
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, June 11, 1995                   TAG: 9506300098
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV2   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: DONNA ALVIS-BANKS
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

'LOVE' IS PROMISE WE MUST MAKE TO KIDS

When a Montgomery County school bus driver was charged last week with driving under the influence and possession of alcohol on school property, reaction from school officials and parents was rightfully intense. Shock, anger, dismay and certainly relief were among the emotional reflexes.

"Thank goodness this happened before anyone was hurt," we said to ourselves.

Delia Proffitt, a mother whose children rode on the driver's bus each day, said she learned a valuable lesson.

"From now on, we'll listen to our kids," Proffitt vowed. Children in the Merrimac area had complained to their parents about the driver's abilities. But none of the parents considered the accusations serious enough to make a formal complaint.

John Martin, assistant superintendent for the school system, had another perspective.

"I hate this kind of stuff," he said, "because when it happens, it puts a blemish on the other drivers."

Both of them had good points.

I had been thinking about bus drivers even before this happened.

I had spent two days churning out a column on bus drivers that had been churning around in my head for several months.

I was remembering the wonderful bus driver who cared for me during 12 of the most important years of my life and the wonderful bus driver who cared for my children this past year.

Last week's incident made me remember that not all bus drivers are wonderful.

Neither are all teachers, principals, custodians or others who work in the county schools.

Let's face it, some of them have problems - the kind of problems that interfere with the ability to work effectively with children.

Anyone who takes on the responsibility of teaching children, guiding children, driving children, feeding children, disciplining children or - most importantly - bringing children into the world, should sign a binding contract with one crucial word on the bottom line:

Love.

By being more active participants in the public schools, by developing a cooperative attitude aimed at finding solutions to problems in the educational system and - as Delia Proffitt said - simply by listening to our kids, maybe we can make the whole system work better.

I hope as school administrators hire new employees over the summer, they'll give some serious thought to the most important question they ought to ask in the job interview:

"How do you feel about kids?"

The answers to that question might tell them a great deal about the best people for the jobs.

I hope, too, that school officials and parents will take the time to notice when the people who work with our children are doing a good job.

"Bus drivers are probably [some ]of the most reliable people you work with because they take their job seriously," assistant superintendent Martin said last week.

We should take our jobs seriously, too.

Donna Alvis-Banks is a New River Valley bureau editorial assistant.

by CNB