Student....Do APS really want to fight Bullying?

Recently, I wrote on how a 4th grade student and a gang of 3 others (5th, 3rd, & 3rd) "beat-down" a 1st grade student in the not too distant past (last week).  It was my hopes that the school would discipline the students according to the violent nature, but no!  The young 4th grade student received two days suspension and the student gang members received 1 day suspension, so guess what happened when the gang returned?  You got it, they started back terrorizing my bus once again by picking on kids,  flipping over the seats, large amounts of profanity, and targeting students!  Mainly these actions have been conducted by the 5th grade student who was involve in the "beat-down" of the 1st grade student.

Disclaimer: The 4th grade student returned but was complainant and even asked me where to sit and has not got involved with any of the bullying or threats involving the 5th grade student.

Friday morning:  The first grade student is beat down by a gang of students.  I immediately requested a meeting with my Director of Transportation, at the conclusion the Director stated that each student should not receive nothing less than 5 days suspension.  My supervisor relayed the message to the administrator, but  a suspension of 3 days was negotiated for this vicious beat-down.   In addition, I refused to transport the students that afternoon, because of fear of retaliation and "acting out."  Oh, I did not receive any paperwork from the administration confirming "suspension from bus" advised to my supervisor.

Monday Morning:  Gang of kids should be suspended for three days, but I had to let one of the 3rd grade students ride the bus because the student was never reprimand by the administrators. I had to let the student ride because the parents were not aware of  their child being suspended; thus child was never punish for action. These parents are supportive and dealt with child accordingly.

Tuesday Morning:
The other 3rd grade student tries to board the bus, but I told the student that the suspension is for three days  and need to go back home.  With discontent, the student went back home.  The 5th grade student also tried to board the bus and stated that there was only a one day suspension given for vicious beat-down. I did not believe it, so I sent the student home.  I guess the mother called APS Transportation and my supervisor requested that I return to the stop and transport the student.  I could tell from tone of my supervisor that the one day suspension was a surprise and affirmed to me that the administrators would be called.

Tuesday Afternoon:
The 5th grade student went wild after I departed from the school. The student and others were non-complainant to my instructions.  Horse-playing on the bus disrupted other students, so the whole bus at points were chaotic.   During the route the 5th grade student got into a confrontation with a 3rd grade student, because the 3rd grade student stated a verbal offense that angered the student to the point of getting in the face of the 3rd grade student to start a fight.  The 3rd grade student tried to back away, but the 5th grade student pinned the child to the window.  Finally, I was able to stop the bus to separate the student and the 5th grade student went "off-the-chain." It took a lot of effort to hold the kid back from going after the 3rd grade student.  I finally convinced the 5th grade student to exit the bus at the child's designated stop. Before the 5th grade departed the bus, the student verbally threaten the 3rd grade student with a physical threat. I knew then that the next day will be challenging if I do not address the issue quickly.

Wednesday morning:
First thing I asked my supervisor that morning is to have a monitor to ride with me because I knew that the 5th grade student wanted to cause physical harm to the 3rd grade student.  Now, APS has a shortage of bus driver, so the supervisor did not have a monitor to ride with me, so I was on my own with a radio.  Luckily the 5th grade student only acted out a few time, and did not attempt to cause harm to the 3rd grade student.

Bus Driver Appreciation Luncheon:  A member of the Board of Education was present at the luncheon from the District of the elementary school that continues to show lack of support to us school bus drivers. I expressed my concerns to this member about the lack of support and if something could be address.  The member asked my bus number and was like "oh, yeah, you're the one who had a fight on your bus the other day."   In my mind, I was thinking that you knew about the vicious gang beat-down of a 1st grade student and it did not bring up a red flag to intervene? ....smh....enough said!

Wednesday Afternoon: 
Again I asked my supervisor for a monitor, but again there were a shortage of "stand-bye" drivers, so the supervisor stated that the school would be called and an administrator would have to ride the bus.  While at the school, an administrator came out to the bus and asked me how is everything going and I pointed out to the 5th grade student and told the administrator that the student is unpredictable and giving me issues.  The administrator told me that the two had a very long conversation. The administrator walked away and did not ride the bus route.

As soon as I got far from the school, the 5th grade student came to the front and returned to bullying the 3rd grade student by verbally threaten and pushing the student.  The 5th grade student pinned the child to the window.  The child jumped over seats to get away, but the 5th grade student was relentless.  There was a lot of fear in the eyes of this child.  Finally, I was able to safely free myself from operating the bus and separated the two parties.  I told the 3rd grade student to go sit down by the stairwell as I tried to calm the 5th grade student before I could move the bus again.  With the help of 6 other students holding the 5th grade away from the 3rd grade student, I was able to get the 3rd grade student home safely with no injuries from the 5th grade student.

I thought by getting the 3rd grade student off the bus, the 5th grade student would calm down, but the student recruited other students to slap, hit and punch another 4th grade student. It seemed the 5th grade student has a mission to terrorize and I have exhausted all possible avenues when everyone from the Board of Education, Director of Transportation, Administrators, and Parents are aware of what's going on.

If anyone reading this have any connection to Atlanta Public School, please join in the fight to protect our children from bullies.  Please share these narratives, so that people will see the lives of people involved with APS Transportation.