One of the managers called me after my afternoon run and said that she's tried everything: having a training manager ride along with me, I've written reports, I've stopped for student management and I'm still having issues. She then proceeded to say that they have an open run, but I'll have to leave the yard st 6:50am and it pays an hour and a half more than my route. The afternoon is all high school kids and no elementary and it starts Monday. I said I don't want to do a run blind. I'd have to do a dry run and the only time I'd have to do it is this weekend and you know I don't have a car, so it's not going to work. Then she was saying that maybe being a school bus driver isn't for me and that my run probably needs a man and that the kids can tell when someone doesn't have self esteem and confidence. You didn't have any when you first started

Wait. What? That's discrimination, harassment and bullying. I chose to keep my run and i said "if they want to stand. Oh well. They can stand. If they want to scream, fight, throw things.. they can?" Qnd she said "well, no, they can't do any of that". Then what else do you want me to do? Because i'll just drive.

They need drivers, so it's not like they'd fire me, but they're trying to force me to quit.

I don't want to leave this job. I get basics benefits and the pay is alright. Oh, she also said that I'm a grown women and other grown ups can deal with their problems and they don't need to hold their hand. She wanted to put a man on my route to see if the problem was the kids or if the problem was me. They won't give me a camera bus either.

I wonder why they can't retain people 🙄 😂

Any suggestions, advice on how to deal with B*s and bad students? I've done everything from writing reports (which they want me to stop because I've written over 100), pulling over, yelling.. nothing works.

Leaving isn't an option at this point when they're trying to force me to quit. I need a job need to pay off my debt and find a new apartment. I am going to amass years of experience before moving onto something else. The future is being planned.

That's awful - I am so sorry you're going through this!

First off, the way they are speaking to you is disgusting. That's really unprofessional, and I honestly think you are well within your rights to make a complaint about the manager that spoke to you. Of course, I realise this is much easier said than done, and understand if you feel like this would be too risky a move to make right now.

That said, I also want to say a massive well done to you for standing up for yourself. I've been insulted and spoken to in a condescending way multiple times in previous jobs, and I still feel angry at myself for not doing anything about it. Thankfully, I did eventually find a job in a school with friendly and supportive staff members, and over the years finally managed to earn some respect (something my past self never would have dreamed possible). You already have much more of a backbone than I've ever had, so keep standing your ground and know that you are doing the right thing!!

It's also stupid of them to be trying to talk you into quitting when you'd probably be difficult to replace. Your job is a very important one, but I also realise it can be very thankless and underappreciated too, and if you were to suddenly quit then it would be their loss.

Something that really concerns me (being a school teaching assistant myself) is that the school is not following through with your reports. And even worse, they're actually trying to discourage you from writing more? Well, maybe if they actually did something about it the first time you wouldn't have to keep writing them!

The most practical advice I can give right now is to chase up those reports. Senior management should be doing something about them, and you have the right to know what action is being taken. If they claim that they didn't do anything about it, it is your right to question why not.

Also, if there are any students in particular that you are having trouble with (any that stand out to you), it may be worth speaking to the school about those specific students and asking about which behaviour management techniques they best respond to. Either they will be able to give you some helpful pointers, or they will not know what to do and you would have just proven that you are not the problem.

I truly wish the very best for you. <3 Here's hoping management starts actually doing something about it!

Hey I’m so sorry you’ve had such a shit experience. How are you feeling about it, now a couple of days have passed?

I totally agree with everything has said - they've been completely unfair and unprofessional. If staff are encountering issues, the company needs to support them and assist them. That’s not hand holding - that’s them doing their job. 🙄

What is the process once you’ve submitted a report? Does it reach the school, or does it just sit with your management?

Being a school bus driver is really challenging, and really important. It’s a shame your management doesn’t seem to realise that.

The thing is, if the reports aren’t being followed through, it’s going to be impossible to manage the behaviour. In an ideal world, I would set my expectations at the start (eg the moment you step on the bus, you’re on a warning. Any poor behaviour - and explain what I mean by that - and I’ll file a report). And then it’s possible to report them the moment they do something. If you do that consistently, then it’s effective. The key things with behaviour management are consistency and clear expectations. But if nothing happens with the reports then you’re being set up to fail 🤯

Thank you. Standing up for myself is something I have a hard time with.

My brother pointed out that they're trying to make it very inconvenient for me by trying to make me switch. Earlier wake up, earlier bus in hopes they'll just get rid of me.

It's too risky to even call headoffice to complain. My hands are tied. It's either a job with ok pay and basics benefits, or to be jobless. I'm also not unionized.

This same manager (I sometimes have my dad's van if he tells me I can use it. Sometimes it's for a month or two, a few days or a couple weeks), has told me that she has people watching me and asked them to report to her when I have the van because I have a vehicle and she wanted to move me yards. I said "you know I don't have a vehicle and it belongs to my dad. I have no way to the other yard. The bus doesn't go that far and a taxi is $15 there and back and ill have to pay that four times a day". I was pissed off of course. Must be nice to to spy on people and say things to people when I've heard from outside sources (my vets' office) on how they treat their employees.

It's basically the school board that calls the shots and tells the company (we're a lot like contract workers. I work for a company who is contracted through the school board). They obviously don't care about how students behave on the bus. You have a job, do it or leave. They only care about the more serious things, fighting, smoking or drinking etc.

I needed a job and I applied for retail, but in a Covid world, no one was hiring. So, I went where they needed employees. I'll be doing this for a year Jan 17.

I was still very upset it on Saturday, but I finally let it go because it's not worth being angry.

that's really creepy, that she has people watching you like that. I realise times are tough right now and so many of us have to be careful with our jobs, but I really do hope that someday soon you are in a position where you are able to leave them for something better, if they don't sort themselves out first. If they've been having trouble retaining people, like you mentioned in the first post, maybe they themselves should be thinking about why that is!

Anyway, thanks for keeping us posted.

Do they offer anything else if not a bus with camera? Like a go pro or allowed some other approved devices to see what happens? Or maybe they can have a surprise person ride route with you the kids don't really know? Kids like to behave when they know the person more rather than a stranger. So maybe that might give insight?

Like idk how to help in a spot like this. In my city ALL school busses have an aid person to help keep kids sat and behave so the driver can drive. Idk if your company has that

No. I don't think any other device will be allowed. I wish I could get aid on my bus, but only the special needs busses can get that.

They did send a trainer out on my run for one afternoon. He reported the kids weren't that bad. They behaved a lot better that's why.

I've just been driving. I did write two reports because of unacceptable behaviour a few days ago. One kid told a teacher from another school to shut up. He's in grade 1.

That's awful, I'm sorry about it and about the fact that you have to go through this. How are you feeling?

I agree with them, this was completely unprofessional and unfair, rude without the need of. It's creepy as hell knowing that they have people watching you, like, what's wrong with them? I'm not sure about having a suggestion for this shitty situation. Not sure if a camera, for example, will be helpful for the reports, something like that should be allowed. Sadly, at least for now, you can't quit, and it's sad you have to deal with this in the meantime, but I do hope that soon, you'll be able to be in a position and situation where you're able to leave this mess and go for something better, where they treat you better as it should be. They are the problem, not you.