Posted on 01/20/2005 4:49:01 AM PST by Behind Liberal Lines
SYRACUSE NY--When Lynnee Westbrook thinks about what her son went through her eyes well up. She says her two children take the school bus everyday, so she can't understand why the vice principal at McKinley Brighton told her 5-year-old son to walk home.
Under school policy, students must live more than a mile and a half to be bused. School spokesperson Neil Driscoll says Kevin is listed as a walker and lives on Newell Street, a block away from the school. Westbrook says they actually live on West Brighton Avenue and she doesn't know how the school got that information. She says her son walked several blocks to his daycare, where he gets dropped off after school.
"My baby who is 5-years-old who never walked anywhere a day in his life has to cross over major intersections to get to school to daycare. I felt that was very unacceptable," Westbrook said.
Westbrook says when she contacted the school, the vice principal had no knowledge of her child and said her son may have gotten confused with another conversation she was having with an older student.
"What's the need for him to walk? Why wasn't I informed? If he if missed his bus or whatever, you know that was my point. Nobody contacted me or they didn't contact emergency contact," Westbrook said.
"It was cold and my stuff was falling down, and I had to put my gloves in my book bag. I put my hands in my pocket," said Kevin Jennings, 5-year-old forced to walk home.
Kevin's mom says she wants to get to the bottom of what went wrong. Westbrook says she plans to get to the bottom of this during a meeting with the vice principal of the school Thursday.
It's increasingly common for the Feds to create so-called halfway homes and apartments in the middle of urban neighborhoods. These are places created to help prisoners serving the last six months or so of their term "transition" back to society. Supposedly the prisoners go out during the day and look for work and must return to the halfway house by dinnertime. The government tried, unsuccessfully, to put one of these down the street from our local elementary school.
You wouldn't believe the Federal sobbing on behalf of the poor prisoners "who just want to work". No concern at all for the people in the area with kids.
This used to be a child-centered country. No longer. If parents are more paranoid these days it's because we live in a society where the welfare of criminals is more important than the safety of kids.
I would agree with you on that point - no need to involve the media.
And I like to think you wouldn't boast you "never let [her] walk" at all.
I think this was hyperbole on the mother's part. I would guess she meant that she doesn't allow her child to walk unattended. I ensure my daughter has plenty of exercise, but I don't allow her to go anywhere unattended. By the time she's 7 or 8, it's a different story...but not at 5.
Name one aspect of our society that has an "airtight" policy where snafu's don't happen? I can't think of one.
Cute story.
A boy in kindergarten was told on the first day to line up either with the 'walkers' or the 'riders'
He lined up with the walkers. Turns out his first name was 'Walker'! True story!
Who advised you to purchase an SUV with a DVD player? That must have been some hot car salesman with a great deal. SUVs can be expensive. Does it at least get good gas mileage?
Did the car salesman also advise you to buy the Sponge Bob DVD or did it come as an extra with the car DVD player?
Did the car salesman convince you that you would become an effective parent upon the purchase of the SUV or was it someone else in your community?
SUVs are very nice, they're roomy, but I do not think that they are mandatory.
DVD players in a moving vehicle sound distracting. Do you keep the sound down low when your children play the Sponge Bob DVD or do you sing along?
ROFL!
My kids are grown. I was including myself in the example as a courtesy.
I see the wonderful parents you had produced another wonderful parent! I love to hear about parents cherishing their children!
I don't let my 8 year old or 10 year old walk alone except to a friends house down the street.
That 'school bus seat belt' thing always gets me too.
The problem is not the walking it is the walking alone.
This lady seems to have selective concerns though.
I've seen a video (camera inside of the bus) of a bus out of control. The kids were flying all over.
I figured out how I became mistaken about that...my niece, same name as your daughter, is seven, same age as my oldest. You know how easily confused I get.
Furthermore, on average 600 children are killed each year traveling too or from school by means other than a school bus. The most deadly method of school transportation is in a passenger vehicle driven by another teenager, followed by bicycle, and then walking.
When you consider that almost 60% of the nations public school students are transported by school bus, the safety record is even more impressive.
Disclaimer: I have no connection to the school bus transportation industry other than the fact that my children ride on a big yellow bus, to and from school each day.
I agree that airtight problems can't be 100%. However, the parents or emergency contact person should be called when a change in transportation is made. That is not too difficult to do and an easy policy to make. Parents getting upset and bringing in the media is sometimes the only way to get things done.
In my niece's school ineptness is the norm. This happens every year. Because of tenure and unfortunately affirmative action *here* bad teachers can not be fired. One way that the local school boards get rid of them in the classroom is to move them into administration. Policy making is not their strong point. It takes common sense and most are lacking in that department.
We drove our kids everywhere and were the driver for many of their friends to different events. All of our children are skinny.
Oh really? So, life for families is exactly the way it was for you back in the what 60's, 50's -- 40's...?
You don't think the culture and values of this country have taken a nose dive since you were a kid? You don't think perversion and those that excuse it is more evident now compared to then?
Get real - things are very different now, most people get that - they may not like it but it's a fact of life.
How much safer would it be with safety belts in the bus?
What a story you told - you spoke volumes for anyone who think the mom was overreacting to her 5 yr old walking home alone!!
And your story happened 35 years ago - "back in the Good Ol Days!!??"
I honestly don't know.
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