Holden, the school bus is considered to be an extention of the classroom. Students are under the authority of both the bus driver and the accompanying teacher. Oh, and any chaperones that may be in attendance.
I can and have barred kids from ever going on another field trip because of their conduct.
On one occasion, I took a class to a small museum in Pine Bluff to view an art exhibit. The museum was small and there were other teachers in attendance.
We had been there about 30 minutes when one of the other teachers tapped me on the shoulder and said, "These two gentlement would like to speak to you."
I turned to face two police officers, a Mutt and Jeff duo. The shorter of the two was absolutely livid. He was so irate steam was roiling out of his ears. The taller officer was the only one who talked, and was fairly polite, under the circumstances.
It seems that a few of our students had slipped off out of sight of their chaperone and found a pay phone. In between attempts to contact boyfriends and trying to get them to come to the museum, and dialing 1-800-P U S S Y, they had made a couple of prank calls to 911.
I apologized profusely, groveling the entire time, while simultaneously assuring the officers that the miscreants would face certain retribution when we returned to our school.
I immediately cut short the tour, loaded the class back on the bus and returned to our campus, an hour and a half drive away.
Next morning there was loud and profuse weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth. Faced with the choice of suspensions or paddlings, some parents chose the latter for their little darlings.
And behinds met shoulder blades.
Our next field trip was much calmer.
