I suggest that in the future, we limit the usage of teachers as directors of traffic at elementary schools. Never before have I had such trouble maneuvering through the Neihardt parking lot nightmare as I have this year. For the first month, teachers seized control of a four-way stop in a residential neighborhood -- with no prior accidents to spur such a thing -- and I was nearly side-swiped or rear-ended on a nigh daily basis thanks to the confusion of other drivers or incompetence of the teacher trying to wave people through the intersection without paying attention. I actually had a teacher step off an opposing corner when it was my turn to go and decide then to suddenly begin waving traffic through.

I propose that if schools require assistance at the beginning of the year to establish traffic flow, we engage the local sheriff's office or the police department, or ask for trained volunteers. When we lived in Connecticut, our child's elementary school had an adult crossing guard who did this duty and it worked out quite well. Teachers did what they did best and did not potentially risk a situation where the school system would be liable for damage done to vehicles or pedestrians.