Professor World

Can teachers give students a ride in their car to a fundraiser?

I'm just curious. I teach at a small school. I'm not planning on doing that, but I'm a teacher and I've seen the other teachers use the school van instead to transport a small number of students to field trips, fundraisers, etc. I don't understand why you couldn't just take them in your car? Is it for liability? But if it's liability, is it still liability if it's in the school van when you're driving? Pardon me for not knowing; I'm a first-year teacher and I'm still trying to learn the ropes. :) Thanks for your time.

Public Comments

1. teachers are warned never to be alone with a student. AS a former teacher, I would never give a ride to a student, I would really like to, but students today are crying "sexual abuse" at the drop of a hat when nothing has happened and so teachers should be extra careful. I was warned by my union way back in 1989
2. When I taught in the states I would help out with fundraisers, and meet students there. For car washes I would show up with some cold sodas and help out a little (mostly collecting from the drivers, the students would say $2.00 or $3.00 and I asked the drivers how much they wanted to give, usually a bit more than the students would ask for). For field trips, in a school bus.And don't be alone with students. There have been some nasty cases of teachers getting in trouble for helping by giving a ride.
3. What the others said is 100% right. It's not really about liability, its about protection from potential scandals. Although I am sure there is a liability issue as well. If you have an accident where you are driving them in a school van it is the schools insurance that is on the hook not you. You get into an accident in your car and a kid is hurt the and the kid's parent's lawyer comes looking for payment the school is going to say "hey you drove them in your car, that your problem." So there is that. However the real reason is what everyone else said. You should never be alone with a student, period. In the American Criminal Justice System you are innocent until prove guilty, right? Yes in all cases EXCEPT, EXCEPT, EXCEPT!!!!!! In cases of teachers having misconduct with students. This is no joke. If a student says a teacher did something to them, BAM!!! They are fired, pretty much on the spot. And there are more than a few cases where a person was fired, and then later it was found out the student lied. In my city a janitor was fired for having sex with a student and he lost his job, his wife, his home and people treated him like common criminal and then weeks later it was found out the girl lied. I mean students can lie no matter what you do, but the last thing you want is there to be a record that you make a habit of being a lone with students so if a student lies on you at least you can say "I am never a lone with students, so this could never happen." It is a teachers only defence.