New Haven Independent

Posted by: Beasnie's Mom | March 13, 2009 9:22 AM

Of course there's a mixing of all ages on a bus that covers from K-8. Why isn't it PreK-8?
How can a bus be designed for this school and not have a 6, 7 or 8th grade student on it? What happened to those chidren or has the NHBoard of Ed been seperating out larger bullies?

It absoulutely unacceptable that the child in question was not kept at the school until a parent or guardian arrived. If a child has a knife, there is something going on where he is scared and is lashing out.

It's very rare for me to say but this BUS DRIVER did everything she should have done, except why didn't she get the knife. She did return to school. Then the big failures began.
Dr. Mayo needs to address this immediately.

Perhaps it is time for the Board of Alderman to call for public hearings regarding Safety on New Haven School buses.

Posted by: john | March 13, 2009 9:29 AM

"School officials refused to show the video to the Independent, saying it is property of the bus company, which is hired on a contract with the public schools."

Proving once again that the privatization of public services is always a great idea!

Posted by: Paul Wessel | March 13, 2009 10:33 AM

Sensationalism at the Independent? Dictionary.com defines "wields," the verb used in the headline, as: "1. To handle (a weapon or tool, for example) with skill and ease. 2. To exercise (authority or influence, for example) effectively." Nothing in the reporting suggests that was the case here. While there may, in fact, be a more sordid tale, it sounds like it was a 6 year old boy with a pocketknife cutting a vinyl seat cover. It also sounds the principal did a good job of managing the situation.

[Ed: point taken. Correction made.]

Posted by: sjbj | March 13, 2009 11:40 AM

"What [Conte] heard from the children didn't appear in any way to be something that would be upsetting."

A child having a knife (whether or not he "wields" it), on a school bus, damaging property, is, to me, by definition "upsetting". What the heck goes on at ER Magnet School that the principal thinks a knife in the hands of a 6 year old, basically unsupervised (I'd argue that someone driving a bus isn't supervising the children) is not considered upsetting?!!!!!

Posted by: unanimous | March 13, 2009 11:41 AM

Paul,
The principal did a good job of managing the situation as long as it was not your kid on the bus. Its extremely difficult to be a driver of a bus and have to deal with so many disciplinary issues happening on the bus. Parents know how difficult it can be driving a car with kids fighting in the back. They need to have another adult in the bus with them. That one bus driver has to be responsible for a large number of kids. Rules should be set before school starts with the privilages of riding on a school bus. Its not a right but a privilage and if you do not behave and your parents do not explain what is expected from you on the bus for your safety than you need to find another way to get to school. That principal should have taken the child out of the bus and called the parent and had a meeting with them and disciplined the child accordingly. It is not acceptable no matter how angry you are to bring a knife of any kind and destroy property. Children need to understand that there are consequences to their actions or they will find out a little too late and end up in residence on Whalley Avenue. This is the responsibility of the parents to address.

Posted by: anon | March 13, 2009 12:18 PM

A large number of New Haven children view much worse things on a regular basis at home. Maybe instead of spending so much on school buses, the state should focus more on family and community support instead of slashing the budget. Of course, Rell doesn't care - these problems don't affect her.

Posted by: DAFeder | March 13, 2009 12:38 PM

I have a special tool on my pocket knife that helps you fit a tempest into a teapot. Apparently, I'm not the only one.

David

Posted by: Aisha | March 13, 2009 1:14 PM

The Principal did a horrible job at managing the situation because he in fact put the boy back on the bus with other students, failed to contact parents, and alleges that the kids didn't seem upset but were "animated and frivolity and jumping!" That to me sounds like they were excited about what transpired. I feel like the bus company followed protocal to the best of their ability. It seems like the ball was dropped when the bus returned to school. All the parents should be outraged because what if the boy stabbed a child and not just the seat. I refuse to believe that if a student pulls out a knife, none of the other students wouldn't be alarmed. The school should have handled this incident in the same manner they would have if a child was injured because the same threat was there whether the school officials believe it or not.

Posted by: Paul Wessel | March 13, 2009 1:53 PM

By the way, there's a good argument for aides on school buses, as well as in classrooms. Those of us who want that should tell our Alderman that it is important to us, ask them what it will cost, and tell them either (a) where to cut the budget to provide them or (b) which taxes should be raised to pay for them.

Posted by: Margaret | March 13, 2009 4:19 PM

Listen parents a child carrying a pocket knife to school is upsetting. 1st of all it there was accident with even if it wasn't a planned attacked. Parents need to open there eyes and really find out what's important. Child should have been taken off the bus and his parent should have had to pick him up. To many things are happening in this crazy world and situation like this need to be address.

Posted by: norton street | March 13, 2009 6:47 PM

in first grade at west hills elementary school, i brought in a broken battery charger plug, which had exposed wires on one end, and i thought i could plug it into a tree during recess and it might come alive.
this kid is 6. he had no idea what he was doing. this is not a serious incident at all. if it had been a 7th grader then we could get all worked up, but he is 6 years old. no one should care about this at all.

Posted by: urban ed | March 13, 2009 7:25 PM

And if the kid had been detained, referred to police like he maybe should have been, put up for a 10-day suspension and an expulsion hearing like the law seems to require, there'd be a whole different bunch of fools on this forum calling for Mike Conte's head for a completely different set of reasons.

Mike made a judgement call. That's what he's paid to do. If the district determines he made the wrong one, believe me, he'll hear about it.

Mike Conte is a gifted administrator and a gentleman, and he does not deserve to be second guessed by anyone who has not walked a mile in his shoes. That's his superiors' job.

Posted by: east rock kids | March 13, 2009 8:41 PM

my son rides the bus everyday,i feel that we have a happy home,we talk about things around the dinner table,but that does not mean that he wouln't take my housband pocket knife off
the table and bring it to school.boys will be boys
he likes to cut things does that mean i should be worried about him he is only 5,i think people read into it to much

Posted by: Ka Ching | March 13, 2009 10:50 PM

I hope Ms. Hicks takes advantage of her God-given right to sue for pain and suffering, loss of consortium, PTSD, lost income, and anything else she can think of.

Posted by: lauraa | March 14, 2009 2:26 AM

ayayay people, the boy had a POCKETKNIFE, not a machete. Lots of young boys have these things to carve and stuff. He was probably bored on the bus ride home and took out his pocketknife to carve on the seat. Sure, he shouldn't have been destroying property but it doesn't sound like he was a danger to the other kids. And btw a suspension to someone that young is just like giving them a candy bar.

Now there should be aides on buses but that's not what this story is really about...

Posted by: Chris O | March 14, 2009 8:42 AM

Get these buses in order!!! Follow just about any bus and you'll see chaos through the rear windows. Assign seats, and hold parents accountable. This Lord of the Flies mentality needs to be checked. Bullying and crass behavior can and often does stunt the growth of this generation. How we care for our children speaks volumes to what we think about them.

Posted by: Rick | March 14, 2009 9:30 AM

In the parent letter..."was be taken." HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. The principal yet.

Posted by: eastrockparent | March 14, 2009 10:11 AM

I have a child on bus 9 at East Rock School. I feel the administration does the best they can with every situation that is thrown at them. This is just another opportunity for people to blame others for poor parenting. Dr. Conte has many years of experience and always does what is best for the children. I also received a letter from the principal and there was no typo in it. Evidently, someone posted the letter online and copied it wrong.

Posted by: steve | March 14, 2009 10:30 AM

Ms. Hicks is too eager to trash the name of a competent administrator and a good school. We all know that kids sometimes make things up. She should figure this out while her children are young or she will be in for some big surprises when they get older.

Posted by: clevonne | March 14, 2009 3:14 PM

It is really amazings that some of you have a nonchalant attuide about the situation. It was not your children, so that sums it up in a nut shell.Oh and since it did not effect you directly you all have alot to say....I go to work every day and pay taxes,so not unless Mike Conte is GOD i will question anyone when i need to address a concern. Never did i say i wanted to sue but thank you for the idea you speak with personal experience.

Posted by: Ms. Hicks | March 14, 2009 5:37 PM

It's amazing to me how some parents can have such a non-chalant attitude about this situation when children are involved. Is it because it's not their child and or children directly affected by it? The matter is still a very serious issue and since I am my children's advocate, I will stand by them until I see results. WHY wait for someone else to become the next victim? Mike Conte isn't "God" and it was still his responsiblity as the school Principal, to contact me about this situation and NOT hear if from my 7 year old daughter. I've never had a problem with the school or Mike Conte in the past, but I feel that he didn't take the proper steps in communicating with me. As a concerned parent it is my responsiblity to be concerend about the safety of my children. Why does it take for something to happen in order to have something in place? With all that has been said on this blog, nobody has seem to offer any suggestions concerning the safety of the children on the buses. How would you handle this situation if it were your child/children?

Posted by: Ms. Hicks | March 14, 2009 6:24 PM

I would like to respond to several posts: Norton Street, East Rock Kids & Lauraa....you all are living in a fantasy world to think that things like this are acceptable and that we should just brush this under the rug. If parents ignore early signs of emotional issues in their household its because they are in denial (so I understand).

Age doesn't play a factor in terms of danger anymore. Whether it was a "pocket knife" or a "machette" its still considered a weapon. Let me share some information with you where a situation was ignored and a 6 year old girl was fatally killed....(do we still consider this to be "common behavior" as some of you have labled it?)

Please click on the link below regarding a 6 year old killing another 6 year old "in school" and the child had the sense to run and dicard the weapon.....(but I guess since the child involved in this situation was "6" years old he didn't know what he was doing either" per Norton Street)(Whehttp://www.csudh.edu/dearhabermas/commsixyrold.htm

Posted by: DEZ | March 15, 2009 6:53 PM

"Just a pocket knife"? I was not going to chime in on any of this, as my child is a mere 9 months old. BUT, should my kid be on a bus when a situation arises that calls for the redirecting of said bus back to school due to a possible safety situation, I had better be informed. Who are these "latchkey" parents that are not taking exception for the lack of communication in real time? The child was in First Grade! That doesn't make him "cute", that makes him problematic!

Posted by: WilburCrossGrad | March 15, 2009 9:59 PM

It has been proven in numerous studies that kids often tell versions of stories that are different than what actually happened, and that they are especially vulnerable to others' retelling. If there was no evidence of the boy actually threatening anyone with the knife, I wouldn't be surprised of the kids on the bus kept talking about it amongst themselves during the ride home until the story became distorted.

Also, suspending a kid at that age, especially for something unwarranted, automatically sets a tone and precedence for his academic career and personal development that is damaging. All of a sudden, he's labeled by the other kids, teachers and administrators at his school as a "bad", violent kid who threatened others with a knife. His sense of self will be affected as well. Suspension and similar action is not a good idea unless you are absolutely sure that the punishment meets the crime.

Posted by: angry black man | March 15, 2009 10:11 PM

Well first off I have a big problem with adminstration. How in the world does an incident like this transpire without a parent being notifed.This is just another example of how the school and bus system is irresponible. Ms.hicks should take every action possible to get her money. Laslty this boy should have been apprehended as soon as this situation happened, thank God it was just the seat because with the world being the way it is today it could have easily been a child or two for that matter.Two more quick thoughts i love it how the school its trying to keep this issue on the hush what do you mean "it wasnt threating behavior" the boy is slashing a seat for God sakes what if that was someone's neck would it have been serious then? our would that have not been considered "dangerous behavior" I mean come on. Ms. Hicks has a right to be outraged this isn't even my child and i'm mad as hell. Excuse my launage but this situation should have been handled in a better way then i was.

Posted by: Joey A. | March 16, 2009 8:11 AM

Its the same story at most city schools. My daughter came home from clinton ave. school not to long ago and informed us that she got into a fight and got suspended for 3 days there was no contact by the school and the adminastation had very little to say other then we will look into it.

Posted by: Ms. Hicks | March 16, 2009 11:51 AM

In response to the WilburCrossGrad comment, I was told by my daugher that the child had a knife to my son's neck and my son confirmed that it in fact happened. I know the line between normal roughhousing and physical aggression and I refuse to be silenced or ignored by anyone concerning this "very serious issue". The fear that my children had on their faces were enough evidence for me. How can you make such a comment like that?

Okay for arguement sake, let's just say hypothetically that the child didn't threaten anyone with a knife. It "WAS CONFIRMED" that the child did in fact display violent and destructive behavior in which he destroyed the seat that he was sitting in with the knife...(that's a warning sign in itself that we all should be very aware of).

Let's not forget that violent behavior doesn't just rear its ugly head once a child reaches the teen years. There are usually "SIGNS" that indicate a possible behavior problem very early on even in the preschool years and we should not overlook such actions.

It's very important to hold young children accountable and to teach them social problem-solving skills they can use to replace violence so if explusion or suspension had to follow, it would only be for the good and safety of the other children. How can some of you be so blind that it is our responsibility to protect the young and innocent. Let's be real after all even animals protect their babies.

Posted by: mom | March 30, 2009 11:49 PM

I think its wrong to say it wasnt upsetting how could it not be. Especially for the young kids i have a kindergarten who goes on the bus to get home and he is always saying how there is no supervision at all bigger kids hiting the younger ones making ugly remarks yelling ect... this seems to bother and UPSET him very MUCH (he says they r out of control) and he asked me not to not to put him on the bus if i could please pick him up from school. So how is seeing a knife in the bus and slashing the seats not upsetting for the young ones. They r in all there right to be scared thank GOD that it was only slashing a seat and nothing else. And why would the bus driver have someone else bring the knife to him instead of the ADULT going back there and getting it. Im 25 and this is upseting me.