The Problem
More than 50,000 school buses operate in New York State every day. Particularly in younger grades, students need the personal protection of a school bus attendant to ensure that they make it to school or school-related activities and back home safely.
Right now we're expecting drivers to not only drive safely but also to monitor our children on the bus and during crossings. It's neither reasonable nor fair to expect a driver to do all of these things.
The Solution
A NYSUT-backed law would require school bus driver assistants to be on all school buses while transporting students in grades K-6. In addition to keeping order on the bus, the attendant would assist any child under the age of 13, or any student with a disability, with boarding and leaving the bus and by crossing the street with the child when necessary.
