other students on the bus. There is an aide on the bus; driver calls base and explains.

District officials aren’t happy – what’s your response? They think the driver should have done – or not done – the following: Not pulled over to the side of the road Not have opened the doors, despite the fact that the student never left the bus Given the student her garbage can and or “bag” in which to get sick Base should have called the driver directly

Scenario #2: Weather and student behavior “collides” An accumulation of snow made it difficult for the school bus to maneuver to stop at the usual bus stop. Anticipating the very problems that occurred because of the snow, the district had decided two days earlier that two brothers w/ special needs should be dropped off at their drive way. Two days later, however, one of the boys crossed the aisle to attack his older brother, in defiance of direct instruction from the driver and aide.

Driver took matters into his own hands The driver pulled over and waited in vain for 12 minutes for the boy to follow his direction to move to a seat at the front of the bus. Driver continued the route, allowed older brother to exit, but closed the doors while younger boy was standing in the stairwell. The driver drove to the boy’s usual stop, and allowed him to exit. Boy walked home (it takes him 5-10 minutes) in a temperature with a wind chill of -2 degrees. Driver believed there needed to be “a healthy and immediate consequence” for the boy’s actions.

Scenario #3: Driver offers “above & beyond” service; subs don’t! For 3 years, Driver and aide Fran and Ollie have been assigned to the same long sped route. They call the parents directly so that these affluent and very demanding folks can closely predict when pick up and drop-off will happen – almost to the minute. If running late, Fran and Ollie don’t call base – the district’s preferred method – but, rather, make direct calls to the parents.

Fran and Ollie take their annual 2 ½ week vacation; subs take over The subs refuse to cater to the parents like Fran and Ollie do, and, instead, call base if they run late. Parents “pop a cork” when this happens; they want the direct notification provided by the “regulars.” Have F & O gone too far? How should the manager handle this situation?

Scenario #4: Little people in the snow On a snowy, icy morning, Vicente drives his bus into a small trailer park to pick up 4 preschool children. This trailer park is not well maintained and the snow has not been plowed from the access road. He makes one stop, and all of the parents bring their children to the bus.

Driver saves the day!? After the monitors secure the children in the CSRSs, Vicente starts to accelerate, but simply slides on the ice and cannot move. He then proceeds to knock on doors at the trailer park and round up people to help push the bus through the snow, getting freed and continuing on the route.

Scenario #5: First day of school It is the first day of transportation services for the local Head Start. Confusion on the proposed route, as well as unprepared parents, cause the bus route to take longer than expected. Children are scheduled to be at the Center at 7:00 AM, however Joe is only half way through his route.

Perception is everything Joe makes a judgment call. To maintain his schedule, he decides to return to the Center with half of the children and go back to pick up the rest. On his way back to the Center, a mother is waiting outside her house and sees the bus drive by without stopping for her child.