The NYC school bus strike, how are you coping?

Reality

Tue, Feb 12 2013, 11:27 pm

Clarissa wrote:

Rutabaga wrote:

Reality wrote:

MaBelleVie wrote:

Rutabaga wrote:

MaBelleVie wrote:

Did anyone mention carpool lanes? In many locations where busing is not provided, the schools have a carpool lane to keep dropoffs and pickup safe and organized.

Obviously NYC is not set up with carpool lanes, so things are bound to be more hectic. The funny thing is that carpool lanes would never work there anyway. Tell a new yorker that he has to wait in a single file line for twenty minutes without beeping and he'll think you're either crazy or joking.

DD's school does this. Every carpool gets a number. Every carpool member gets a big sign with that number to put in the windshield. At dismissal, the carpools line up single file. There is a staff member with a walkie-talkie in front of the building calling out to a coordinator which carpools are there. Inside the building, all the kids in each carpool are grouped together. When their number is called, a teacher escorts them outside to the correct car. It's an extremely efficient system.

Yeah, thats pretty much how it works here too. Are you in Brooklyn? If so, why aren't more schools doing this?

If it is a large school it may not be possible. I just wrote I send to BYBP. How many carpools are there 1,000?

I am not in Brooklyn, and DD's school is not as large as BYBP, but there must be some system that could help alleviate the chaos.

You mentioned that it was difficult to find your child. Perhaps the school could implement a system where children with last names ending in A-G, H-M, N-S, and T-Z can all be brought to different corners of the block. There must be some other ideas people could come up with.

That's not a bad idea. Maybe the parents should set up a meeting with the administration and have several possible game plans, so the most efficient ones can be implemented.

I think they do need to reevaluate and change somethings asap but how? Having the kids on the corners is not safe. There are alot of children with last names ending from a-g and they will not all fit on one corner. Those children need to be inside the building until they are picked up.

But please keep the ideas coming. I really appreciate it and if I feel anything could work I would call the school and tell them the ideas. I personally feel that all the students should stay in their classrooms until they are picked up. But the parents don't want to walk up to so many flights of stairs. But at least when you come you know where your child is.

Any suggestions, ladies?

Clarissa

Tue, Feb 12 2013, 11:56 pm

Reality wrote:

There are elevators but most parents don't use them. They are usually locked and only staff has the key. I think there is one elevator that is kept open but I am not sure because I never use it.

Well, if parents are going to be going upstairs or anything, I guess they'll have to be usable and available. A mom with a couple of kids can't climb a lot of stairs. I assume when the parents come to the classroom for parties and conferences and whatnot, the elevators are available? Either way, I think if there are a bunch of floors, kids have to be brought downstairs by teachers. The way my son's school does it is to have different locations for different grades. The kids stand with the teachers in that area and the parents take them. It's pretty orderly, generally, although I don't enjoy trying to get through the sidewalk when I'm running late. People stand there and talk and there are kids and strollers. So I try not to be late, because then I won't be stressed by the crowd and my lateness.

Barbara

Wed, Feb 13 2013, 12:44 am

Reality wrote:

Clarissa wrote:

Rutabaga wrote:

SNIP
I am not in Brooklyn, and DD's school is not as large as BYBP, but there must be some system that could help alleviate the chaos.

You mentioned that it was difficult to find your child. Perhaps the school could implement a system where children with last names ending in A-G, H-M, N-S, and T-Z can all be brought to different corners of the block. There must be some other ideas people could come up with.

That's not a bad idea. Maybe the parents should set up a meeting with the administration and have several possible game plans, so the most efficient ones can be implemented.

The problem with last name pick ups is that if there are carpools, you need to change it around (you just know that Suzy Aames would carpool with her best friend, Lila Zyzychni), which would be a mess.

The "only" thing that can be done is to stagger pickups by transportation, so each carpool or whatever has a slot. But that requires either after school care, which I am told is not an option, or cutting school hours, which is probably not an option either.

Absent the kind of parking lot that simply doesn't exist in NY, coming into the school will not work for car pickups. Even if there were only 60 carpools -- a very low number -- you can't have 60 people double park to get their kids. And the time to drag younger kids along would just prolong the agony.

Clarissa

Wed, Feb 13 2013, 12:47 am

Reality wrote:

Their system has been if you pick up your kid early than they are in the classroom still. At a certain time everyone goes downstairs to wait in the auditorium (sp?). But it is just too many people converging in one room. They have designated spots for each grade but kids wander away and then how do you find them? They have to be more on top of the kids that they stay where they are supposed to be. Three teachers in the room is not enough.

We have 1-2 teachers per class and they do keep the kids from wandering off. They're really strict about this issue. We're not allowed to pick them up in class and can't even get into the building without signing in with the security guard and showing ID. It's a fandango but it keeps everyone safe. The one rule that drives me nuts (even though it makes sense) is that kids can't get back into the building for anything after dismissal. So if you're playing on the playground and want to use the bathroom, you can't get back in. It bugs me but it's also about security, so I understand.

saw50st8

Wed, Feb 13 2013, 5:49 am

octopus wrote:

saw50st8 wrote:

mummiedearest wrote:

saw50st8 wrote:

Why don't people arrange carpools or walking pools? That would solve some of the logistics. One parent could watch the other parents babies and toddlers for an hour so that there is more room in the car.

for me, that doesn't really work. I don't drive. my dh can drive in the mornings, but so can most other parents in the area, especially since the school is near a main train station. that's convenient for commuting parents. I can't pick up by car. I can walk, but most kids my dd's age won't walk that far. I've trained my kids to take long walks due to my lack of driving ability, and yes, she walks. there was the one day I showed up to find out that they had tried to call my cell phone but it wasn't working. she threw up in school. I couldn't make her walk, so I lay the stroller flat and sat her behind the baby. not the most comfortable for either of them, but it worked. were it warmer out, I'd have no issue taking two extra kids on the city bus, but the weather is really prohibitive.

I understand it work for everyone, but it would minimize the amount of cars near the school. If someone has a van, they can take 5 kids at a time. It absolutely takes more arranging, but it may be doable for people with neighbors in the same school.

I totally sympathize with everyone. Last summer, I had to work during the union lockout. I had to hire a morning baby sitter so DH could leave early to work so he could make it home for pickup. I was working 80 hours a week then.

A few weeks ago, my boss decided he wanted to swithc my schedule around. I had to totally rearrange things to deal with carpool. I get the hardship of the midyear changes.

Strikes usually affect the little people more than the ones in charge.

do you really think no one has been doing this? and what 5 kids pray tell? I have 3 of my own. the seat up front is for adults only (I think by law you have to be above 12 so that =13). that leaves 3 available seats. ppl with more kids have less space. What about the ppl with more kids- there's just no room.I understand your suggestion was trying to be helpful,but you know what would be more helpful? If the schools would acknowledge this may go on until the end of the year and maybe make dismissal staggered or just more organized (IF that is even an option), but unfortunately if you are not some bigshot no one gives a hoot. It's a free for all and it's downright dangerous in mvho.

You misunderstood. Lets say 3 parents get together. 1 parent watches the babies and toddler. 1 parent drives to school X and the other drives to school Y and they all reconveine back at the first parents house. That frees up the space in the van.