ANALYSIS
SCHOOL BUS EXHAUST
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By Antonio L. Ford More often than not, support staff does not receive the same commitment to
training like that of professional staff. Here at the Cleveland Independent School District in Texas, we are making a concerted effort to change that. Usually transportation departments offer training on safety and driving procedures
as transporting children to and from their destinations safely is imperative. However, we believed that we could provide a better service to our customers if our employees received increased and enhanced professional development and training. When this concept was first introduced, some of the bus operators were hesitant. Others outright resisted participating in these types of training sessions. Te common theme was that it was never done in the past. We began by emphasizing to our employees that they were more than just
“bus drivers,” that they were professional bus operators whose assignments were just as important as those of the teachers. Te transportation department took a proactive approach to training. We believed that developing the skill sets of our operators was mandatory. It is commonplace for transportation personnel, including drivers, to attend student management training with professional staff. Our department continually seeks specialized training in the areas of ethical be-
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havior, student management, customer service and communication. More recently, training was offered for customer service and communicating with difficult people. In an effort to improve oversight, our office staff frequently attends leadership- and supervisory-level classes, including management training sessions at Houston Metro- politan Transit Authority and with Harris County. Safety and reduction of liability is foremost, and both are instilled daily. Management
researched available data and found that the district’s transportation department was involved in a high rate of single-vehicle crashes that was proving costly for the district. Frequently scrapes and dents were going unchecked or unreported. Staff members were trained by a crash-reconstruction police officer to familiarize themselves with what to look for and the overall process of a crash-scene investigation. While some districts are cutting back, Cleveland ISD is committed to obtaining
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the training and developing the skills to keep drivers prepared for emergencies. As was evident by the utilization of facilities and buses during Hurricane Ike, the transportation department plays a significant role in the overall Emergency Man- agement Plan for the district. In fact, it is not uncommon to find transportatoin staff members actively participating at campus-specific drills along with the po- lice department. Tese drills include table-top exercises and training in accordance with the National Incident Management System (NIMS). Smaller districts seldom have a documented succession plan or procedures
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to develop personnel. Older programs were initiated in an attempt to develop individuals to assume administrative functions. We now allow and encourage in- dividuals who desire training in the administrative aspect of transportation to work in the office. We train members on dispatch, completing payroll and other required reports in the hope they will move up in the organization and develop the necessary skills to manage the transportation department. ■
Ford is the chief of police for the Cleveland Independent School District. 56 School Transportation News Magazine May 2011
Training and Professional Development in the Transportation Environment
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