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Law regarding sending Adult Monitors on School Buses?



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amother
Natural


 

Post Tue, Nov 24 2015, 9:43 am
What is the law regarding whether an adult can be sent on a yellow school bus?

Either a hired adult to be the bus monitor or a parent, grandparent or friend, to help reduce the chances of bullying, molestation.

The bus driver claims that it's not allowed by law?

I know that when a child is special needs it's actually REQUIRED to have an accompanying adult/monitor on the transportation.

So it doesn't make sense to me that for general education it would be FORBIDDEN to have a monitor??

Can anyone please guide me to the law for New York State regarding sending an accompanying adult/monitor on the transportation.
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STMommy




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Nov 24 2015, 9:57 am
amother wrote:
What is the law regarding whether an adult can be sent on a yellow school bus? Either a hired adult to be the bus monitor or a parent, grandparent or friend, to help reduce the chances of bullying, molestation.


I've never heard of this.
Are you saying you want to hire the adult for your child? Or you want the school/district to hire an added adult to the bus? Are they not addressing a major problem that's happening on the bus? I'm assuming so but maybe you can elaborate?

amother wrote:
I know that when a child is special needs it's actually REQUIRED to have an accompanying adult/monitor on the transportation.


This is not correct. Only if the special needs child's IEP designates a bus matron. This is for the most disabled or troubled children. It is rare, in my experience.
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amother
Natural


 

Post Tue, Nov 24 2015, 10:07 am
I'm asking about a situation where the parents want to hire an adult, or send along a parent or grandparent with the children.

There are many stories of bullying on school buses.

There are also stories of drivers taking advantage of children.

This is meant to prevent issues before they happen.

Can't a bus matron be hired or designated by the parents or school?
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cm




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Nov 24 2015, 10:21 am
Not in NY, but curious about this post. A quick Google search reveals that a "monitor" is what the OP wants - an adult to supervise children on a school bus. I was unable to open the NYS government web pages to learn more, but there are plenty of job postings for bus monitors in NY.

An "aide" is assigned to a child with disabilities. This is different.

We (not in NY) sometimes have a monitor on the yeshiva bus. It depends on availability of funds as well as the number and ages of the kids. The service is available from the bus company.
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amother
Peach


 

Post Tue, Nov 24 2015, 10:28 am
cm wrote:
Not in NY, but curious about this post. A quick Google search reveals that a "monitor" is what the OP wants - an adult to supervise children on a school bus. I was unable to open the NYS government web pages to learn more, but there are plenty of job postings for bus monitors in NY.

An "aide" is assigned to a child with disabilities. This is different.

We (not in NY) sometimes have a monitor on the yeshiva bus. It depends on availability of funds as well as the number and ages of the kids. The service is available from the bus company.

Posting anonymously so no one figures out what school I'm talking about.

NYC does not provide monitors on all buses, though I'm sure there are buses which have. I was told by the principal in my sons school that they (the school) won't provide monitors because of the liability they may face should something happen when there IS a monitor on the bus.
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amother
Natural


 

Post Tue, Nov 24 2015, 10:30 am
cm wrote:
Not in NY, but curious about this post. A quick Google search reveals that a "monitor" is what the OP wants - an adult to supervise children on a school bus. I was unable to open the NYS government web pages to learn more, but there are plenty of job postings for bus monitors in NY.

We (not in NY) sometimes have a monitor on the yeshiva bus. It depends on availability of funds as well as the number and ages of the kids. The service is available from the bus company.


Thank you. yes, a monitor (a person, not a computer screen monitor).

A mother wanted to go along, and the bus driver said it's against the law.

How can we find the law about this, to show others, so that we can legally set up an adult monitor that the driver will accept?
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amother
Natural


 

Post Tue, Nov 24 2015, 10:34 am
amother wrote:
Posting anonymously so no one figures out what school I'm talking about.

NYC does not provide monitors on all buses, though I'm sure there are buses which have. I was told by the principal in my sons school that they (the school) won't provide monitors because of the liability they may face should something happen when there IS a monitor on the bus.


How does NYC determine when to provide monitors on a school bus? How can parents legally set up a monitor?

Wouldn't there be worse of a liability if something happens due to the fact that there was NOT a monitor?

What if the monitor is set up by the parents and not from the school?
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amother
Peach


 

Post Tue, Nov 24 2015, 10:37 am
amother wrote:
How does NYC determine when to provide monitors on a school bus? How can parents legally set up a monitor?

Wouldn't there be worse of a liability if something happens due to the fact that there was NOT a monitor?

What if the monitor is set up by the parents and not from the school?

I could be wrong about NYC providing monitors, but if I'm correct, I don't know.
I don't know what legal action parents can take. Maybe call the DOE and ask?

I agree it would be worse, but I didn't really get an answer on that.

Good luck getting the school to allow it. If there is no monitor from NYC, I can't see how they would have to allow someone onto the bus.
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amother
Natural


 

Post Tue, Nov 24 2015, 10:46 am
Why are so many parents allowing their children to go onto a bus without anyone watching the child? Shouldn't we have the same concerns with a bus driver that we have towards a car service driver? Even if he's fingerprinted or doesn't have a record, doesn't prevent him from doing something. What about the scandal in yerushalayim on the tenders/transportation to schools, where the drivers were making unauthorized stops? Shouldn't all the parents be requesting a monitor on the transportation to ensure safety? There are some instances where schools are using car service/private transportation.

http://www.theyeshivaworld.com......html

The Boro Park Shomrim have issued an urgent warning to community members –

The patrol issued its warning following a most unfortunate incident in which a driver took advantage of a child – and Shomrim efforts to investigate the matter were hindered by hostile and uncooperative employees at two car service companies, who attempted to “cover up” for the offending driver.

Only through their persistence were the Shomrim finally able to get to the truth, find out what went on – and make sure that the driver involved will be punished.

The patrol is warning local residents NOT TO PATRONIZE the “Mazel” and “Mexicana” car services, given their most unhelpful efforts to hinder the investigation.

“These two car services cannot be trusted,” a Shomrim coordinator warned. “If their people will lie to us while we are trying to get a bad guy off the streets, you can imagine that they could try to take advantage of you too.”

The Shomrim urge residents to avoid the use of car services if possible, since many of them have in the past been known to hire all kinds of shady characters with little or know background checking. “You don’t know who you are getting in a car with,” they note. If possible, arrange rides with friends or family members.

If you must use a car service, don’t just pick one out of the phone book; ask around and only use one – preferably heimish – which people you trust have used and had a good experience with.

Even so, be cautious.

If it can possibly be avoided, DO NOT ALLOW UNESCORTED CHILDREN to ride in cabs by themselves – an adult should go with them.

Women should also be wary about riding alone.

Any untoward incidents involving car service drivers should be IMMEDIATELY reported to the Shomrim via the 24-hour Emergency Hotline number, Emergency Number 718-871-6666

- See more at: http://www.theyeshivaworld.com......dpuf

This post is from 2007, but I saw it shared recently.
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amother
Black


 

Post Tue, Nov 24 2015, 10:53 am
wow! scary! so that means there must have been cases.
I don't blame the OP for wanting a bus monitor, that seems like a great idea for preventing issues. It is a crazy world out there and it doesn't help anyone to put their heads in the sand.
About the legal issue, talk to the school about it, and they might have connections to make this possible.
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amother
Natural


 

Post Tue, Nov 24 2015, 10:56 am
amother wrote:
wow! scary! so that means there must have been cases.
I don't blame the OP for wanting a bus monitor, that seems like a great idea for preventing issues. It is a crazy world out there and it doesn't help anyone to put their heads in the sand.
About the legal issue, talk to the school about it, and they might have connections to make this possible.


Thank you.

The school does not seem interested. They say the other schools don't have monitors. They don't see it as necessary.

The school told me that the bus driver said it's against the law.

How can I find out whether or not the law allows it?
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Ema of 5




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Nov 24 2015, 10:58 am
amother wrote:
Thank you.

The school does not seem interested. They say the other schools don't have monitors. They don't see it as necessary.

The school told me that the bus driver said it's against the law.

How can I find out whether or not the law allows it?

Call the DOE and ask them what the laws are regarding monitors on buses.
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amother
Lime


 

Post Tue, Nov 24 2015, 10:58 am
About 10 years ago my friend who's son is classified as disabled, but in a regular school in NY, had a full time para who was NOT allowed on the bus. She arranged her own transportation as he wasn't able to be without a supervising adult. Maybe it has changed since, but she appealed to anyone who'd listen and she was not able to get permission for para to be on the bus.
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m in Israel




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Nov 24 2015, 11:18 am
Here is the website for NYC's OPT (office of pupil transportation):

http://www.optnyc.org/public1/.....out=1

There is a phone number to call for questions, or you can email them. The phone number on the page is (718) 392-8855. That is where I'd start.
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Mama Bear




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Nov 24 2015, 11:35 am
amother wrote:
About 10 years ago my friend who's son is classified as disabled, but in a regular school in NY, had a full time para who was NOT allowed on the bus. She arranged her own transportation as he wasn't able to be without a supervising adult. Maybe it has changed since, but she appealed to anyone who'd listen and she was not able to get permission for para to be on the bus.
a bus para has to be added to the IEp and the child's pediatrician has to fill out paperwork explaining why the child needs it.

As for regular 'bus monitors', all special ed buses have a bus matron.

Yeshiva buses who use BOE busing probably don't. The ones who have private buses usually have a bus monitors for the younger crowd, like up to age 8.
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thunderstorm




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Nov 24 2015, 12:00 pm
I live in Monsey and my son was badly bullied on the bus. (thank you Hashem, we took care of it a few years ago with the schools help) at the time, I asked the principal if a Rebbe can go on the bus with the boys just like the preschool kids do with private transportation and he told me that the school district did not allow it . It was against the law for an adult to go on the bus with the kids.
My son was almost choked to death on the school bus by his own classmates. The boys tied him to the seats legs with a scarf, one boy pulled his hood so that felt like he was choking while other boys stomped on his head and back while he lay helpless tied up on the floor of the bus!!!!! If an adult were on the bus this would have never happened...Baruch Hashem after that nightmare, the school created a zero tolerance towards bullying and my son never felt afraid again. This happened a few years ago.
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amother
Red


 

Post Tue, Nov 24 2015, 12:33 pm
Above a certain age, in NYS, it is against the law to have a monitor on the bus.
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amother
Royalblue


 

Post Tue, Nov 24 2015, 7:13 pm
Bizzydizzymommy, your story is so scary! I am glad your situation improved--my sons were also physically bullied and in my case, the school looked the other way...

OP, you of course want the actual law which I don't know. But, I could say that I had the same experience!! A bully on the bus took my son's medical device and we wanted to go on the bus to look for it--it is expensive and necessary! The bus driver said he can't allow us on the bus!!
I assume it is the law because he was so adamant that we could not look for it! Boruch hashem we got it back because the school took care of the issue and it was on the bus hidden in.... but I think it is law too!
Unfortunately, there is not a lot that the schools do to deal with bullying whether in school when the rebbi leaves the room or on the bus.. Good luck
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amother
Azure


 

Post Tue, Nov 24 2015, 8:04 pm
Bizzydizzymommy wrote:
I live in Monsey and my son was badly bullied on the bus. (thank you Hashem, we took care of it a few years ago with the schools help) at the time, I asked the principal if a Rebbe can go on the bus with the boys just like the preschool kids do with private transportation and he told me that the school district did not allow it . It was against the law for an adult to go on the bus with the kids.
My son was almost choked to death on the school bus by his own classmates. The boys tied him to the seats legs with a scarf, one boy pulled his hood so that felt like he was choking while other boys stomped on his head and back while he lay helpless tied up on the floor of the bus!!!!! If an adult were on the bus this would have never happened...Baruch Hashem after that nightmare, the school created a zero tolerance towards bullying and my son never felt afraid again. This happened a few years ago.

OMG, that is very scary. May I ask,how did the school stop the bullying?And how did you make sure your son was safe after this?
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Mama Bear




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Nov 24 2015, 8:35 pm
I wish the mosdos in Monsey had private busing like we have in Williamsburg. These stories are so scary.
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