Help! WWYD?

So this morning when I got Damien on the bus his bus driver says to me we have a problem. Apparently Damien had a sub bus driver yesterday and decided to get off on the wrong stop and walk home. When he got off the bus he fell and cut his leg. My Mom gets him off the bus and was shocked when he came in the door 15 minutes earlier than usual and actually apologize for not being outside when he came home. Now the bus driver tells me that he was written up because all the kids told her that wasn't his stop. She also told me that more than likely he will be suspended from the bus for a week Now this is more of a punishment for me than him IMHO. I called my Mom at work to find out what happened and she had no idea he had done this and was ****** that the driver just let him leave. She thinks I should go to the school and talk to Damien and the school since the bus driver should be responsible for every kids stop on the bus. I can not get him to and from school for a whole week, especially since my Mom does the bulk of it So WWYD? Damien is 7. TIA

ETA: I am very angry with Damien and I know he knows better than doing something like this, I'm upset I didn't get to talk to him about it at all since he was already on the bus when she told me and there were a few cars already waiting to pass.

Message edited 5/13/2011 9:24:55 AM.

Re: Help! WWYD?

I would take the punishment, make arrangements to drive my kid to school & probably ground him from playdates for it. If he knew it wasn't his stop (and it sounds like he did), he is in the wrong.

On the flip side, the transportation company also has an issue. Even subs should know not to let a 7 year old off at the wrong stop & if there is an issue, he should radio the central office for clarification.

Re: Help! WWYD?

Re: Help! WWYD?

Is there a policy about letting the kids off the bus, in my district the driver can not let the kids in K and 1st off without a parent present.

Was there a reason he may have wanted to get off sooner, or just to get off. I would talk to the school about maybe changing the punishment to one that actually punishes him and not the parents. My kids love when I drive them to school so this would be great for them.

Re: Help! WWYD?

I drive a mini bus part time and can tell you that one incident is not likely to get your kid suspended. Many times recess would be the first thing they take away. At least in my district. It is difficult for the sub to know who is who and who gets off where. If a child runs off the bus and it is not their stop it would have been better for that driver to call it in so that the school could notify the parent ahead of time so they are looking out for them to be home. Each area has their own protocal and our district only requires a Kindergarten student to be released to a parent. Personally I don't think 6 and 7 yr olds should be let out without one either, but that's beside the point. If the student was written up yesterday, it would take a day or so to get to the principal and addressed. Chances are because you didn't call to make an issue out of him being let off at the wrong stop, it may become water under the bridge and the driver was just trying to cover herself.

Sorry for the long winded reply. Hope it helps.

Re: Help! WWYD?

I am very surprised that this happened. In my district an adult has to be at the stop to pick up all kids from K - 2 and in 3rd and even 4th grade they are very careful to make sure someone is there, or someone takes responsibility. That being said, if it's the school policy there's not much you can do about it. You just have to make the arrangements.