| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
U.P.DRIVER
New Member
3 Posts |
 Posted - 05/13/2003 : 07:42:31 AM
|
Our local district is comtemplating an all day kindergarten program. Of course this will impact driver's hours. I was wondering what experiences any others may have had with this type of program and the consequences. Thanks!!
|
|
|
thomas86_a
Top Member
USA
4413 Posts |
Posted - 05/13/2003 : 08:26:46 AM
|
First off welcome to the forums U.P. Driver. I'm from the lower peninsula of Michigan, and you will also see a lot of others on the forums from down here as well.
I've seen many districts in Michigan go to all day Kindergarten, this saves money because you no longer are running routes in the middle of the day. The disadvantages to this are that your drivers end up losing hours. The non-budget issue is whether or not five year olds should be in school all day or not? Are they ready for it? I personally think half days are better for kindergartners since they are so young. For one school year we had it where half the class went for a full day on Monday and Wednesday and the other half went on Tuesday and Thursday, then on Friday half went in the morning and the other half in the afternoon. The advantage to this is that you aren't wasting as much time in the middle of the day transporting students so they get more educational time. The school and the parents preferred the half day kindergarten program and as long as budget allows we will continue to do it. How our runs work is we have three kindergarten routes, in late morning we pick up the am kindergarten and take them home, in the process of taking them home on their routes we also pick up the pm kindergartners, so we are picking up and dropping off students on the same route. This has worked well for us over the years.
If you do go to all day Kingdergarten the board of education will like the money that will be saved and even if parents and teachers don't like it, it will be hard to switch back. Ask for a "trial period" to see how it works for you, then it will be easier to switch back.
The Thomas M2 Conventional- Coming to a bus yard near you in 2004! |
 |
|
|
Thomas Ford 85-16
Top Member
USA
4177 Posts |
Posted - 05/13/2003 : 4:56:15 PM
|
When I was in kindergarten (1993-1994 if I recall correctly) we had an AM/PM program, I went in the PM. In the past few years, however, we have done the Monday, Wednesday, half day Friday (and Tuesday, Thursday, half day Friday) program which cut out the midday routes for kindergarten at those schools except on Friday. I'm not sure how much this impacted the budget, but I'm sure it was significant.
By the way, I'm a fellow Michigander. Oakland County.
Stop at: http://buses.thesummit.biz
This is an industry where people brag about their times for 60-0, not 0-60. |
|
|
|
busguy1
New Member
USA
3 Posts |
Posted - 05/20/2003 : 12:15:07 PM
|
I worked in a rural school district that did change to an all day kindergarden and every other Friday they would switch off for the students to be there. The $ savings was quite a considerable amount for the district and this was an every year savings. Also the Govorner of our state of Ohio had asked school Districts to evaluate and to consider to make needed changes of this type to reduce operating costs that might have been needlessly waisted. This is especially significant for schools that are rural because of the costs due to fuel prices, ect. The unfortunate thing is that it does cut into the payrol for the drivers but this can be made up if the driver is willing to assist in other areas of the school district as some choose to do. The State Education Department also surveyed as to what impact this would have on the education for students and found that if the teacher did the structuring of the day correctly for the students age that it did not impact the childs learning. Hope this answers some of your questions.
|
|
|
|
macondriver
Top Member
USA
533 Posts |
Posted - 06/29/2003 : 1:27:19 PM
|
| i don't know if anyone is still reading posts on this question but i just seen it for the first time, i am surprised that there are still half day kindergarten. i live in mid state Illinois, my boys are all in their 20's now and they went to full day...with everything a child has too learn today i can not see any school not having full day,my oldest son is 27 and he not only went to fullday he went to pre-k when he was 4 at our public schools...i thought it was the same everywhere |
Driving my way to the top, in a big yellow bus...and proud of it. |
|
|
|
mr.dave
Advanced Member
USA
414 Posts |
Posted - 06/29/2003 : 5:04:02 PM
|
It might work if done correctly, but don't count on it. Cost concerns demand three children per seat, or seventy-two on a twenty-four seat bus. Five year old kindergarden, much less four year old pre-k, children do not have the maturity to stay seated, and still, and quiet for a half hour ride home. They are cute, and sweet as can be. They truely want to be good, but half an hour is about twenty-five minutes too long. I tried to seat them together to keep older children from hazing, but parents wanted them to sit with big brother who did the hazing. I tried to put them up frount, but that spot is needed for fifth grade bullies. How-ever, in the end very little blood was spilt, no child died, and I didn't get fired, imprisoned, or sued. I hope your full day kindergarden goes as well or better.
shalom dave |
Shiny side up, greasy side down |
Edited by - mr.dave on 06/29/2003 8:05:26 PM |
|
|
|
macondriver
Top Member
USA
533 Posts |
Posted - 07/06/2003 : 1:51:59 PM
|
| i know what you mean about parents, i drove a school that had k-6 and i had alot of brothers and sisters, and parents tht wanted their baby sat with the older child....but it got to the point that i could not keep an eye on that small child and drive too and these were some bad children and i had a hard time keeping a monitor, they were all afraid of the kids on this bus....so i still left the front passenger side seat for bullies, but i seated acording to grade, boys on one sid girls on the other and fought my battles with the parents as they came....but this school really backed us drivers and that helped 100 %, just getting a full time driver for a bus that went to this one school was hard....there are some bad, bad children out there.....with no respect for any adult. |
Driving my way to the top, in a big yellow bus...and proud of it. |
|
|
|
busdriver1115
Senior Member
USA
101 Posts |
Posted - 07/08/2003 : 3:36:34 PM
|
| We have several schools in our system that offers all day kindergarden and I believe that we only had one or two buses running mid days for this! If the student rides the bus in the AM the parent would pick up the student at school. For the PM the parents are responsible to drop the student of at school and if they are to ride the bus home then we would take them home in the PM! |
THIS IS MY SECOND YEAR AS DRIVER TRAINER |
|
|
|
98TomFord
Top Member
USA
812 Posts |
Posted - 07/09/2003 : 09:52:43 AM
|
| We have an all day kindergarden program that requires some kids to come on Mondays-Wednesdays-and every other Friday, and the other kids come on Tuesdays-Thursdays-and every other Friday. This program works fine, adn the kids learn more and helps them get use to what they will have to face the year after Kindergarden. I feel that half a-day kindergarden is senseless and a waste of fuel and milage on all bus engines. I don't think that half a day Kindergarden helps the child prgress in what they are trying to learn either. All in all, an all day program like what we what is fine, and doesn't demand alot from the kids. |
My Ford Can Turn On $50, Can Your Int? ~Ford Buses - Gems To The Eyes~ |
|
|
|
thomas86_a
Top Member
USA
4413 Posts |
Posted - 07/09/2003 : 10:18:07 AM
|
quote:
Originally posted by 98TomFord
We have an all day kindergarden program that requires some kids to come on Mondays-Wednesdays-and every other Friday, and the other kids come on Tuesdays-Thursdays-and every other Friday. This program works fine, adn the kids learn more and helps them get use to what they will have to face the year after Kindergarden. I feel that half a-day kindergarden is senseless and a waste of fuel and milage on all bus engines. I don't think that half a day Kindergarden helps the child prgress in what they are trying to learn either. All in all, an all day program like what we what is fine, and doesn't demand alot from the kids.
Do you have a degree in eduaction of any sort? I'm not trying to be rude just wondering.
Yes half-day kindergarten does require more from the transportation end, but two things have to be considered. A child who is in Kindergarten is only five years old, a seven hour day in school is long for them. As for making progress, it can be looked at from two ways. With full day kindergarten the kids do have more time in the classroom, but then have to go an entire day before picking up again where as with half day they are with the teacher every day.
|
If you have an International, you NEED customer service. |
|
|
|
1983WardFord
Top Member
USA
1395 Posts |
Posted - 07/09/2003 : 10:24:11 AM
|
| I kinda like the half-day idea myself. The kids are in school, and it eases them into the school situation. Like 86_a said, they're with the teacher every day so theey don't have to worry about trying to pick up where they left off. One down-side is that one or two hour delays in the morning will have a negative impact on the AM kindergarten, whereas the PM won't be affected. |
Due to the current economic condition, the light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off until further notice. |
|
|
|
98TomFord
Top Member
USA
812 Posts |
Posted - 07/09/2003 : 11:08:28 AM
|
quote:
The reformatting has been done. If there are any broken links, pages I didn't change over, or any other glaring errors, please let me know. Most of this was done after midnight.
No 86_A, I don't have a teaching degree, I am only a 10th grader and I spent my studyhall time with the kindergarden classes all of last year (my 9th grade year) and not to get off subject, but I never once saw a kid or even parent complain about the all day thing we do here at South Range. Lots parents and even some local schools have commented about how we have our kindergardeners come all day, and go through special activites to keep them busy all day. Like some things they do are when they arrive, they learn how to read/write, then they have a snack time, then they have a hands on activity, then go to lunch/recess,then they go to the other teacher - we only have 2 kindergarden teachers - and they do some different hands on activites, then they switch about an hour before school ends and they have a play time basicly. As you can see, both "A" days (M-W-F) and "B" days (T-T-F) are helped with all stages of learning and the teachers keep track of how well the students of both days are doing and how well they are progressing. Believe me, all day kindergardeners have a better advantage of kids that go only for a 1/2 day. PLus like I said in my first post, it saves money in fuel, and helps reduce the possiblilty of an engine break down and helps put less miles on the engine also. And 86_A, I do wish to get a teachign degree for 7/8th grade history teacher . |
My Ford Can Turn On $50, Can Your Int? ~Ford Buses - Gems To The Eyes~ |
|
|
|
98TomFord
Top Member
USA
812 Posts |
Posted - 07/09/2003 : 11:09:57 AM
|
"Do you have a degree in eduaction of any sort? I'm not trying to be rude just wondering." I ment to have that as my quote from 86_A.
|
My Ford Can Turn On $50, Can Your Int? ~Ford Buses - Gems To The Eyes~ |
|
|
|
gonzosbus
Senior Member
USA
142 Posts |
Posted - 07/10/2003 : 08:35:38 AM
|
| Most districts here in the Phoenix Area have All Day Kindergarten and they go 5 days a week. in my District they go the same hours as the 1-4 students. Being that we have a large Minority population (mostly Hispanic) Most of this time is spent trying to teach the children English. Other districts I have worked for Have the K- Classes spilt with some classes all english and some all spanish. I do believe it helps them get a jumpstart into the first grade. By the way, Just for the record I am a true believer that all classes should be in english. I have no problem with Bi-Lingual education but in the classroom the majority of the learning should be in english. I am also Bi-Lingual but most of my Spanish I learned from home or in High school. Armando Cuellar, Madison Elem. SD #38, Phoenix Arizona. |
|
|
|
Rich
Top Member
United States
5768 Posts |
Posted - 07/10/2003 : 09:11:52 AM
|
We have an all-day program here in the Yonkers Public Schools. 5 days a week. It works, believe it or not! This gets the idea to the students about how the school day really is. No sugar-coating.
A young child who I picked up from the bus occasionaly was still full of energy, and always enjoyed the day. They did many exciting activities (for their age), such as trips to farms where they learned about vegetables, "Beach day" where they came in their bathing suits and had an inflatable pool at the school, and of course, their favorite... finger painting! 
But like I said, this program does work, just fine here. I'm a full supporter of it. |
|
Edited by - Rich on 07/10/2003 09:13:00 AM |
|
|
|
thomas86_a
Top Member
USA
4413 Posts |
Posted - 07/10/2003 : 09:25:10 AM
|
| I think we need to find a forum full of educators to send this question to. |
If you have an International, you NEED customer service. |
|
|
|
Thomasfan89
Top Member
USA
1155 Posts |
Posted - 07/10/2003 : 6:09:16 PM
|
I went to all day kindergarten and was never tired. In fact I liked it and it worked well!! My Mom teaches all day kindergarten, and those kids are more full of energy at the end of the day than at the beginning. So it does work, and quite well. To add to that, our Public school system recently switched to it and really like it, as do the parents. Parents probably feel it is less am expense than to pay a babysitter or daycare since majority of the parents work.
Greg Hovan |
|
|
|
BlueBird44
Top Member
USA
1639 Posts |
Posted - 07/17/2003 : 06:01:20 AM
|
| At the Elementary School I help with buses just last year they put in place 3 classes of all day and 4 classes of 1/2 day. When they test the students the ones who need the extra boost are put in All Day and the rest are put in 1/2 day. The kids seem to like All Day. I hope never to see our half day kindergarten disappear in my area it's a good money maker for our contractors who need the money. I like it how they have half and half and the ones who test get that extra boost. |
IC-The Golden Shield of School Transportation |
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
All Day Kindergarten
