Pros
Making a positive experience for children. In its basic function this is an easy job, and gets you out to see the lovely landscapes of fall and winter. After working inside every day all day, this was a bright spot in the chasm of unemployment. It is a prime occupation for those in retirement, or only able to work a few hours of the day. Also some companies/districts allow the drivers children on the bus during their route-so no daycare costs.
Cons
Again, making a positive experience for children can be very challenging from the position of bus driver. Everyone is potentially your enemy-the students, the teachers, the parents, policemen, other drivers, etc. It is generally a thankless job. My experience entailed driving two autistic children to and from school. They themselves were a small challenge, but meaningful. The hardships came primarily from the district, the politics that place the driver between a rock and a harder place, and in once case an officer who had nothing better to do than harrass a bus driver. First student as a company did not inspire me to continue working for them, though rumor has it there are worse companies to drive for. Given the level of responsibility the pay is rather low, however the requirements are also low: clean driving record, pass drug tests, show up on time. First student is owned and operated by a company in the UK.